The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-02-17

4 z.X
the old English has to the mcdsfn. W
Confession, though one Of the sacrament
of the Greek church, Is not attended to so
strictly as among the Roman Catholics, but.
is ordinarily made only once a year, during.
the first or last week in Lent. tits generally
performed at home and not in the church.
"THr ACCIDENT OF BIRTH. "-Among
those circumstances which man hnds 1t
somewhat difficult to control, are the time
and place of his birth. On those important
points the human race are not generally
consulted. If they were, we presume that
very few people indeed would have been
| born, for example, in the dark ages, and
there are large portions of the earth which
| would not be inhabited. We take it for
granted that no sensible person would volun-
most persons would have insuperable objec-
| tons to being natives of Africa. The gene
raj choice of the mass of mankind, as to time
and place, would probably be the nineteenth
| century, and the United States of America.
| We can easily see that deplorable conse-
quences would follow, if the time and place
| of birth were left to the choice of mankind.
| The North American continent would be so
densely populated that there would not be
means of subsistence for the inhabitants
whilst Europe, Asia and Africa would be-
come a wilderness, and be tenanted only by
| wild beasts.
Even in the United States there is large
section which no one would be born in
The Northern States, with their cold climate
and rugged soil, would be deserted for the
sunny South, with its -balmy skies and its
luxuriant fields In that event we should
have no Yankees for who can believe
that any man would be born a yankee" If
he could help it? The idea is preposterous
Hence we should not wonder that yankees,
after they have arrived at years of consider
alton, sometimes come to the South and atone
for the involuntary error of their birth place
by fixing their residence in the Southern
States. Let us give to these unfortunate fell
w-beings our kindest sympathies. Let us
never throw up to them the fact Of their
birthplace for is not the misfortune suiti-
cient, without uncharitably making it
fault
The Yankees in the South, it is but just to
admit, conduct themselves in all respects
like human beings, are well behaved and
moral are docile and loyal to the institutions
of the country and the laws OF the land. Let
us compassionately remember that II they
| were not born in the South, it was the result
| s wifi
| control!'
| LETTER FROM SHELTON +. LEAKE.-Yes-
terday's Examiner contains a letter from MIR.
Shelton T. Leake, in reply to letter from
citizen of Lynchburg, inviting him to ad-
dress the Democracy of that place, some
time during the present gubernatorial can
vass. Mr.. Leake declines the invitation,
and says he shall not be able to enter active
ly into this contest any farther than his eff
forts in his immediate neighborhood will go,
| pleading in extenuation of his decision the
| wants of young, helpless and growing ia
mily, who are entirely dependent upon his
| own personal exertions for their support and
| education. He has never before, he says.
| made his exertions in the Democratic cause
| wait upon his own fortunes but now he
| thinks he can ask to be placed on the retired
list" Still, he feels none the less interest in
the approaching contest. He was as much
| opposed to the Staunton nomination as any
| body could well be; and yet he does not hes
itate to say that it is the duty of every good
| and true Democrat to give the ticket a cor
| dial support. The letter continues
should regard the loss of Virginia, at this omi-
nous conf uncture Of our Federal relations, as In
the highest degree disastrous not alone to the De-
mocratc party OF the Union but to the Union itself
| The portentous fusion of Whggism, Aboljtionism,
and know Nothngism, which has swept, with re.
sistless fury, over the Northern and Northwestern
States, is now concentrating all Its strength under
the walls of the hitherto impregnable fortress of
| Virginia Democracy.
Mr.. Leake strongly advises the support of
Mr.. Wise, not because he as Mr.. Wise, but
because he is the selected standard bearer
of the Virginia Democracy.
1t the portent0us combinations before spo-
ken OF should succeed in the Old Dominion,
Mr.. Leake believes that the last barrier
against Northern aggression-the last bull
wark of Southern rights-the last stronghold
OF State Rights Republicanism-wil have
been swept away, and the whole Union laid
open to the incursions of spirit that would
rend it into fragments or fuse it into despo.
tism. He does not mean to say that the Wing
and Know Nothing parties of Virginia are
designedly acting in concert with the Adolf
| tionists. He comedies to them the same hon
esty of purpose and purity of motive which
he claims for the Democrats But he has no
doubt that their triumph in Virginia would
be the triumph of the Fusionists in the
whole Union; and that their success here
would be heralded at the North with earth.
quake shouts of victory. He believes that
from the Stewards, the Pollocks, the Gardi.
ners, the Wilson's, down to the Greeleys tbe
Garrisons, the Beechers and the Stoves Il
would be hailed as the final downfall Of
Southern Democracy. and, by conse suence.
as heralding the final and complete triumpb
OF Northern Abolitionism.
We have thus given an outline of MIR.
Leake's letter, which we insert simply IS a