Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-10-15
Courage, Fortitude---A Timely Lesson.

It now remains for it to exhibit an equal degree
of fortitude. Courage enabled it to encounter
danger fortitude will enable it to bear the evils
inflicted upon it without yielding its honor and
selfrespect Courage was unable to prevent
the loss of liberty, but, through the exercise of
a proper degree of fortitude, and fidelity to
principle. it may be regained. The great du-
ties now incumbent upon the oppressed people
of the South are the exhibition of mistaken f.
deity to the fundamental principles our Gov
eminent as established by its able and patriotic
founders, and the exercise of heroic, inyincible
fortitude If the people of the South perform
these duties, as they should, there can be no
doubt that, in time, their liberties will be re-
gained, and their country will again bloom with
prosperity 1t follows from the very principles
of human nature, as implanted by the God of
our Creation that those will be blessed with
liberty whose characters furnish incontestible
evidence that they deserve that precious boon.
It is impossible from the very constitution of
their natures that men should prefer injustice
to justice, and that they should desire to see
others the victims of wrong and oppression
The sentiment of justice, implanted by the God
of nature in the bosoms of men, will be sure, In
time, to assert itself, -reaction against the tenn
porary domination of injustice and wrong will
be sure to take place, and the degree of that re-
action will be measured by the degree ofoppres-
sion-for it is as true in morals as in physics
that faction and reaction are equal. No peo-
pie ever exhibited greater degree of courage
than did the Southern people during the war,
but physical courage is quite common quality,
and is possessed by some of the lower animals,
as the terrier and game cock for instance, In
greater degree than by the bravest Of men,
Moral courage is higher and rarer virtue, and
it is by the exhibition of that virtue that men
individually and collectively vindicate their su-
periority-it is the possession of that virtue
which gives strength, value and lustre to char
acter. The Southern people are now passing
through the trying ordeal which is to test their
moral courage. 1t will determine whether they
have the moral courage to stand firmly by the
right, at the expense of supposed temporary
expediency? Whether they are "too fond Of
the right to pursue the expedient, as was said
by Oliver Goldsmith Of Edmund Burke? The
people of the South are now called upon, as
they value liberty and hope to regain it, to ex-
ercise the noble virtues of moral courage and
fortitude-by the former they preserve their
manliness and selfrespect, and secure the good
opinion and sympathy of the world, and by the
latter they are enabled to endure successfully,
if not to suffer patiently, the "oppressors
wrongs" AS long as the people remain true
to themselves and faithful to the principles of
liberty, there is not only hope, but, as we be-
lieve certainty that their liberties will be re-
removed, and their wrongs will be redressed.-
This may not occur as soon as they may expect,
and certainly not as soon as they desire, but
that it will certainly occur at some time, If the
people be true to themselves and to the princi
Piles of liberty, we entertain not a doubt
Rome was not built in day." and the seni
ments of the citizens of great and populous
country cannot be expected to be revolutionized
in very short time The present signs are all
favorable, and the friends of liberty have much
long or short, it is the duty of the people to be
true to the right. In the language of one Of
the ablest writer's and the most profound phil
osophical thinkers of this age, we would remind
our readers that bad government, bad laws,
or laws badly administered, are, indeed, ex-
tremely injurious at the time, but can produce
no permanent mischief; in other words they
may harm country, but can never ruin it. As
long as the people are sound there IS life, and
aOl.ile there as life, there aoiU be reaction But,
If the people are unsound, all hope is gone, and
the nation perishes. The
ruling classes have for the moment, immense
power, which they invariably abuse, except
when they are restrained, either by fear, or by
shame. The people may inspire them with
fear; public opinion may inspire them with
shame. But whether or not that shall happen,
depends on the spirit of the people, and on the
state of opinion"
As like causes will produce like effects, for
the encouragement of the oppressed people of
the South, we quote from the same able author,
Henry Thomas Buckle, few paragraphs in
reference to Scotland, and leave our readers to
consider the moral they point and the lesson
| they teach
In Scotland, as / have already shown, gen.
eral causes made the people love their clergy,
and made the clergy love liberty. As long as
these facts co-existed, the destiny of the nation
was safe. 1t might be injured, insulted, and
trampled upon 1t might be harmed in vari-
Gus ways; but the greater the harm, the smer
the remedy, because the higher the spirit of the
country would be reused. All that was needed
cation. 1t was, there
fore, of no avail that tyranny did her utmost
1t was of no avail that the throne was occupied
by despotic and INSCRIPTIONS King, who was
succeeded by another more despotic and more
INSCRIPTIONS than himself. 1t was of no avail
that a handful of meddling and intrusive bish-
ops, deriving their conservation from London,
and supported by the authority of the English
Church, took counsel together, and consplred
against the liberties of their native land. They
played the part of spies and traitors, but they
played it in vain Yet everything that govern
ment could give them, it gave. They had the
law on their side, and they had the right of ad-
ministering the law. They were legislators,
councillors, and judges. They had wealth ;
they had high-soundng titles they had all the
pomp and attributes for which they bartered
their independence, and with which they hoped
to dazzle the eyes of the vulgar. Still they
could not turn back the stream they could not
even stop it. they could not prevent it from
comiBg on, and swallowing them up in its course.
Before that generation passed away, these little