Project Gutenberg’s The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, by Ambrose Bierce This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce Author: Ambrose Bierce
Release Date: September 27, 2004 [EBook #13541]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE COLLECTED WORKS OF
AMBROSE BIERCE
VOLUME 1
1909
CONTENTS
ASHES OF THE BEACON
THE LAND BEYOND THE BLOW
THITHER
SONS OF THE FAIR STAR
AN INTERVIEW WITH GNARMAG-ZOTE
THE TAMTONIANS
MAROONED ON UG
THE DOG IN GANGEWAG
A CONFLAGRATION IN GHARGAROO
AN EXECUTION IN BATRUGIA
THE JUMJUM OF GOKEETLE-GUK
THE KINGDOM OF TORTIRRA
HITHER
FOR THE AHKOOND
JOHN SMITH, LIBERATOR
BITS OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY
ON A MOUNTAIN
WHAT I SAW OF SHILOH
A LITTLE OF CHICKAMAUCA
THE CRIME AT PICKETT’S MILL
FOUR DAYS IN DIXIE
WHAT OCCURRED AT FRANKLIN
‘WAY DOWN IN ALABAM’
WORKING FOR AN EMPRESS
ACROSS THE PLAINS
THE MIRAGE
A SOLE SURVIVOR
ASHES OF THE BEACON
ASHES OF THE BEACON
AN HISTORICAL MONOGRAPH WRITTEN IN 4930
Of the many causes that conspired to bring about the lamentable failure of “self-government” in ancient America the most general and comprehensive was, of course, the impracticable nature of the system itself. In the light of modern culture, and instructed by history, we readily discern the folly of those crude ideas upon which the ancient Americans based what they knew as “republican institutions,” and maintained, as long as maintenance was possible, with something of a religious fervor, even when the results were visibly disastrous. To us of to-day it is clear that the word “self-government” involves a contradiction, for government means control by something other than the thing to be controlled. When the thing governed is the same as the thing governing there is no government, though for a time there may be, as in the case under consideration there was, a considerable degree of forbearance, giving a misleading appearance of public order. This, however, soon must, as in fact it soon did, pass away with the delusion that gave it birth. The habit of obedience to written law, inculcated by generations of respect for actual government able to enforce its authority, will persist for a long time, with an ever lessening power upon the imagination of the people; but there comes a time when the tradition is forgotten and the delusion exhausted. When men perceive that nothing is restraining them but their consent to be restrained, then at last
