The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-05
Ritbiau,lh pispatth.

Ritb,aonh pispattt.
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SATURDAY MORNING. MAY 5. 1900
Hsmbassed World. -.
There Va. time when everybody oe"ese1
what they saw in book and though NOT se'.
old. we ourselves distinctly remember WV"
many persons credited what they saw -.
uevverererv. There seemed TO o. so1. "
sacrsdness ia type an unimpeac"A''e
ritv and truthfuIness; 1t settled tue lac y.
n;.,nry !. ho,h ancient and modern; 1t upneid
!, never awarded commendation TO
~. ..,,..x.,xfnr 4, ne yer bl ted honest merit
- ,,.r,rarrmeut or detraction; it was an
,r.,Ie az iustice; a mirror Of realities an
angel Of virtue; All avenging Nemesis Of
crime.
But the Devil, II he had not as much to DO
with Dr. FAusTUs some sagacious persons
at first supposed. has not been an idle spectA.
tor OF the art of printing and Of the various
other arts, inventions and discoveries by
which information is disseminated among
mankind. Having been from the beginning
an earnest adv of the diffusion Of know
ledge, he must have naturally felt much in-
terest in process by which it was SO univer-
sally dispensed, and, if he did not originate
the invention, has possibly superin,ended its
execution. Perhaps, to his active enterprise
we may ascrioe the fact, that virtue has by no
meaes kept even pace with knowledge that
errors. political and religious are multiplied
~ rapidly rs truths; that AS many men have
been demoraiized by books as benefited by
them that the press is often made the most
influential agent of injustice. oppression,
al chav itch 10
ness in all the world
What eau be more in genious and admirable
than the appliances which modern science has
created for the diffusion Of intelligence -
Every civilized country, and almost every
province Of every country, has its daily and
weekly newspapers, its cleo trio telegraphs, its
railroad cars, its ocean steamers, facilita-
ung social and commercial intercourse, and
by this intercourse afrording a means OF
correcting national prejudices and misap-
prehensions. Yet, in spite of all this,
what do we know of each other! What does
America know. for example. of the true state
OF political affairs in Europes Interested
parties control every instrumentality which
man has invented to impart and convey in
telligence. LOUIS NAPOLEON works the wires
both of his government and Of the telegraph
mirror Of the times, is only a magic lantern,
magnifying or diminishing objects at the plea
sure Of the imperial operator. The public
journals of Great Britain, though allowed
unbounded license, are so completely corrod-
ed by national pride and prejudice, AS to be to-
tally unworthy Of credence in anything
which concerns the in terests, rivalries, or pas
sions of Great Britain. We have only to read
their accounts of American slavery n know
exactly what confidence to repose in their
statements of political and social evils in 9TH
er countries, where they have any motive
for Misrepresentation. We have only to look
at the journals of the Northern States, which
have every convenience of contiguity and
constant intercourse for the ascertainment OF
the truth, and yet which abound every day
with the most fabulous reports of men and
things al the South, to be convinced how pow
erless, in itself, is the best means which the
wit of man can devise for the diffusion of
knowledge; nav, how powerful for evil, when
ever men lind falsehOod and ignorance more
convenient to their purposes than truth and
knowledge. Probably, hundred years ago,
before railroads, steamboats,, telegraphs. or
daily papers, the people of the North and
South had much more enlightened and accu-
rate views OF each others character and hab-
Its than they have at this hour.
Ii, i'll such an age and such a country as
this, neighboring States are SO ignorant Of each
other, what chance have we of ascertaining
With any thing like accuracy the real state of
things in Europe, which we obtain solely and
exclusively through prejudiced and partizan
sources The American press adopts with
implicit faith every syllable which French
and English newspapers utter of European
affairs, while they recoil with horror at the
pictures OF American society which those
same papers present to the world. Thus we
swallow, without the Sigh test hesitation, every
narrative OF Austrian Russian TYRANNY
we are ready to swear upon the Evangellsts
tnat the late FERDINAND of Naples was more
cruel tyrant than NERO, and the Queen of
SPAN more incontinent woman than CLEO
PATRA, because the English newspapers and
politicians have said so-the same new spapers
and the same politicians who, every day Of
their lives, have denounced every Southern
Shareholder as worse tyrant than FERDI-
NAND, and every Southern plan tation as pest
house Of the most abominable lewdness.
We are no apologists Of despOtism in any of
its forms, whether it be that of the monarch or
the mob; we know not but the enemies and
rivals of England and France may be as op-
pressfve and cruel to their subjects, as it is
their interest to represent them but knowing
IN what hideous aspect these mirrors OF
the times ~ have made the Southern States APP
pear to the rest Of mankind, we must be ex-
cused for occasional doubts of their perfect
candor and accuracy. Certainly, it would be
gratifying to suppose that the horrible stories
we SO often hear of the devilish crimes and
eruelties Of the King of Naples are as unfound-
ed rs those which the same journals tell of the
devilish crimes and cruelties perpetrated by
Southern shareholders. Thus much is known
England and France are both eager to get
possession Of Naples, and, for that purpose,
1t is more than suspected, are employing
the approved modern policy Of stirring up
instruction ia the coveted possessions, and
afterwards coming to the rescue Of the op-
pressed, and appropriating to themselves the
rewards of disinierested chivalry. The old
and manly style of fillibuste ring, which
consisted in helping yourself openly 10
your neighbours property, has given way TO
the sneaklng, underhand, sHake-l like system
OF foisting undergroun nd agents of discomfort
and revolt into his territories, manufacturing
wholesale calumnies against his reputation,
and then, amidst the cheers and congratula-
tons of \ yirtuous and sympathizing world,
infiicting merited vengeance upon the OPP
pressor by deposing him from his throne, and
taking his place yourself Again, we say, we
know nothing Of the real character Of the last
or present. King OF Naples. That character
may BE- as black as it is painted by their enc
mics, or As pure us it is described by their
friends but before we can believe accounts Of
croeities in Naples, we must be sure that the
h1x,