Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-08-08
For he ENQUIRER.
Each IA, his Office and function 10 attend;

~
1t has been said that he who once partakes of the Cir
cear cup of politics becomes infected with an incIl!a
BILE malady, and cannot e1ls: without The stimulus U
It's celebrating cvntents. The biographies OF the pup
lc men Of this country seem fairly 10 Illustrate 'h
,-oprie,v and yinLicate the truth ot the maxim. Sucl
I, the genius and character u. our government tia
almos, all the avenues 10 more than mediocre diShnc
lion lie through the field OF politics, and the menta
dirladia,ions of that arena are 80 much more aiirAc
tve AID aninating than the plodd:nE and lisipn
uccupatjons OF most other departments "t intellectual
sxeriion, that the young aspirant Tor renown Is e'e'
D one to plunge h%eadiong into the exciting melee
There aru no two qualities OF the human chaIacIel
more strongly marked and more generally developed
Than the love of power and the love Of praise. Maj
| ,i.lichts in superiority, either real or tahcled, over III
surrounding fellows, and his spirits revel III the ln'oz
eating odors of aiulaiion aud applause. "lrdh!mu'
omass iauiis studio ct 9pt'nHs 9a'sgnt ,nGrImr gloria
dyrtyr." And it too often happens TIM, the paltry
,rappings of place and pride. the tinse! spectators
the stately disnities and high prerosatives nt office
ars made objects of the most energetic. pursuit mere
~ for the selfish qualification ut these innate desires
AID not for the Advancement Of the nations welfare
and glory. While poriug over the pictured pages u.
history, the youthful eye dwel!s with ardor and rapi
attention upon The prodieious exploits OF those master
spirits who have in trnublous times rescued their coun.
tries from impending ruin aud que!led the raging tie'
ments of war and civil dissenson. The desire Of like
renown il enkindled in the breast. and The mind is
over yesrninc for similar scenes vt action. And un.
less these glowing passions, these lonclngs for lmlnor-
Ia! lame, ma an outlet through proper Clahnelh, tneS
burs, forth like pent- up volcanic fires. scattering denih
and disaster around them. So true the seeming para.
ioI OF Pope
"The same ambition can destroy or save.
And makes Il patriot as II makes II knaref"
The great body Of those Of our land possessed o.
the tactiii Ia advantages of fortune and education
ARE looking forward to high posts OF honor, ambitious
TO be placed in the councils of the nation, and there
s.to strike q blow in the world which will r+sound
through il, history" Ever restless ard feverish,
1 , - 4 - Al a, l,~o - dc aNt.tt .-l
| c]iutching at the delusive phantom. of glory, they can
no: rtst satisfied unless engaged in factious strife al
home Or in State intrlgues and political c%hlcanery
abroad. In GeaSOns of universal peace aud quietnde,
heir misdirected energies would ''2snsie for want Of
employment; and hef"e they cndeav"r to perpttuaie
domestic Uroi!s and national hoIiIlities. Many. too,
en..r the field rs mere 'ci!egG!.crs q industrie'-
thrifilcss Adveaiurer5 hungry for ;i:e srn!!s, and with
no sentiments of Patriotism, n" lofty aspiration. to re.
deem their prohlgate venaii;y. As The nIEibT: Of
councillors vastly exceeds the hnunrl Ia BE- d!str.lu-
tad, i follows that, while u favored few reach III"
shining goals and gain the much coveted prizes, tie
many ace doomed 10 bitter d:sapp"int'nen; and Is
popular favo- is 4 notorious tilI:, il frequently happens
that the favulits OF to-day IL 10 morrow spurncd and
rejected. 1t ia with some Of that class, who hHve
once euioyed the smiles and Establishments of the
:neretricious wanton and are now the victims
Ut her capriciuus moods that We {. present propose
10 deal. Or, to give Our structures a personal appii-
cation, we design TO call attention To the r-fiOnOra-
lies who figured 30 largely in the regeneration OF the
old Wing party-the kires, ths P.nd!etons, the Cog.
,ius Il il Yenus omne of political putcasts, For
sometime past the public has los, sight of these di,,in.
guished msgnatea,a and, as they have again emerged
from their lurking places, the inquiry naturally arises,
how have they spent the irksolne period of their ill.,
voluntary Punishment! We answer: ONE have ELI
deavored TO drown their sors modification and cha.
grin in professional engagement-'prowltng i'll hu.
aan courts Of law for human prey while Others.
and by far the greater portion, have, like Scipio or
the soft Duncan shore, sought in rural en,p|oyments
a~t r,at,, ~ thar nnf fnfn. I0Irn far
nsatt-they long for in vain amid the turbulent
scenes OF legislative halls; turning mp occasionally ut
c"lleg. commandments aud agricultural exhibitions
70 kscp their names alive in the memories Of forget
ful friends Whist magnificent desert p,ioHs OF pas
turage and tiliaga, and all the simple acts vi hus.
baudry TOW from their polished pens; what glowing
pauegyric. on the exquisite delights nf the farmers
hsr, rising "ere song vf earhrs; bird, riding over lie
farm beio.e breakfast; then out in tie cUrn.tield till
diunsr; ana, il tie evening, reclining "sub tesmime
iagi, y with Il volume II fIryi! or Columslls to bore
you to sleep. Living and moving in a pure ethereal
calm, unswayed by ambition. ecd uu!uoved by The
thross ;ha; couvsise the political sorl1, they com
mune with nature in her sequestercd ard hoy re-
treats, and im5i5o lessons OF heavenly wisdom fro.n
her eIhauStiess fountains. Their life of h.i>stul 70.
tirement and vir'uOus industry has been the coniin.
pai theme OF postry and song from the earliest pc.
