The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-21
VAT
CANT.

character, apart from ms very great genus,
we do not greatly admire. Yet there were Ger.
tain traits in it which would have made it re-
spectacle, even though it had, in general, been
even worse than it was, as the jewel in the
head of the toad, renders his whole body
worthy of preservation. One of these traits
was a Observation-Disclosures detesta-
ton of cant, in whatever form it made it's an.
pearance; whether in religion, in morals, in
politics, or in poetry. He thought the age in
which he lived the most canting of all ages.
and so it was. Had he lived to see this day, he
would have found the characteristic which he
hated so cordially, grown to height of which
in his time, he could have had no possible con-
cephon. 1t is not new plant, which has
sprung up, like the bean-stalk of Jack the
Giant-killer, in single night, ready to fall by
Its own weight, in the morning. 1t is an old
and sturdy tree-it was planted before Adam
had been elected from the garden of Eden-it
mas grown every year, every day, every hour,
every minute, every second from that time TO
this--it will continue to grow and TO .nre.d
until time shall have been no more, and this
world shall have passed away forever.
1t is the most deplorable of all weaknesses
this proneness to listen to cant, and 10 mistake
1t Tor the virtues it undertakes to REPRESENT
that ever befel human being. 1t unnerves
the mind, unhinges the reason, and Subjects
the strong man to the dominion of any one who
Is wicked enough to take his will in charge
1t is the bane of all religion, substituting a
vile hypocrisy for the genuine love of the
Cfeator and his creatures, suggested by every
page OF the sacred writings. 1t causes the
human mind to lose sight of the HOLY Tex,
and to trust to man for what the Bible alone
can give 1t. 1t is the means emploved in
oil ages by the priest and the politician to de.
base the understanding, and subject the will IF
man. In no country, under the sun. does i,
hourish with SO much vigor as in this; in no
portion OF A's country has it struck deeper
root than here in this city of Richmond.
a lew years ago, a celebrated caatatriee
gave series OF concerts al the Concer, Room
oil the Exchange Hotel. Her character was
perfectly well known infamy itself coula
scarcely have added hue TO its unalloyed and
uhfedeeined blackness. The wife of an homo.
raoie man, and the mother of five Children sba
mad deserted that husband. and had ;na;o.,d
mortal wound upon the prosperity of those
chiidren-a wound which they will hear with
them to the grave, and which no,h;no on, ho.I
VI a'iay-by taking shelter in the arms of
pafa'houf. 1t was announced, not only tina,
TINS paranour was travelling with her. but
'hat ne assisted at her concerts-made, in fact.
very important part of the show. Notw;,b.
standing II all, however, the house WAS crowd.
Gu h'ghuy with the grave and the gay, the
young ana the Old, the virtuous and the respect
aoie, OF both sexes, and all conditions. The
woman sang well, if her character was q l,,Ie
the worse Tor wear; the man played divinelv
on the harp, though he was PLAYING David in
another respect, to Uriah across the w.ter
FOR our own part, we thought it all very sens;-
oie' and enter tanned some hope that the nower
OF cant had been shaken-that men and wo.
men had begun to think for themselyes-and
'hat they could see that the woman's voice
ana The mans skill, had nothing to do with the
vices of either. 'A0
we CONFESS TO most egregious error of
Judgment. The little world of our little civ
mad no idea casting off its trammels so e,.;.
iy. The fairer portion of creation had fou,d
PROBABLY, that they had sinned through Excess,
o' mercy IN This instance-they determined to
make IL up by excess of severity in another
ihey had before them an example, if they had
chosen to consult it, in the weIl-known act.
anu ooings OF the renowned Roger Thwackum.
who' when he became offended with Souir,
Allworthy, or Master Blifil, wreaked bis ven.
geance upon the unoffsnding carcass ofaTom
Jones. of this example they probably knew
noth'ng' but they acted out the part lust n,
well as though they had been familiar with :,
all their lives.
The advent of Lola Monies offered sno ~
portunity Tor the display of that vir,uous in.
aignat'on, SO becoming in all, especially in The
tairer portion OF the human rae e. which o,l,
grows the more savage from temporary snn-
pression, as the lion is rendered more feroc;on.
by constrained confinement in cage. We
very soon heard that the fastidious could M,
visit her representations, because forsooth. her
character was too bad Too bad VIVA,
hearth stone has she made desolate What
human being has she subjected to the damning
sugma OF having mother, whose name is a
oSe"ofd Tor all that can render female de.
.es'ao'e Whom have her errors ever injured
besides herselff Ifnight after night can with.
our oiame be given to the false wife. the cruel
'Hu.ae'' 'ae open paramour, what stain can the
- ''''ue '"at was ever likened to the un-
uaea SNOW, contract, by single night to
Lola Monies! Even admitting all thai has
been said of her to be true, land il seem. - -
a. least problematical,) in what respect can ,bs
worst OF her reputed sins, or all Of then, n.,
together, be weighed against one Of the 81.
fences, not even denied by the otber7 Nh.
truth IS, that the public, in this late na,oxvsr,
OF virtue, Is revenging upon her, the ain Of
which II eonceives itself to have been guil,v
with regard to the other candidate far .;,s M.