The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-12-22
The DAILY DISPATGH;
Cenarrssienai DispatatIeas.


CONGREGATIONAL DisputatEoas.
The reckless manner in which members OF Cen
eress waste the time which ought to be devoted 30
les,.a,,ve purposes, elcits condemnatory article
from the Baltimore Patriot II they imagine, our
contemporary emphasicauy observes. that they
have been sent to Washington to AIR their voeao
n,.rvnit /. hirh time they should be disabused Of
the foolish impression
II n hish time of course, but we had NOT sup
,csed there existed on the North American CONT
nent temperament so sansusne as 10 oe"e'e ~
the possibility of reforming Congress oy any tn'he
the press can say or do. The members OF 20"
sress may not be well booked up as to the reasons
which have induced the people I" send them !"
Washington; indeed il may be doubted whether
the people know their own reasons IN seiee'"s
such representatives but the representatives a'e's
said understand perfectly well their own des'gos
and expectations The Baltimore Patr'o' msy
think !, very easy matter to disabuse them o. 'he
foolish impression that the rrest o'J CT OF tue"
mission IL to- air their vocabulary and recevetnree
shousand ,llars per amman But we suspect 'hat
the Patriot itsefis destined to be disabused before
Congress Several ages ago. we ourselves entertain
o., tho grave conviction that possible for tn
newspapers to reform the parliamentary manners
of Congress, and that by dint Of keeping the mat
ter before the people, the repres might
induced TO give up their ridiculous speeches. 'of
industrious attention to the business Of the NATION"
but We have long ago surrendered this extrsoFo'
nary delusion The people expect their represent
alive to deliver speeches. and be makes II h,s
business to see that they are not disappointed
The quality of the article is of little account. ne
effort ie Judged by its quantity Novauaoie tac.s'
or statistics upon subjects connected with the
commercial, manufacturing agricultural, MINING
or any industrial interests of the country are re-
ouir.d. No logic. no decent rhetoric Is demanded
Congress has but one subject of discsssion' ana
The man who can measure off the most yards OF
saudy clap trap upon that topic, is the smar'fd.
fellow. Congress is a debating society, elected
20 discuss the question Of African servitune'
and nothing else. We have brought ourselves
to such e pitch of philosophy on this grew
auce that we receive the journals OF inter
mipable African debates with the most complete
resignation we consider these DEBATES quite d
much matter of course, as rain from the clouds
we expect Congress every day TO turn OUT Ger
tain quantity of African ideas and bather just as
we look to a mill toigrind. a certain qusn'ny VI
corn. Ills true, we rarely read their speeches.
Thanks to Heaven, and the streng arms OF our
foretathers, this is free country, and whist every
man is at liberty to speak. every other man Is al
liberty not TO listen. Accordingly, in common
with The great mass of the American people we
syail ourselves of this, grand prerogatiye OF free
men, and pay no heed to the monotonous toe O.
words that daily rises in the Capitol, and ripple
in a ehaliow food over the Washington journals
On the whole, the verbosity of Congress is ne
eessary evil That body is a safety valve, letting
nut the superabuudanee of our national steam he
more noise, the greater safety. If Congress should
act as much and as foolshy as talks, the country
would have been ruined long ago.