Rod Of the social organization Ut mank nd. In their
eyes the farmer has suddenly become invested with
All Importance, and Ill intellectual magnitude infinite
ly superior 70 tie statesman. Sir William Temple in
his garden c; Moor PARK, pruning his frui; trees, and
inGiting bucoiirs, is n mucli more eminent percentage
that the negUtia;or % :ss Triple Alliance and menu
Der of HE najrslys p:i"y council: Daniel Webster,
at the plough.hsndle, Or feeding lis yi:a, hahitcd in
all Old rusty coat, redolent Of the stable, the COW pen
aud the sty, presents a much more commanding sp.
pearaace Than the great "expounder vi the Conotlta.
ton" On the Hoor Of tho Senate, giving utteraace 10
the sublime conceptions Of his gigantic intellect
Yet, with nil this affecta;ion of disgust for the filthy
fray Of the political arena, and OF devotion to the
noNra ,,,,-.,, ,,e.ttto nF ,-I-nD. ,"l n..
;he old fever sill! RACES in their veins, aud they ara
anxicuslv watching every phenomenon in the pU!iti-
cal ornament, and looking for the ra.EppearRnceo NJ
the star Eh!ci once shnile 50 hci!ignanlly upon their
pains. 40" :i&v'3 they rrina!n"'! I:.ra passive spec.
tators OF the siriIe. 70 t..eua. the pubiic arc indebted
IN \ great in-s-aro ior the many lamentations and
bodetu! predlciloIs. SsicI find circulation through
ID. press, AMI give rise 10 ii.e Gears and cpprth,iI.
sicns. AnA!ou. 10 ioincnt discomfort by persua ii"r
The people tl:at they are mUt "a vel! gog-:acd IA they
might be, and to STIR Up q political cneg:c, wui2:I may
throw ,he!a into place, they lndulg. in indiscrimiuaic
abuse IF their opponents, aud ce!Isur" every act III
legislation, however wise and beneficial in The all
siract, because il lnaS possibly rebound 10 the person.
nj ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. as 1t certainly does to tho psrsoiiui
mcri; Ui its author, &c. <. Senator Douglas aud Kansas
Nebraska act.) Disappointment wihe II has s"ired
their tempers and exa-prrated or ferInSo I" auch u
degree OF biting acerbily and vengetul ire. tss 50 dis.
organized their mental machinery, ma! they csii!l,t
distinguish tbs fantastic creations aud s!had""? VI
sions oil Il disreGsed and dlsttmpcred Inauguration
from things reRl sud tangible aud endowed with V!
gor aud vitality. a 1y, halcIei from a masot IN
their own brains, crerps into the telescope AND
s.raightway they proclaim there is a monster III ,he
heavens ihat threatens TO devonr the sun Inc
present distracted condition of the country, seeming
to threaten n general baphcrcrssmsato Of parties, has re-
Tuned the expiring flame o; their patriotism; already
they discern on the distant horizon the faint GUNNER
ing of a doubtful hope: the shovel and the hoe
are thrown aside; they hr with alacri;v to the public
assembly, and harapgue the gaping crowd as gllbly
ss ever. in "rills of oily eloquence ~ Poor deluded
tnortnis' What you mistake for the bright dawnipg
oeatns of the better times, sn u!,en promised IN your
'nn'h'!ziiG GHy.lr-ar1s -! GrHbi:ica, is nut The phu-.
pn"rrsc.mt rny ri snme malignant will o'the. wisp,
which VIII Sad your bewilipred steps into the Ser
bonian Dog oi despair, where thousand. have auak to
enriless night! licar one Of these birds of iIl.o,n.u
rs he croaks his gloomy fur,hndiu,s from m. old t,,.
trring and d-caycd tower If Wbiyycrv: 81, VAS -
good old custom OF tn. Ruinsus which Granted +, u
soldier, no had faithfully served n certain nu,nI,er
Of campaigns, an honorable dscl.ryr from ,ur,ber
service. Blu, there was one case in which the mos,
war. worn veteran, Notwithstanding his DISCHARGE. and
| whatever number o: campaigns he had served, was
| required again (" take up his shield and javelin. That
call was an Invasion of the country by the Gnuls.''
To arms! my co,lttryInen, and drive the G",hs and
vanda!s out of the Holy Empire. How elegant aud
now very opposite the classical aNusion OF the s1-
honorable!
OF course, he never was an oihcious and lmportu-
nate applicant for public favor; only, hs country was
in need Of his services, aud he could not refuse to
serve lis country. Having serrcd many an arduous
campaign, lie was hoporably trather cz'honorddtyl
discharged. Now the bugle has again sounded, the
eusmy Is at the gatss, aud Rome demands her Gin
cinnatus! Come, Mr.. Rives, by such over weening
| VANITY And nDIpnNps nnpc.tk W., cra IN skinn voiraalt