The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-07-18
DuPArcH FOR TIE crH'ss r...s..I
.o;.~ 70 The Springs can have the Dispatch
.sn. "a them for any length Of time they
HUxBUGGING.

may desire.
HUMBUGGING.
Tia Baltimore American has some JUST
,h..rv.tious ON the credulity Of the people
Al tbis enlightened age and country. We
asree with our able contemporary 10 all 1t
says upon thst subject. The truth is not
withstanding the superior intellectual and
moral illumination Of this great era, we don't
seem vet to be fairly out of the dark ages.
The love of being humbugged is even
stronger than the love of humbugging. 1t
ID ONE of the mightiest passions of human ma
ture. II there were no one to humbug u.s.
We would all humbug ourselves. In FACT
such creatures Is old Barnum and Joe Smith
are the fruits of our own folly, and have be-
come, 80 to speak, necessaries of life. Men
viii not be content with plain, prosaic reaii-
ty. The field of existence is too monotonous'
an ocean, varied only by storm and calm;
but forever the same green waves and the
same eternal horizon. Hence. we must
have our phantom ships, and mermaids, and
flying Dutchman, to vary the scene and gfa'
tify our love of the extraordinary and mar
vellouS.
Barnum, Joe Smith, and the professional
spirit rappers, have some apology for adopt
ing the vocation Of humbugging, when all
mankind are 80 anxious to be humbugged.-
That great oyster, the world, has its mouth
constantly open, inviting the knife. Many
of the most eminent and learned lawyers OF
9 former age believed firmly in witchcraff;
some of them are even now thoroughly con-
WINGED of the truth of spirit-rapping. ANY
one who will encourage human nature, In us
passion for strange, supernatural and out Of
the way things, must reap rich harvest. Ii
is said that lawyers live by the sins, and ply
sicians by the diseases ofmen. Why should
not new profession, the Barnumizers live by
our Intellectual weaknesses? Man is bound
to be humbugged, and it is better to reduce
the thing at once to system, and have it
performed scientifically and systematically
a Ia Barnum.
Let US not complain, then, of Barnum, or
covet the great riches which Joyce Heth,
the Mermaid, the Woody Horse, &c, have
yielded unto him. Let US not be jealous OF
the possessor of Iranistan. His dupes were
dupes before they ever heard of Barnum-
Il d true he has grown rich; he has become
one of the sristocracy, by trading in credu-
lily and folly. Many a man of science, OF
refinement and talent, who has labored all
his life to enlighten and improve society, is
at his wits end to get his children bread. Ma
ny such may be found, practising great self
denial of social pleasures, and even of the
ordinary comforts of life while this swine,
Barnum, heavy with lard, wallows up to his
in the world who has acquired gain by TAX
ing advantage of the ignorance and weak
ness of others7 Is not Barnumizing, in va
rious departments of trade and business, 60
ing on every day in the week and every hour
of the day? How many fortunes are made
by knaves practicing on the credulity of the
simple And the fortunes once made, the
knaves become marvellous proper persons,
and assume the airs of nobility, and are
quite oblivious or reckless of the fact that
no fairer nor mere honest than those of JON
athsn Wild or Dick Turpin.
In fact, we have more reverence for an
open rascal like Dick Turpin, who owns him
self . rascal, or a professional humbugger,
like Bsrnum, who unblushingly declares that
It 10 his vocation to humbug, than for the re-
spectacle rogues who, in the regular pursuits
of life, impose upon the credulity of Others
take pride in what is called getting the ad.
vantage in a bargain, and chuckle over the
grsenness of their victims. For, however fond
the human race may be of being cheated,
It is only in romantic and supernatural way,
such as Barnum and the rapping ghosts, not
In tho way of trade and business. In short
there is q great difference between our pay
Ing man to cheat us, and man cheating US
against our consent.