The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-03-28

,t all offices elective. and which we meh'ion'
M. of course as a reason why those othces
should not be filled by the choice OF the poo
nile. but TO put the people on their guard
AGAINST two evils. one of which may render
almost valueless their possession oil the rlght
of suffrage, and the othe. render 1t of doubt
ful good. The first is the neglect and failure
20 exercise the right itself. Men are apt to
be content with having secured the right
and become Indifferent and indolent as to its
exercise With elections so frequently re
curing. and so many offices, from the Presi-
dent to the constable, to fill, the duty of vo-
ting comes to be considered by many rs
great bore, and the consequence is, that the
democratic rule is in practice reversed, and
A minority, instead of a majority, controls
most of the elections. Now, nothing is clear
or than that they who would preserve the
blessings. must discharge, also, the RESPONSE
bilities of free government. ifthey are faith
less to their trust, they have no ONE but them
selves to blame should our republican insti-
tutions become the prey of anarchy, and be
ultimately exchanged for despotism. The
u
Alter long period Of agathy, sort of poht
zeal revival takes place, asd men become
half frantic in new born devotion to their
neglected duties. Nothing else Is thought or
talked of the common occupations of indus.
try ere often neglected, the strongest passions
of the human heart are enlisted citizens,
churches, and even families become g.
tranged and hostile; the fate of the country
of civil liberty and the .stute happiness of
the world, are represented a. depending on
the result of the contest, and f0' months the
whole community is carried away b. awiiirl-
wind of excitement, in which the voice OF
reason is rarely heard and more rarely listea-
ed to, and passion, party and prejudice, rule
The hour. When all this turmoil has ended,
and the gale has blown itself out then comes
a reaction, then follows q dead calm, and for
fen or fifteen years, the mass of the people,
Disguised and worn out with political ex-
cesses, become remiss and negligent in vo
ting, and leave it, as we have before remark
ed, to a minority to govern the country. So
fnat under this system of alternate excite
nent and apathy, the apathy always lasting
great deal longer than the excitement, the
minority generally has the power of control
ling public affairs.
In these great political ferapests to which
we have just referred there are always some
men who remain perfectly cool; who know
what they are about; who look calmly out
upon the raging sea ofhuman passion around
them, and guide the whirlwind and direct
the Storm While the great mass are in
earnest and engaged in what they consider
p struggle of life and death for great vital
principles, it often happens that there are
some managing persons, who have contrived
to get up all this fuss for their own personal
benefit and advancement, and who can be
the only gamers by its results 1t would
be- highly amusing, if it were not humil-
iating, to see thousands of simple minded
men enthusiastically planting their heads
against garden wall, and offering their
backs for sundry enterprising gentlemen to
step up on, that they may Chamber over the
said garden wall and fill their empty pockets
with delicious fruit, whilst the great mass
stand outside, and can reach none Of the APP
pies or peaches, nor prevail upon the gentle
men who have helped themselves into the
garden by means of their backs to throw
them over any. An unimpassioned observer
OF an excited canvass, when be sees the
multitude going their death for great princi-
piles, and becoming so much interested in the
cause, that they can think of nothing else,
and are Indifferent to the smiles of their
wives and the prattle of their children, can
not but think of the garden wall, and the
crafty gentlemen who get over the same by
clambcrine on the backs of simple, honest
folk, who are induced to believe that they
are thereby performing pr0dgies OF patri-
Otism.
1t were greatlyto be desired that our coun-
srymen would avoid the two extremes of
apathy and excitement and that they would
perform their duties Us citizens with regu-
larity and uniformity. Every man who has
right TO vote ought to make it matter of
duty to vote at every election, inst cad of
neglecting his duty for years at time, and
then going off into a strong spasm, in which
hispreternaturai activity is likely to do as
much mischief as his sleepy Indifference.
OUR FICTITIoUs LITERATURE- Under
! this head the n Y Times, says: There are
many and weighty reasons why it beh0oyes
the Journalist and The public to watch care
fully the character and progress of our cur
rent popular Literature Its influence has