The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-02
The Str, nge.t aorernment in the Marld.

ne SIN INCEST 0overnment In the WoflA.
A Northern contemporary remarks that mo
people on earth could 80 through the winters
experiences of Americas troubles but them
selves, ant. that no Government on earth is as
etrong as 1his."
Certainly on all the earth, no reoph can
be found who possess such surprising .nd In
exhaustive self-complacency as our own II
is not the fault Of the press, IL thu bump Of
self -conoet does not become ally SO cnor
mousIy developed on the head Of every free
and independent American ciu zen as to de-
.trcy forever his centre OF gro witty. We hold
IL to- be the duty of true frie ndship never To
fiat ter, and the press OF America paws a poor
com pliment to the popular understanding.
whe n II IA afraid to speak to IL excep, In terms
OF iandation. The people ought to be OBLIGED
to tn . press for exposiy.g to them their own
political defects and weaknesses--hoy can
they e9cr he rcInediea, il they do not know
them but whether they are thankful or not,
the press ought to cry aloud and spare not
The American people are as good morally
and soci Ally as any other civilized people, and
no better in any respect. Human nature Is
the same. cverywhere,-in Europc, and in
America, under king. and in Republics and
1t is only encouraging pharisaicaI and puri-
tanical 81 Mrit 10 teach any other doctrine
Politically, we have the best Constitution
ever made- the noblest product of human wis
dom in all the tide of time, the result of the
political I rogress and constitutional expert
ence Of Gl'ei,t Britain for great many hum
dred years. But to say that we have the
strongest Go vernmcnt on the face of the earth
ia TO talk the sheerest nonsense that was ever
uttered. VT have in fact no Government t
all, for that is not Government which can
not enforce obedience TO its laws. The Gov
eminent Of the United States never has done
that, and never can DO it, either in the North
or South, and we doubt whether even the
State Cover nments, or any one of them, could
compel ohesience to a law which was not in
accordance with public sentiment. Dan the
penalties Of the anti-dueliing law be enforced
in Virginia Is there not in the United States
and in every State, n "HIGHsR LAW than that
of any Government, the law of public opin-
ion, the only Supreme and recognized govern
ment acknowledged and obeyed in this coun-
try?
And how have we got through our win tars
experience? When the winter commenced
there were thirty three States in the Union
How many are there now? Six have gone,
and gone forever forts have been seized the
Treasury is bankrupt; the land is poorer by
five hundred millions than it was before. If
blood has not been shed, it has been because of
the wise and humane moderation of our Gov
eminent and people, a quality in which it may
be said with truth Americans excel all other
,nen But, then, to urge all this as a proof of
the "strength Of our Government" is the most
extraordinary political optimism that has
ever come 20 our knowledge. We can mag
inc nothing like it, unless it be the case of a
man who has had both legs and arms ampu-
ia ted. and is helpless with paralysis, mutter-
ing, in the delirium of his death throes, that
no other man could have survived such in
juries
We have Is yirtuous as patriotic, as gallant
a people as exists on the earth, fact which
ought to satisfy our self -conceit and self-com-
placency, without attempting to arrogate to
ourselves superiority in those qualities to al
the rest of the creatures of the Almighty
The press, which should be the instructor OF
the people, ought to liberalize their views,
and teach them the virtues of modesty and
humility. The Creator has made other peo-
pie besides ourselves, and has made all of one
blood, and of like passions, so that none has
my right to say 10 his brother, "Stand aside,
for am holer than thou"
If the present troubles do not take some of
The starch out of our national lf-conceit it is
useless to expect any reformation. We ought, |
however, to know by this time that our Gov |
is not the strongest Government on |
the face of the earth, and that, by the side of |
The thousand-year monarehies of Europe, we,
who have come to an end in the lifetime of
man, ought to utter no such ,garrulous folly
That 1t may lead to strong Government is
more than possible: that, admonished by the
early decay of what has gone, future Govern
ments may be made Governments in fact as
we'll as in name, and not mere 'organized an
arches" is among the consolng probabilities.