The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1865-01-24
The Past and Present.

IN inc cOu1tDeucement OF tne year iiol,
says the Richmond Dispatch-that year
which Terminated with the capture of Corn.
wallis a. York and cessation Of hosuli'es-
the affairs OF the colonists had never worn
DO gloomy an aspect. Not only Savannah,
but Charleston, was in the hands Of the
enemy. Gates had suffered defeat, which
caused tho alrno.t entire dispersion Of his
army. What remained Of it -esmed fit for
nothing bot prey to the enemy. The
traitor Arnold had come suddenly into Jaihes
river with = strong force, naval ard military,
and on the I'd or Sd Of January he captured
taichmond, where there was no force 10 op.
Psss him. 10 crown the public distress, In
the army Immediately under the command
OF Washington, the Pennsylvania line mu.
sinisd tor want of pay. and it was for time
supposed that the whole force would dis
band. This mutiny had no sooner been
suppressed than the New Jersey line fol.
lowed the example. The public at large,
and oven Washington himseIf, feared that
the example had been contagious, and the
grsStest anxiety prevailed. Never had the
affairs Of the colonies seemed so near des
itruction. The weak. .kneed shook in their
shoes. Even men Of firm courage and
consistent temper began to despair. But
Washington never suffered his hopes TO
abste. or his courage TO shrink, or his frm
resolve to DO shaken for a moment 9th
isrs might trsmble, but he knew not how to
fear. Placing firm reliance in the justice
OF bis, cause. aed Of the goodness Of Provi-
deuce, he never doubted for an instant that
all would turn out we'll, and that bis coun-
try would emerge from the trial greater and
moro glorious than it would have done had
it never been subjected to them The coun-
try caught the coDtagion Of his example as
men catch the plague. Its fears were al.
layed when 1t saw the commander ia. u.chief
calu and confident. 1t proved TO be the
dark hour just before day. The light soon
began TO break. Ou the 18th Of January,
Morgan defeated Tarlton At the Cowpens-
blow from WHICH CornwalIis never re-.
covsrsd-snd on the 18th Of Octob Der, Corn.
wallis surrendered.
We recall these things TO recollection, at
this time, because it strikes US that there il
. similarity in our present condition 10 that
Of our fathers in the beginning Of I7sl-
Hood, like Gates, has been defeated md
Savancsh has bsen taken. Yet Charleston
hss not been captured, and Hoods defeat
was far frou being so signal As that of
Gates. Richmond 10 still in Our hands :;
whereas, At the opening of the year 1881,
Arnold was master Of it. When Green
Joined ,hs army Of the South. in December.
he found it reduced to mere handful, in.
timidated by defeat, and altogether incapa-
bic Of making any great exer,ion. The
forces Of Bssuregard, on the contrary, are
numerous and we'll disciplined, and its Off
GERS are able and experienced soldiers. The
victory which has just been achieved over
the Yankee armada at Wilmington may be
fxirly set of against the defeat Of Ferguson
It Kings Mountain. Everything considered.
we are in far moro hopeful condition now
han we're our fathers 10 1881.
Lot our counLymsn consider that fact |
Nd dsSacs iron II the inevitable conc!u. ]