The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-06-21

mot one capture against fifty Of ours-and wba.
IL IL likely 10 do against the combined passion OF
southern planters, northern merchau. e. the shin.
owners OF the whole seaboard, and the anti British
| srs OF the whole Union.
or course We shall be told these are the cou nsels
OF coward, and that we are setting the teri. BE
| example OF yielding to the argument Of might -
| We might almost copcede this. We might even
confess that, If the truth must be spoken, We are
yielding TO still worse argument than that OF
might. We are yielding to the argument of the
United States goverament, being Incapable OF
standing Its ground against the passions of DO.
puiace or the interest of class: 10 other words.
TO the argument of superior weakness and immo-
rality. But there cases la which courage in
meie foolhardiness; and there are also cases in
which We incur not only all the risks of our side
but also the risks Of the antagonist. There are
nations enough and occa sions enough in which we
may sho" the courage of our race. If anybody
ooubfs. we may point to Iodia at this moment,
WHARF we are fighting against great difle uities
and odds as those encountered by Cortez or Pi-
zarro.
But even courage itself. If il be not unnerved at
least listen TO the voice of nature and of reason
when 1t finds itself face to face with it's own flesh
and blood, Its own kith and kin. Who are these
people, so unrnly, 80 provocative, aud glad to
pick q quarrel with us? Who are they upon
whom mere animal courage would goai as to an
infernecine war; They are those who have al
ready been worsted in old home quarrsl's with US
They are starved-out peasantry, outsted tenants,
oispossesssd cotters. the younger sons Of younger
sons, left thanded workmen, unlucky spectators,
disappointed politicians, men of every class wh :,
nave seen and suffered the worst of the old coun-
try. the worst of all being that they inherit our
restless, moody. illcontented nature. 1t is old
grudge these noisy fellows are working out
/ against American vantage ground This
| then, IL rather a social than a political quarrel
| and as III occasion foE heroic courage as a
quarrel with Ireland or the populsce of cur Eng
| lish eities.
But what Ia now to be done, and what is the dan.
ger that pressest 1t is simply the danger of tha.
official ms moments which 'goes on with whatever
1t has begun. Great is the power of office mot
TO DO thing its power to sgo on doing it 10 still
greater. At this very moment, it would SEEM
from the answer given the other night in the Com
mons. mischief is operating ripeniug coming to
head. aud producing, rightly not, serious
grievance across the Atlantic, without a word of
communication With the British government, and
! without any knowledge of the matter, except
| through the American papers, Will our govern
ment wait till the grievance has festered to the
regulation sorenessi Will ii do nothing till, in the
neously dry report of operations from the squad
ron and an angry demand for damages from the
American government Something might be done
now with grace aud dignity.
RESPITE OF A MURDaRRR.-The Washington Star
| states that James Powers, the murderer Of Ed A.
l Lutz who was to have been hung on Friday last
has been respited until Saturday next by the Pre-
| sident. Everything was prepared for the exscu
ton Friday, AMI several priests of the Catholic
church, sisters of charity and sisters of mercy were
in the cell OF the prisoner, administering religious
consolation to him, and engaged in the pious task
Of cheering his mother and sisters. The Star says:
| About ten minutes after nine o'clock, the mes
senger Of the President came to the Jail after Mar
shall Seiden. accompanied by the messenger of the
Attorney General and the hack of the latter. The
| Marshsl went away with them The purpose of
this move is not known, and though il is not be-
lieved to be connected in any way with the prison.
| or, it has occasioned considerable surprise and
| Q syeculatiou.
| At nine o'clock forty minutes, the Marshal had
| not yet returned, and among the spectators and
officers at the jail the impression that the Presi-
| dent would grant respite became sanguine.-
rhe prisoner, it 10 said, says he is ready and will
| ling to die, and does not desire moment more
| time than has already been allowed him.
The crowd at the Jail was largely augmented by
detaehments of the regular police and The Auxila.
ry Guard.
| The prosecuting attorney, Mr.. Key, arrived at
| ten O'clock, and the Marshal. returning shortly
srwards, proceeded to the prisoners CELL in cum.
| pany with several gentlemen.
When the Marshal returned, he said that further
eff had been made in powerss behalf this m msrn.
ing that the President finally and positively re-
| fused TO interfere with the sentence of the law
| and hence the execution was ordered to proceed
The Marshal read the warrant to the prisoner at
10 o'clock in the presence of the mother aud sister
Of the latter, the Prosecuting Attorney, Mr.. King
| and one or two other gentlemen.
| The prisoner was informed, after the reading Of
tho warrant, that the hour fixed for the execution
wonid be IL o'clock to which he sigB6ed his will
ing acquiescence, and his brother was dispatched
for a minister. as Rev. M. 0Toole and the other
attendants had left the cell after the performance
| Of mass in the morning. The prisoner retains
| his composure, and 10 constantly engaged ia his
devotions and in cousoling bis mother and sisters
The minister arrived and proceeded imm ediateIy v
| to the cell, in few minutes after We had closed
the foregoing paragraph, and the do 1med man was
about preparing himself to suffer she penalty OF
| the sw About half past ten, however, a messen-
ger came post-haste from the Executive, and after
| making hasty communication with Marshal Sell
| deG, quickly withdrew. MIR. Selden then started
for the cell OF Powers; but having met his younger
sister, girl Of some twelve years of age, in the
passage, he seized her hand aud saying 'God bless
you child, your brother will not be hung TO day !"
| turned away to conceal his emotions
The sister, Of course, communicated this intelli-
geuce to her brother and other relatives, and the
minister, after cougratulstiDg the unfortunate
| family, took his leave.
| During yesterday afternoon, he seemed to re-
member that at some period he had quarreled with
man who is now prisoner in the Jail, and he in-
mediatey mentioned the circumstance to his cpl.
might be brought into the presence of that man
| and make his peace with him. His request WAS
| granted, and the two being brought together. a
reco lciation effected under circumstances of
| the most affecting character. Tears were freely
shed by both parties and by the spectators. The
words of the condemned man were such should
| lead the other to remember this incident through
| life, and profit by the advice given.
| Epps Ton Horr.y ".