The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-01
The Life of q Nation.

u
How hard ii is to destroy people who
cling e their historic traditions and are
true to themselves, the history of Hungary,
of Ireland anu of Poland shows. Their
strength may be broken; their pride may
be crushed; their flag may be hidden away;
and men may speak sadly or contemptu-
ously of the ''lost cause" for which their
statesmen planned and their heroes fought;
and despotism may seal the eloquent lips
of the patriot and cut the chords of the
poets Tyre. and shackle liberty and crush
industry with taxes, and crown the alien,
the renegade and the menial with honor
yet, after all, only those nations perish
which are untrue to themselves. They have
invisible guards and helpers. The laws of
the universe run counter to despotism, now,
as in that age Of the Jewish heroes, when
"the stars in their courses fought against
SIsERA." Right is stronger than power.
And the right of people, the right of
society to exist as society, is the most fun
damental of all-the most sacred of all
having divine guarantee.
MOORE in one of his burlesques, "The
Extinguishers," ridiculed the efforts of the
Holy Alliance to reconstruct the nations of
Europe in the interests of despotism. He
told the story of Persiah lord who dis
possessed the Ghebers and overthrow their
temple, but found himself batled by the
sacred fire which they had kindled at the
naptha springs. Smothered at one place it
burst out at another. Atlength he resolved.
to cover every vent with
'sSome large extinguishers-a plan
Much used, they said, at Ispahan,
Vienna, Petersburgh-in short,
Wherever lights forbid at COURT
but to his amazement and indignation
found, one day, that his very extinguishers
had caught on fire, and that the flames were
more vehement and wide spread than ever
before.
sThus, OF his only hope bcreft,
what, said the great man, must be done ?
ALI that, in scrapes like this, is left
To great men is-to cut and run.
So run he did, While to their grounds
The banished Ghebors blest returned;
And though tneir fire had broke its bounds,
And all abroad now wildly brrned.
Yet well could they, who loved the fame,
Its wandering, its excess reclaim;
And soon another, fairer dome,
Arose to be its sacred home,
Where cherished, guarded, not confined,
The living glory dwelt enshrined;
And. shedding lustre strong, but even,
Though born of earth, grew worthy Heaven"
The moral of this fable may be learned
in the Fenian agitations of Ireland now in
Auencing the British Parliament; in the
constitutional rights of Hungary, now re-
stored; and even in the contest now going
on in Poland, at the very time when Russian
legislation seems to have blotted Poland
from the map of Europe, and removed
every trace of its nationality. The War
saw correspondent of St. Petersburg
journal declares that the Sarmatian people
have adopted policy of resistance more
dangerous than the sword of KozcIUsco.
The hatred of Russia remains unabated.
1t especially prevails among the women.
But henceforth it will express itself in the
physical, moral and intellectual discipline
which will make them superior to the Rus
slams, and sooner or later restore to the
natives the power they have lost. Every
thing else they will yield. They will obey
the laws and even the wishes Of their rulers;
they will illuminate the windows, and salute
the black eagle whenever required. But
in the schools and the churches they will
prepare for the regeneration of Poland.
1t is stated that the young people have en-
tered with extraordinary ardor into study,
and submit to strict discipline, animated
by the assurance that the time will come
when they can exchange compliance and
submission foi disdain, when they can crush
the iutruding Russian and the Polish rem
cgade, by their mental superiority. 1t is
amusing to observe the nairete with which
the correspondent to whom we have refer
red, displays his dread of education. ''There
is no doubt possible he exclaims, 'the
arm the Poles have now chosen is most
dangerous. The peril is imminent. Icould
point out here quite small towns where
there are colleges with two, three, or four
hundred pupils. These establishments are
attended by the sons of cooks, street por-
ters, concierges, railway platelayers, &c.
With my own eyes have seen collegian
-, n Door norf arto