Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-17


"wh., to write about, Oousctpt Fathers; in What
terms TO express myself or what to refrain rom writing,
IL matter Of such perpexity that il know how 10
decide may the just gods and god leases OF vengeance
doom 10 die in psngs than those under which
nov lDger every day
Such ssrs the words employed BY fbsrus In the pre-.
face Of letter addressed from his GampInian retreat to
the Roman Senate on the nonsrous inquities Of the
times. The good man vas In great perpeIlty-ths
subj c..natter and vegb,y that he knew not
where to bsgin or where 10 end. We experience the
same sort Of embarrassment in treating Of the mean.
nes.es, the vsiaies, and the foies Of the Yankees
The theme Is ineIhsustble. Their uuam,be qualities
conspcuOus, and have 90 impressed On English
journal that l, has devoted article 70 that particular
feature In their chsrscss and s1paa,e, on the fec,
that they have no friends. Collectively nation,
there is not particle Of kind heartednes generosity
or nsguanimity in their composition. To the world
they appear 8, interruptions liars hsbl,ual and nvee
rate s.indles, coarse and british vulgsrans sordid
aud sensus 10 their sppsts sssggerers end po oons
nsolent 70 the weak and orouchrg 70 the strong dss-
itue Of all sense Of honor and conscious Of the des
luton but keenly sensitive 70 the and contempt of
tho world This 10 their collective appearance th.r in
dviduAl phase is no Viii. mors attractive. FOR years
they have made the name Of American . BY word Of
ridcus and contempt on ths other side Of the Atlantic.
In every European city and in every fashionable resort
in the Champs ysee, the Pincisn Hill In The Villa
Reae there are crosds Of these npu lent to
gen,ity. ebovins their way aud thrustng themselves
into prominsSce the dscredh Of the continent that
gave them birth In ali fancy sores their huge greasy
paws, impsrfsc,y covered With stravoolored gloves,
are the terrOr Of oil shopkeepen. II you turn your
back on Europe aud betske yourself the Waters
Of the Golden Horn, in the hope Of escaping. Yankee
yug,ry there too you and the horis,n disfgured by
the sam, disgusting object. There is escape any
where is the universal pes Of the age and 0! every
cline.
Blu. though the character Of COARSE vulgar. and OBJ
trusve everywhere attaches to the Yankee; yet having
money he Is tolerated and supposed TO be smart. His
idea Of all the virtues IL embodied in the almighty dol
.r; and knowing sha. without money he i, himself a
foul wretch worthy Of consideration be estimate,
all others by the came stsrdmd. But having money aud
herg INSCRIPTIONS to the means Of getting H. he has
had the reputation Of being shFewd sharp and sen
sible fellow, and enjoyed that sort Of consideration,
which money bssosa
But ths reputation 10 nov gone Taking bis own
standard Of wisdom (money. ting - the test he hes
perpetratsd folly In grossuess and magnitude, W.
equalled in the whole history Of In iuaugurating
var to uphold the Union he has destroyed that Union
forever and reduced himself to bankruptcy. II hs had
been really WISE and not merely smart. and had been
content 10 endure pacific dissolution Of the Union, he
might have suffered some curtslnen. in his immense
profits but he would have escaped total ruin and saved
himself from becoming . Warriors character for
which the God Of nature never designed him,he laugh
ing-tock Of the universe.
lis very true tina, in making war they took most Of
the Southern people by surprise-for With them The
general impression prevailed that selfintsres. the god
Of the Yankees, would keep the peace. We could all
see VIA. their direc: loss would b,, and supposed
thew had sense enough appreciate it themselves Bot
thew we're dcomed-tkey we're stricken With sorse
than judicial blindness; and no human power can rave
them from their fate.
Although Southern affairs nave not been managed
With the energy and wisdom which the people expected
aud although the border slave States through our re-
mssress have been occupied without resistance by the
enemy the Yankees with their Wanted twenty millions
have yet failed to make any serious advance upon
With proper ygor part, and With all the slave
holding States united and cooperating the contest
you'd have been ended almost as soon rs begun. Per-
hsps, when these errors are repaired 10 another
paigu We may be able to drse into the Yankees
heads that they have played the fool