Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-28

| O Tired it.. At this early stage Of our Republic
". propose it to secure the safety Of postal ar
IA igements" and cntcrprising royers, who ven
tn c among wild Mexicans and Indians IN am
bu h. Will there ever I've a time when . pre-
text as solid may not be assigned!
If the proposed scheme shall no carried
out by the Government, and tolerated by the
neople. there can exist no doubt how the qucs-
ton 7 have propounded must be answered.
wv SHALL uAyEA DICTATOR. The dictatorship
indeed. will no longer be a speculation, but a
fact ~consnnmatcd. 1t will become n regular
mart of our political system. annually pro-
yided for in some bill, to augment the
standing army, or more conveniently by II
general and permanent law. Could the
trainers Of our magma charta have fore
seen so early and radical a departure from
their prccepts and example, they would, in
despair, have committed to the flames the pre-
cious legacy which they ardently hoped might
promote the lasting welfare" of their country,
"and secure her freedom and happiness
The fire has but recently been arrested which
threatened to consume the temple of our
Union; but it has only been smothercd, not
~cxlinguisicd; and there is too much reason to
apprchend that at no distant day it will break
out afresh. Reproach and aggression will cx-
cite ie sentiment, and, possibly, retaliation. y.
Southern league" not Of individuals, but OF
States, may bc formed to vindicate the rights Of
Southern citizens, which the United States can.
not OF will not adequately protect. Some popu-
lar leader. of Iron will" and heart ~ofsteel, with
the principles ola Fremont or Seward. and the
bravery and skill of n Scott or a jackson; with
all the ambition of the great Roman usarper,
but without any Of his many virtues. shall hap
pen to be the party idol Of the day, and To WELD
the sceptrc of the Presidency. Proclaimins
that "the Union must be preserved" -uyrants
and demagogues were ever patriots, he de-
mands 4 Force Bill,-;we have already a lawlcsS
precedent for that)-to quiet Southern agitators
by cutting their ,hroats; or copying the exam
pie which Mr.. Buchanan, doubtless with the
best intentions, now proposes 10 set, he takes
his post at the head Of the Federal forces, Off
cered by himself, and manned chiefly, perhaps,
with ~convic,s and Iaupcrs, reared under the
slavish institutions of Europe; and taking adj
v~antageof our party and sectional d.ssensions;
backed by q supcrscrviccablc Congress, who
stoop to obey when they should command; by
the inglorious company Of uEHo-worShipers; and
the unworthy fellowship of the faction who rails
cd hin to power; and the ignoble army of place
men and placc-huntcrS, numbcrlcss as Egyptian
locuStS. and more ravcnous, what shall oh>truct
the accomplishment of his worst designs? In
view of our own descneracy. knowing as we
do, that practically talents and integrity are
prescribed or passed by withsilent neglect, and
public employments conferred on men who
seek them. as they would a lucrative traffic, to
feather their own nests, and provide for their
kith and kindred in 4 word, that allegiance to
party is the test of patriotism and the sole road
to promotion;-in view Of this our rapid pro-
gress in scliishncss and corruption-what rea-
son have we to hope, that even a Spartan Band
will long he left who, re%vering the memory and
practicing the virtues Of our Sires, would immo-
late themselves for the salvation of their coun-
try? Shall We not rather fear that our own
examples will be followed. and that the rising
generation may yet behold u ROMAN DICTA-
TORSlIIP-a worse than French despotism-
erected upon the ruins Of the last OF the Repub.
lies?
RICnMoSD, Jan. 90, 1859. j. r.