The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-09-13
The Age of Resolutions.

~ VIII oV)cSss as various as the nue5 OF
the prism, justifes us in offering few re-
marks upon topic on which we have been
thinking for a day or two. For very long
period of bygone time it has been the fashion
Of mankind to hold public meetings upon
all possible pretexts and occasions. The
subjects of debate in these voluntary gather
lngs is extremely various. Sometimes the
matter in hand is the regulation of the price
of sabbages; at others the establishment of
creed or government for a nation. The
poor innocent public, who had for many
years harbored their own ideas in quietness,
and really succeeded in doing something for
their own happiness and advancement, as
well as the comfort of their wives and chill
dren, are suddenly taken aback by the an
nouncement that the "whole duty of man.
will be acted upon next week by a conven-
ton, of which the Hon. Mr.. LEArHERHEAD
will be Chairman, and Rev. Mr.. STIGGINs,
Secretary. OF course the public, thencefor-
ward, are afraid of individual exertion on be-
half of any reform; they wish, if possible, to
agree with the great men of the convention.
OF course, in their view, convention must
know more, and be decidedly more virtuous
than any single citizen. OF course too, the
combined folly of ten thousand fools will
amount to consummate wisdom, and the
united rascality and vileness of church full
Of knaves be equivalent to the quintessence
of virtue The public accordingly, unite
with this or that joint stock morality compa-
ny-having no individual liability clause
in the charter, and upon exceedingly small in
vestments look for extravagant returns. Con-
ventions are to do in week or two what six
thousand years of calamity, and harsh usage
have failed to teach man, to wit how to be
pure and upright, and noble according to the
pattern after which he was created Instead
of individual savings and carefulness in the
matter of personal peccadillos, the question
is, how will moral dividends stand at the next
annual meeting! How will they come off,
losses and gains considered, when the proper
dignitaries declare general averaged
So much for the conventions themselves,
and their objects. Now for the means and
appliances used by them to make every body,
to order, good and wise and temperate and
humane, good shoemakers, tailors, &c, and
contributing members of the Universal So
ciety for the promotion of everything
In old times they did not resolre They
merely acted. We have heard often of the
Acts of the Apostles, but never of their
" RESOLUTIONS" What a conclave might
have been held by the venerable and holy
of the olden time? Suppose that in some
" upper room in Jerusalem, Matthew.
Mark, Luke and John were to have held
convention. Do you think it would have
ended in resolutions The first evidence of
a resolution is action. But these resolution
mills, which grind out platforms and creeds
by thedpzen, make a queer work with our
notions of morality. Indeed they seem to
be of small moment any way, except in so far
as they glorify few individuals, who have
managed by hook or crook, to get their crude
ideas embodied in tolerable English.
Speeches and resolutions are the tools to
work with. These stand in the relation of
proposition and corrollary, predicate and
conclusion or perhaps more plainly, like
bats and balls. Resolution goes up, speech
gives him another and another hoist, or per-
haps hits him blow athwart that nearly an
initiates him-but the exercise is capital for
those scko hare nothing else to do. Mean
while the promiscuous auditory are delighted
with the show, and being purblind judges
with unpractised appetites accept instead of
that sweet persuasion that flowed from the
lips" of Homer's hero, "like honey" a vile
but plentiful stream of molasses and water,
or something worse. We believe there is
not thing good or bad, capable of being de-
fined in the language, that has not been "re-
solved upon, somewhere, within the last ten
wears. The most bald antiquated and mouldy
truisms are dug up and furnished, and put
into " dictionary words and yended as orr
ginal and important. And it is most sin
gular fact that the more trite and palpable
the doctrine of the resolution may be, the
greater the ierceness and eloquence of its
advocates Indeed it would not surprise US
at all to see next week, in the proceedings OF
some 0uIiallufsu- cOuftlllolI, lCooA"iioiAS >--O
the following:
Resolred That this convention, after dlheenl eA
animation and in full view of their awIui iespos
bilites to Providence and to society 40 hereoy
the truth of the Multiplication lapte, ana eeo-
mend it to the friends OF humanity accordingly.
ResoLred That the Ten Command menis eoiitai1 eA
cellent hints for the regulation OF i!uiliaH -
and that we viii obey them except u ~ a "a a.
NAV be found to initiate WITH the opyes' " W ~
ciety. araacte5 our system for
and reform the secretary De ordered 10
issna certifcates each of when shal eptIe tue
holder 90 perfect liberty of speech aha pr
y;ded that he shall not disagree WITH tue
IF This Convention and shall pay up his dues
70 glarIy: and farther, that whoever eases Gan pe
ca7ne fife Member, on payment OF thirty aoiiars
PesoIsed That this institution is u eaasfsdoe one
that we have most profound fegaiu ioa the saIet
; na oe the neople of Madagascar, the Tongataboo
IfanSs and New Zealand; and that our hearts bleed
t their RESTITUTION of red flannel shIs toot-plcks
and LnoyyIedge Resolved therefore, tnat we call
npca ,vervbady to hand over something towards
clotL;na ard teachiag these heafhen
Resalred THAT in spite OF ali cavl we sui hold,
,bs - tis,,ae cafl have more than three sides. that
vn "A 1--WE are four that water does not run up hill
H.. a,gs feiIs exhibit decided contrary tenden-
cy, and that in spite Oh gu oppo's aisaehtfs the
moon Is not n green cheese.
P-sai,sJ Thaf since we know everything. and the
resi- af mankind nothing. that the Business Commit
zee be ordered instantly 10 prepare code of morals
for the whole human race
Reached. that the eyes OIL Inc whole world are
unon ia and that we act under fearful responsible
ties and that Brother Snooks pass the hat for
collection pay for four taiew cndles consumed By
10 this evening.