The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-03-18


OF 9 people, and awaken in the dullest
heart some sense of what Is due from the
individual to the State-of the value Of
honor, and patriotism, and temperate dis.
clPline. ut is in and through symbols, ,"
says Carlyle, "that man, consciously or
unconsciously, lives, works, and has his
being; those ages, moreover, are account.
ed the nobest which cap, the best recog
nize Symbolcai WORTH, and prize it the
highest" A soldiers fidelity to his flag
has in it something sublime and enno-
bling, and gives him a share in the ma.
tional life and liberty Of which that flag
is the emblem. Tattered, shot. torn.
smoke ,blackened.it is nevertheless a sym.
Dol of the highest value and importance,
and has power to direct the thoughts and
passions Of individuals, so that q mighty
host becomes as one man. Moreover, it
is symbol Of nations past Bright
memories Of victory flash about it, or,
perhaps, some recollections live in its
dropping folds of a disaster and shame, or
a time Of oppression and suffering; so
that, gazing upon this mysterious symbol,
the citizen and the soldier feel the hot
blood throbbing at their heart, and the
battle light rcddening on their brows.
Amongst most warrior peoples the ca
gle has been favorite emblem. In my.
thology and history it is everywhere pres
ent. With outstretched wings and fash
ing eyes, it seems to dominate over the
whole world Of fable, always sacred, al.
ways venerated, even feared, for in its
grasp the lightnings kindle! But, says
French essayist, it is above all, as the
protector that it appears S. to protect and
to save being the privilege Of power and
! strength. The eagle saved Helen when
the knife of the priests thirstcd for the
blood of the victim it saved Valcria Lu.
pera, when dragged to the altar Of sacri.
fee. Thus, strong and immortal it was
everywhere the enemy of death, every
where the winged symbol of that exis-
tence which is without end!
Among the Persians, Mithra, or the
sun god. wishing to reveal himself in a
visible form, assumed the figure of an ca.
gle; and this image, sculptured in gold,
Cyrus placed on the crest of his triumph
ant standards.
The Romans adopted the eagle symbol
at an early period Of their history. At
first, according to Dyonyssius of IIalicar.
nassus, they crowned with it the scepter
Of their kings; afterwards, when they had
topped down the throne, they made ii
the ornament of the sceptcr Of their war.
rior chiefs, and the only ensign Of their
legiUnS.
Under the republic, the Roman eagle
was carved in wood; then in silver, with
a thunderbolt of gold in its ta|ons. L@
>ar was the first who had the whole cast
/ in gold, but he deprived it of the thun.
derbolt on which it had hitherto rested.
To mark his indefatigable activity, and
his constant yearning alter new con-
quests, the Romans always represented
Caesars eagle with outstretched wings, as
if seeking to incloSe the entire world in
the grasp Of its shadow.
Each legion had its golden eagle poised
at the point Of lance. They regarded
it with the most religious veneration
they made oath by it as by divinity;
and these oathS were esteemed peculiarly
sacred. The warrior bird preserved even
there his protecting character; the guilty
soldier on the point of being smitten by
the centurion's ax-the prisoner doomed
to death, might obtain life and pardon il
they placed themselves under the safe
guard OF the eagle. by caSping closely
the lance Of the standard bearer.
On the days of the triumph of success.
ful generals, the eagle was adorned with
all the garniture of victory-with crowns
Of laurel and garlands Of flowers. When
legion pitched its camp, the eagle was
placed in its center; and if it happened
that two lrgions encamped together, they
erected upon the limits Of the two camps
double eagle, with heads and wings op
posed.
If Roman army were defeated, the
eagle was not suffered to fall into the
handS'o of the enemy; when the standard.
bearer saw the rout begin, he broke his
lance in twain, and buried in the earth
that portion which was crowned with the
imperial symbol. This took place after
t C fatal battle of Lake ThraSymenc and
We owe to such precaution the only le.
gionary eagle that has been preserved to
our times. 1t was found in Germany, on
the land of Count d'Erlach it is of bronze
gilt, three inches high, and weighs eight
pounds. II is supposed to have belonged
to the twenty. second legion, which being
sorely pressed in a battle with the ALE.
msnni, the eagle-bearer, before he took
to flight, concealed in the earth the pre-
cious symbol intrusted TO his care.
Thus the enemies of Rome might be
victorious, and yet unable to display the
most honorable trophies Of their victory.
Varus, however, incurred the disgrace of
seeing his legions beaten back, and their
eagles captured; wherefore no disaster
ever more keenly wounded the naughty
spirit Of Rome. 1t is still a tradition
among the people of the North that the
cOnquering warriors Of HeTminius cap
tured two eagles; the first. which was
black, or Of bronze, was given to the
Germans; the second, which was white,
or of silver, was presented to their Sar-
matian auxiliaries; and we are told that
the black eagle which figures in the i'm
perial arms, and the white eagle of down.
trodden Poland. have no other origin
But the legend is without foundation
The German enperors for long time
bore but the single eagle, but this was in
remembrance of the Roman Caesars
They afterward assumed the two. headed
eagle as symbol Of the double empire Of
Rome and Constantinople, ,Otho w. being
the first to engrave it on the imperial
seal, and Sigismund, in the fifteenth cen.
tury, adopting it as the foundation of all
the heraldic mysteries OF the empire.
The Russians, as their power increased,
grew jealous of this emblem, and Car
Ivan I'LL, having married the daughter of
Michael Paleolo- us, Emperor of the East,
considered himself entitled to the same
blazon, in virtue Of his alliance He cr-
dered Q double headed eagle to be en-.