The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-02-19
RUE DAILY DISPATCH
Bsnkruptcy or .Bar.un.

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,Tsesaay sisr.i.s, Fssru.ry ID. lsss.
Bsnkruptcy or .Barnusn.
The great Barnum has collapsed The Nspo-
,eos Of Humbug has reached his Waterloo se
svsne, the founder Of clock company, 10 the "e'-
rpgton or BIucher, who has smashed the coiuA,"s
of ,hts se,dier af fortune. The particulars % w"
mcurnful catastrophe we have already gwen 70 ""'
readers and they have perhaps scarcely -.
covered from their surprise IL seems = 'f'
BILE to believe that Barnum has 'es' n's '~
that Jupiter has disappeared rom Tue nv
toria become . prisoner 20 the SossAeNS Ne'.
,be,e.s he has gone TO the place rom whence ne
came. hts towering fortune has topped over iran
istsn. h,s palace has passed away ike other Last
ern naiaces, described In Arabian Nights, and ne
In. NO friend left but Tom Thumb. ont of whose
uttJeness Barnum grew big, and who ia said TO De
s,iu disposed like generous little mouse, TO heip
the lion out Of the snare into which he has fallen
There seems something of poetic justice IN 'he
manner in which Phineas has come to his hnane'ai
end. He persisted by the hands of couhey,han
and a clock maker The fame of Yankee eiock
,n,ker. "a commensurate with the Union But the
dock maker who "done Barnuin viii occupy a
,;chs ; history high above all the most renowned
even of clock peddlers. Above common traders in
or the Kentucky giant among mortals. He will
he known by future ages as the clock maker who
.,opped the clock Of Baruum, and prevented it
from ever tickiag again. We think we understand
the character Of Barnum when we express the
opinion that the loss of his immense fortune will
iahict no such wound on his feelings as the fact
that he has been outwitted and surpassed in hum.
bug by another member of the human family, and
hat ;pdt nf In hat
state. Barnum has hitherto enjoyed the reputation
of being the sharpest "cutest" and smartest "crit
ter" at trade or bargain ever known on the
face of the earth. And now, TO have his bed Of
Iaurels pulled from under him. on the very theatre
where they have been won, is the unkindest cut
of all. How he would feel such blow, we can I'm.
derstand by reading his autobiography, in which
the only feeling he shows is that of modification
when he is oyer-reached, and of exultation when
he over.reaches others.
II is to be hoped that he will take that same au
photography into his solitude, and console his trou
bied spirit by communing with himself as he ap-
pears in that book, his greasy pocket stuffed with
ingotten gains, and triumphantly chuckling over
some successful piece of chicanery. He should
also call in Tom Thumb to cheer his leisure hours,
and summon up the shades of Joiee Heth, the
pany. If his bosom is capable of remorse he can
soothe every twinge which mightarise from the re-
lection that his book had been calculated to nure
The morals of American youth, and blind them to
questionable expedients, by the thought that
the Anal chapter of his history is not contained
IN his book. 1t is impossible to determine the
moral complexion of any work till we see what
becomes of the hero. If Jack Sheppard is swung
OF at the close of the volume, the romance of his
story viii not provoke into the fad any great
Dumber of imitators. In like manner, the portion
of Barnum's history which must be added by
way of appendix to his autobiography, will
prove an antidote to the bane of that shameless
production. zFr
1t Is possible, however, that he may add another
chapter still that he may get on his feet once
more and perform new prodigies in humbug. Bu,
we doubt 1t. He has now past the age of action
and energy. There are no more Joice Heths nor
Woody Horses left. Poor Humbugger! He Ia no
longer the great man of yesterday. His sayings
and doings will no longer be chronicled by the
New York press. His autobiography will be re.
garded in new light and the old proverb will re-
instate itself in popular confidence, that Honesty
is the best policy