The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-02
Airhmonh Dispatth.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. :. MAY , 1900.

s The 3GrrAs TsAernnsisnal Prize fiehs.
II is vain to deny IL. Much as the American
people NJ large abhor that species OF or"'a'''y
nf which the prize RUG 10 therepreseneatase--
greatly d. theysdeplore the state Of morals
which could lead 10 such an exhibition OK de.
prayitv~-loudiy as they deciaim against the
,m,rcb,e violation of all law which II involves
4 earnestly rs they invoke against 1t the ga
ortd name Of our religion and the authority
OF it's author--thcy have been stirred to the
very foundation Of society by the battle he
tween tue so.called English champion and
their solitary adventurer, who may now claim
to be the champion OF the world. In spite of
sneers and deauncia,ions, all parties feel their
hearts warm towards the Benicia Boy. lie
may have been doing AN illegal thing--he may
have been violating the precepts of the Cos
pei--he may have been assisting in giving
prominence to class who are the very last In
ali the world to deserve it-buf, after all, he
was an American; he was in a foreign country
he VIVA surrounded by enemies; he fonght Tor
what he considered TO be the glory Oh ms
country, and every American heart ex"l'eo
when the news of his unparalleled struggle
for victory came TO be known. Everybody
read il. everybody talked about it, everybody
shoegh, of it, and of nothing else, for hours af-
ter The news arrived. There has been no such
excitement. since the great race between
Eclipse aud Henry, when JOHN RANDOLPH,
beins ou the course at Long Island, said, if it
depended on the people there present who
should be the next President--and At the time
CRAWFORD, CLAY. JACKSON. ADAMS and CAL
nouN were all before the public-PURDY, the
rider Of Eclipse in thu last heat, would, be-
yond all doubt, be the man. The interest felt
an the Benicia Boy has extended to all classes,
for it is omething which very nearly approx
mates patriotism. We have many very wor-
thy friends among the clergy. We hope none
OF them will take offence when we hint sus
ricioh that even they, some of them, could not
avoid the mania, which was indeed unavoid
able. AS for the ladies, they are always very
patriotic, and, those who know them hest say,
somewhat imaginative, too 1t is not Won
derful therefore, that they should associate
the name Of the Benicia Boy with the star
spangled banner and the glory of America.
We learn that, very generally, they took
deep interest in the fight, and eIinced vast
Indignation at the unhandsome manner i'll
which he was cheated out Of his laurels.
There was, indeed, matter enough in this
fight to stir the duliest blood. Little rs there
may be to commend in the profession of
knocking men down according to rule. there
was a degree of gallantry about HEENAN's
whole proceedings that could not but excite
admiration. 1t ought to be recollected that
he was a mere youth, who had fought but one
battle and been beaten in that, when he VEN
'ured, skipping over all second-rate profess
sors of the art, to defy the holder Of the belt
the champion of that country, which has here
t.fore claimed to be the only land in which
boxing could fioarish-which looked with
scorn, heretofore, upon the assertion Of any
other countrys claim to produce men equal
to hers, in what, is somewhat improperly
called the noble art Of seit-defence. II in the
fabulous days of Prince ARTHUR, L raw youth
from the provinces, who had never laid Il
lance in rest had challenged the whole Round
Table to joust with pointed weapons, it could
not have produced more profound astonish-
lnent. We are reminded, in spite of ourselves,
Of the conduct of IvAEHoE in the lists of
Ashby de Ia Zouche, when passing by the
shields of inferior champions he rode up to
that of BRIAN DE BoIs GUILBERT. and struck
Ii boldly with the sharp end of his lance until
1t fairly rang again. 1t was impossible to re-
fuse sympathy TO so much gallantry, or not to
hope that forlorn rs the hope seemed to be,
that il might prove successful. There was an-
other cause which, in the progress OF events.
tended greatly to intensity this feeling
Disguise it as we may from ourselves,
irrational as it may be, there is, at bottom,
10 good feeling between the people of this
country and those Of England, and there is
no road to popularity, in either country, SO
sure IS that which leads to the sra LITIGATION of
these secret ill wishes. As long as HKENAN
was regarded in England a mere bruiser
come TO try bis strength with another bruiser
few men III this country looked upon the ap.
preaching match with any feeling greatly re.
moved from indifference. 1t was only when
1t was discovered that, in England, it was re-
garded as national con test, that the passions
OF our country began to rise, and kept on in
The ascending scale until they reached fever
heat In England, it seems 10 have been thus
regarded, even from the flrst The newspa-
pers were full Of it. Floods OF billingsgate
were daily showered upon HEENAN. Pains
We're taken to induce the belief that he was a
mere biusterer, who could never be brought
10 the scratch. The newspapers abounded in
those euloginms of English valor, in which
England exceis all the world, and in depre-
ciatory estimates of America. TON SAVERS
was kept eyeriastingly before the public eye,
The embodiment Of English pluck, and the
whole british world was taught to believe
that In his hands were reposed the honor and
glory of Old England. The bare sugges-
ton that there might possibly be men else
where in the world that might be his match,
was treated with scOrn. The Government
evidently winked at the exhibition, for though
1t was ia their power to put it down at any
moment, they took M pains to doit. The mag
istrates caught the tone from their masters.
and Obligingly let things take their own way
Not the slightest attempt, at least, was made
10 interfere with their own champion, and if
they manifested any activity at all, it wcs only
III hunting down the American, to make his
chances Of success small As possible. Gen.
try and nobility, authors, newspaper writers,
poets, painter all seem to have believed that
the credit Of the country was at stake, and the
national mind was excited to a pitch of frenzy.
quite ludicrous when we take into considera.
lion tho utter insignifcance Of the cause. Such
being the state of feeling there, it is not sur.
prising that there should have arisen a cor
respondent degree of excitement here, and that
the news Of HEkNAN's success, and the infa.
mons means resorted to to render 1t abortiye.
should have been met with general feeling
Of indignation on the part Of all, and on the
part Of some with deep and heartfelt execra.
lions.
Every attempt to onceal the fact Is vain.-
Inc English champion has been whipped-se-
verely whippcd-whipped within an inch of
ms hie Inc world sees this, England feels II,
America knows it. In a contest Of forty.two
rounds, he was knocked down about thirty
tines Wnen the American champion had his
neck upon the rope. and there held it, design
Ahg 70 tnrow MIN on the ground in state
TOO exhausted to come to the scratch ayain