The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-03-18

/ ma.,ox.I people: You have heard the rage
| go. !. ling decried BY those who are
-. .,.n;es and ours. To our mind il 10 the
.,,onres, proofof the advance Of liberal prin.
c;oles. Of the progress Of enlarged views. Look
| ~ the country from which we all sprung-loek
70 England. In the days Of her Edwards and
her nenrys, and long after, while she was s,ill
| in the strong grasp Of federal tyranny, who
ever heard of office-seeking or Office seekers
II was only during the reign of the two frst
Georges, when that gree, and enlightened pa
trioi, Sir Robert Walpole, stood at the helm,
that it assumed its present character Of great
and imposing system. In the earlier days OF
this republic, the office-seekers were few, and
office-hun,ing was much neglected. But re-
collect, that in those days qualification was
rare, and education limited. 1t must be
source Of infinite pride to you, oh! beloved
people, that the number Of patriots who are
willing TO devote themselves to your service,
has SO greatly increased, and that there are,
now, five hundred thousand of that denomina-
ton amply qualified for the task. Such 10 the
progress of opinion in this free and enlightened
IepubIic!
As q class, we have been publicly assailed,
by all parties, and by all sections OF each par
~. You will bear testimony to the cheerful.
ness with which we have borne tho load of con.
tumelious reproach that has been thrown upon
us. The columns of nearly every newspaper
in the Union have been employed in little else
r.. H. l.. hon in hfttor tnv ,f
Quarrelling eternalIy among themselves-rea-
dy at all times, upon the least provocation, to
fly at each others throats-dffcring upon eve
ry other conceivable subject-upon this one
they are agreed with degree of unanimity
which may we'll pass for the tenth wonder of
the world. Nor is the press the only source
from whence we are annoyed. There is no
beggar in the street who does not think himself
authorised to look down on us with contempt.
Every body is against US,
Tray, Blanche, end Sweetheart, see, they bark at
If there be any merit in martyrdom, and that
there is, the records of all ages and of all ma
tons testify, then is our fraternity the most
honorable of which there is any account. If
to be despised and rejected of all men. be to
be martyrs, then are we such in the most signi-
ficant sense of the term.
1t has been said of the Christian religion,
that it differs from all other systems of worship
in nothing more than its inculcation of the alb
solute necessity of laying aside all those feel
ings which tend to exalt and magnify man in
his own opinion. The heather raised affairs,
and offered sacrifices to all the passions of man,
rypifed under the form of some of their gods.
Pride, ambition, vanity were cultivated with
the utmost care, by the very doctrines which
they taught. But the Christian religion tells
US that we must lay aside all pride, oil ambi-
ton, all vanity-must acknowledge ourselves
nothing-must get down into the very DUST
Among all the pursuits of life, then, we ask,
what one is so consistent with the precepts of
Christianity, as that which v e pursue? Is
there any which requires such a sacrifice of
pride, of self-respect, of every feeling which
sustains man above the level of the brute?-
Not one. In the hope of the reward which
you hold out to US, we endure every thing
Until this day, we have not even lifted up q
voice in our own behalf.
But you htve the balm for all our wounds in
your own possession. Give US offce-rich,
fat ofice-and we will forthwith be whole.
ESigned by 500, 600 Patriots.1