The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-03-07

may prove interesting. The Rich
mond Wig says:
While we cannot, if we would. close
our eyes to the gloomy aspect of DO
htlcal affairs, we should not surrender
ourselves TO despair. We should,
like sensible men, inquire what we
can do to better our condition, and
do it candidly, manfully and openly.
We all know that We cannot fight.
and it is needless. therefore, to talk
about fighting. We can grumble and
scold, but who wants manly Viz
ginlans to degenerate into grumblers
and scolds? We can fold our arms.
stand still and be swept to destruction
by the torrent we seek passivelv to
resist. We can surrender ourselves
to despair, and doggedly invite fate
to do its worst. These are not rene
dies for our situation. a few hours
will develop the crisis with more
painful distinctness, and then we will
have to determine, and quickly, upon
our line of action
We avail ourselves of this pause to
address some remarks to our readers
upon the analogies supplied by his
tory to our situation, and to draw
from them some useful lessons. Those
who have lived for successive genera
tions under peculiar form of 90
vernment controlled by themselves.
regard the idea Of revolution with
dismay and horror They imagine
that life will be uncomfortable under
any other Government. We are inst
i'll that situation. We have but now
emerged from a war IN which we were
discomfitted, and while the Constitu-
ton still exists in name, we see before
US. rs IN panorama, all the stages
OF rapid revolution. We see States
struck from their spheres, and their
very names blotted out. Instead of
States they have become districts
military districts. We see civil law
dethronedand martial law substituted
III its place. We see q white mans
Government changed into negro
Government. In one word, we see
the Government of our fathers pass
ing through a complete revolution.
and with the sole object of subjecting
the Southern people to Northern rule.
We see these things, and we are filled
with dlsmay and horror. Many feel
that life is uncomfortable under such
circumstances, and that it would be
better to lie down and die. Let us
not forget that this is not the first
revolution that has occurred in his
tory. Almost every nation has had
its revolutions, and accompanied bv
violence and bloodshed. Those ma
tions survived them, and the people
became prosperous and happy. We
have this advantage, that We have al
ready passed through the most fear
full stage-that Of violence and blood
shed. In this instance, the revolution
is eliminating peacefully, if painfully,
after the war. Ii we survived the
war. why can we not survive the
change OF Government?
Rome was alternately Il common
wealth and an empire. Every change
of Government was accompanied by
civil convulsion, slaughter and con
fiscation. These were Pagan days,
when pure and exalted Christian phi
losoDhy was unknown, and when
unenlightened reason and uncurbed
passion governed men. In those
davs. it was esteemed honorable in
the patriot who failed to throw him
self upon his sword and die. \ few
notable examples Of this kind have
descended to us i'll history. But
honorable as it was esteemed, few
thus threw away their lives. They
preferred making their peace With
their enemies, and living as quietly
and contentedly as they could under
the new government. In few wears,
the bulk of the people became ac
customed to it and prospered.
France has been scourged by revo-
lutions in which blood ran Ike water.
and terror palsied the nation. Old
Governments were blotted out, and
new Governments formed. Violence.
bloodshed, confscation and Danish
ment were the accomplishments of
every such revolution. Yet, in few
years, France became quiet, and the
people prosperous and contented.
But little more than half century
has elapsed since the revolution
which ended in the elevation of the
Corsican prodigy to power was fol-
lowed by his overthrow at Waterloo,
by the occupation of his capital by
the allies, and by the utter exhaustion
and lmpoverishment Of the French
people; but Notwithstanding the oc-
currence of two revolutions since that
period, they are reckoned among the
happlest and most prosperous people
ON earth