Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-09-11
From The Richmond Enquirer
NEVER GIVE Up EElE SHIP.

Il
Were we not entirely satisfied that a
vast proportion of the utterances of de-
spair in respect to the eventual res
tablishment of pure and just Repub-
ncan form of government in America,
which appear IN the daily press, and
We constantly hear expressed by those
who instinctively prefer the dark side
of every subject ARE only as it. were mo-
mentary ebullltlUus, We should our
selves anticipate . very dark future
for our countrymen. But we confess
we share no such apprehensions of
eterEa. political ruin, as those which
seem to haunt the waking dreems OF
our neiSLLor, the Dispatch. 1t is
sadly true that The party now in power
at Washington, has ira -npled IN the
dust every tradition of the fathers, and
every principle OF the Constitution;
and, III the presence of God and men,
there is not nor can be, any justitica-
! tion or palliation for the damning sins
of omission and cOmmis isslon which
cling to its skirts, and will not out. "
! yet we are of those who believe that these
| w-opgs, deep and grieyuu3 rs they
| are, canEot be long-llved, for "malice
will bum itself ogt," and at a better
day the great principles of Constitu-
! tloual Government, and liberty as our
! fathers knew it, like Antacus in the
! fable, viii rise brighter and stronger
from having touched the earth. The
pLilosophic reader of the records of
past. as we'll as of modern nationali-
ties, has long since Leen discovered
that history not only 'repeats itself, ,"
but Ill the roll of centuries often I'M
proves and corrects itself.
IT
lish liberty seemed t. be eXtinguished!
Through what struggles have our an
cestors passed in the effort to establish
npon a firm and lasting basis the prin-
ciDles of constitutional government
Tao marvellous revolution which Crom-
we'll led to grand success seemed to
rxtinguish every hope of the gallant,
chiyalrous and devoted cavaliers, who,
however mistaken in their theories Of
government, were loyal and true to
their convictions Of right. This revo-
luton, however, did go backward, and
II counter revolution still more mar
Yelous, restored the government to
the cavalier party, and the reaction
was so great that the grand principles
which the Commonwealth established
were apparently eXtlngrished forever.
Events proved that the love OF free
government WAS not destroyed in the
hearts of the people. This revolution
went backward, and the great revolu-
ton Of 1858 placed English liberty
upon sounder footing and her reo-
pie upon il higher place tnan tliCy had
ever occupied before.
Every drop Of blood shed in the
wars of the Commonwealth, on either
side, has proven to be more than Of
diamond worth 10 the Apgio-Sa
race. We are greatly mistaken when
we think that no people have been SO
severe = crushed as We have been. The
iron has entered as deeply into tie souls
Of many IA bra"a pcopl", Wl.o have been
cast down but Iiut destroyed. We
cnnnot be persuaded that the same
love OF liberty Ui,oh animated our
fathers under every encouragement
has been obii,crated hy our defeat.
The liberties OF a people have been re-
covered by firm adherence to princi-
pie, never by II whining surrender of
honest convictions. Had the spirit Of
those to W HON the world owes all that
it possesses OF free government been
made OF no better nor tirmer stuff than
that Of which Our modern croakers
and hopeless politicians are composed,
England would still be under the des-
poti,m Of the StuaYts, and ,ustitu-
tional government would not exist
even i'll name.
For us to despair is d reflection upon
the very blood that courses our veins.
When, from the days OF the great AL
FRED to the present, has any portion
of our race been held for any length OF
time in the bonds of oppression? There
is no recorded instance. Even when
conquered, they have always SO con
Quoted their affairs as i'll Tie end to
come out even with their cOnQuerer
With such record as that Of our an
cestry, are we worthy of our sires, if
for q moment We dare to doubt Ouu'
restoratiosaF The people who inhabit
this Union are not OF such material as
South American Republics are made.
We ray, both North and t;outh, be
called upon to pass through weary
years of trial. Wicked men in power
may trample upon States and people.
but in the very bone and Blood and
tissue Of the average American, ihcre
has grown principle which tiIds ex-
preston in the burning words, ''rtsist
ance to tyrants is obdlcnce TO God
which Will assert itself at the pr, per
time, either at the ba!lot-',;.X or on
| the battlefield, as the occlaon may de-
| mand. Bloc d viii tell. Fat iind as
much encouragement fn1 t.3c future
when We look to other rco IL, and
consider the rapidity with wi'i.'a GOV
| ernmental changes occur i. tIe~e days
| of progress. Truly the wheel OF ior-
tune, for nations IN | peop'e, as well
as for individuals, is continually tuth-
| ing. No man Gal. prOgnoatict e from
L 70, ,I11-
what it may be ten years hence. Ten
years ago Prussia Was d tElr,'-cl ISIS
| power. To-day the imperial ,gle of
| the Garmauic power waves from the
heights Of Lorraine and Alsace to the
borders of Russia. Ten years ago
France dictated terms to the powers
of all Europe, and hel ruler won bril-
liant victories without drawing his
sword. What is she to-day? What
may she not again be in ten years to
como? 1t is the madness of folly, then,
because of present dark dispensation,
for any people to surrender to despair.
Our gre. ann should ever be to stick
to principle-ciing to old landmarks-
the traditions of the fathers, through
every storm Tt will prove the politi-
cal salvation not only of Virginia or
South Carolina, but of New Jersey and
Maine, as well. We have glorious
destiny. Let us, by faith and endur-
once, achieve 1t. We may, nay we
will, by this means hasten the day
when this great heritage OF ours, whose
strand is chafed by Atlantic's waves,
and which hears Pacific's roar, will be
inhabited by two hundred millions of
freemen speaking the Language of
Shakespeare, Milton, Calhoun. Burke
and Webster-the noblest, the frcest,
the happiest people of the earth!