Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-02-02
For THE TIMES

is something, to be sure, preposterous in his COM
plants. A lamentation that we shave had as yet
no opportunity to enforce the famous sMonroe
Doctrine" nor any occasion to repel aggres-
sion by arms. seems sufficiently absurd. But
grief may be- poignant, be its source ever SO tri-
vial. The exquisite organization of some is
painfully sensitive to annoyances which grosser
souls endure with callous Indifference. The
type OF General Cass may be found in that
mourner over Irish degeneracy, who so patheti.
cally lamented that it was "teu o'clock at Dom
ney-brook Fair and no fight yet," and earnestly
besought "some ginteman jist to thread" on his
coat tail
1t Louis Napoleon refuse him this christian
kindness, the gallant General addresses his
blair ney to Queen Victoria, and implores her
by all that is valorous, just to snap her tiny fin
gers in his face, if she dare But nothing that
he can say or do provokes fight. He pokes
straws at the French eage,-but the imperial
bird is whetting his beak for other prey. He
stirs up the British lion with long pole,--but
the king Of beasts, after regarding him mo-
ment with listless eyes, incontinently turns tai
upon him, us his fellow brute did upon the va
pouring of another Quixote. His only chance
is that Pierce may be induced to send him on II
warlike mission to the courts of Europe, decora-
ted with heraldic insignia, with chip upon his
head, aud challenge to the monarchs of the
earth to knock it Off Aud if the mightiest of
them thereupon venture ''to intervene with res
pect to that chip, let him pitch into the offender
in propra persona, with all the physical powers
which nature and natures God have given him!
In the meantime, let the old gentleman be con-
soed, for though there is no general war, there
is abundant private misery. We read every
day of accidents by land and disasters at sea- Of
boilers bursting and cars running off the track,
Of budding infancy suddenly transplanted to II
celestial soil. and vigorous manhood unaccounta-
bly, dying of no conceivable malady. The old
reaper, Death, does no. permit his scythe to rust
for want of employment; his bood-hounds, Fire,
Famine and Slaughter, are still coursing through
the earth. Sacramento is in ashes; sheer starva-
ton wastes the Island of Madeira; the spotted
plague'depopulates the cities of Russia. While
these things are happening, General Cass may
afford to possess his soul in patience aud dis
pense with the luxury of war. szts
We would by no means, however, have him
altogether TO torswear his nature OF neglect his
vocation As fomenter of discord a stirrer up
of old resentments between nations, he possesses
| talents which must not lengush fol- want of OK
ercise. His late reproach launched against Eng
land for seizing the Danish fleet about fifty years
| ago. considering the delightful freshness of the
occurrence, and its very Immediate connexion
| with the affairs of our own country. was really IA
masterpiece of its kind. Itwas worthy of his
age and position, and quito consonant with his
character. IF Webster was ''steam-engne in
breeches," Cass is a volcano in small clothes: an
occasional eruption if merely of mud, is one of
the conditions of his being. Even when in a
state Of momentary repose he keeps up perpe-
tual rumbling charmingly significant of pent up
vapours and threatened explosions. What fine
snarIer he is! Compared with him. Sponsors
.:Blatant BEAST and the showmans "grizzly
bear, that lies in his den and grows,'' are very
quiet, lamb like animals.
But. after all, his browning grace, the bright
consummate flower of his perfectons, is his ex-
qusite skill in ustfying every popular passion for
annexation, and in making conscience pander to
appetite. What beautiful veil, surprising in
deceptive glitter the silvory It's sue of Mokanna' s
did he throw over our absorption of New Mexico
and California! What an ogle of amorous re-
CARDS, what leer of invitation he casts towards
the virgin Queen of the Antilles to leave the
house of bondage, to come out OF Uncle
Toms Cabin, and find refuge, consolation and love
in h;s tbor a brah ANS, haSon, ~ COnSI
dering the treaty of close amity aud good will
subsisting between Spain and our own country,
and the recent exercise of her Catholic Majesty's
queeuly mercy to some of our misguided citi-
zens, who but he could have had su CHI brow of
brass as to rise 10 the full Senate, and before the
face of thea nation, avow his hope that her
Iast remaining colony would thr ow off its alle-
glance and be annexed to usl The bare faced
violation Of treaty obligations by of trea-
ty-makers involved in this tampering with Gu
ban fidelity, would have called up a slight blush
on most cheeks. But the fiery complexion OF
Cass zeal for progress" hides all faint suusions
The man in the parable, who though Astounding
in Aocks, robbed his poor neighbour of his only
lamb scorned the hypoertlcal pretenee that his
sole object was to furnish salt to the bleating in
nocent. But the Michigan Senator is never
without excuse he does it all in the sacred
names Of Justice, Liberty aud Virtue. We
have heard before now of men who Weld selfisi
or sordid schemes under pious pretexts; we have
read of one "deformed who borrowed money il
Gods name"-ofthe hawkers of Constantinope
who yend their figs sin the name of the Pro
phet'-and OF the robber Ia Gil Bias, who, witt
the aid of blunderbuss. levied contributions OF
travellers, crying all the while, "giVe the old sol
der something for tho love Of Heaven" Bot
for blending pious professions witt, public rapa
city, for uniting the voice Of Jacob with the hanc