The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-02-14
(roaklfS.

There are Tribuation Trepids in every
community, who delight in looking upon the
dark side OF everything Ill human existence.
They are never so comfortable rs when un-
comfortable. They find Il luxury in woe as
epicuges 90 III tainted vands. They love
dark coloIs and are like ducks, hLdlng high
satisfaction III rainy weather. 1hey can espy
tue outlines OF IL thunderstorm iii lhe orlgAt
est sky, and If their predictions are realized,
and the growing oil The elements Is heard,
they utter the triumphant exclamation,
"p.tnt l tell you SOL Ii they We're elo-
waited al death 10 the seventh heaven, III
stead OF sending up songs of gratitude, they
would at once institute rigid inquiry as to
the possibility Of tumbiing down from 50
lofty an sltltude
Nothing in particular is ever the matter
W It'll such men, but " everything in general.
They are honest and sincere enough, but the
shadow of the sepu!chre is always upon their
spirits. They would never paralyze the coun-
ellis of the brave with treason, but the most
hopeful can scarcely escape a shiver of ague
in their presence. In religion, they are al
ways despairng of their own salvation, and
Ees very sure OF that of anybody else; in pol
itea, they are certain of defeat; in enterprises
o: moral reform, they declare sit no use, hu
mainly is doomed, and may rs well be permit
ted to 90 to the devil its own way. 1ndividu-
ally and physically, something is always wrong
with them. They were born for bad luck, and
no one can convince them to the contrary.
II they have faithful friends, hat is to keep
them from dying? If they have good health,
how long will it last? But good health they
will not permit themselves to have They are
afflicted with dyspepsia. govt, disease of the
heart, incipient cancer, or consumption. They
die a Thousand deaths in fearing one
In war, these melancholy men give full
| scope to their peculiar talent. A dozen victo.
ries do not compensate for one defeat. They
see Mcclellan i'll their dreams. The Yankees
| are always advancing upon Centrevlle, and
sometimes coming down Brook turnpike. They
are going TO lose their property, their child
rem, their friends, their country, and their
sersaa. They expect to die by the first Mimic
| ball in their first battlefield, or to be swung
to lamp pest by the triumphant Zouaves.-
| No other toim of death any more enters into
their apprehension than if they had taken q
bond of fate, and were guaranteed immortal
ity except from the hand of Yankees.
The grim old archer ght we'll chuckle over
this curious delusion. Let the croakers con
sole themselves Death will have them either
hy Mcclellan or otherwise There are no eX
elupt;ons from his draft. The militia must an
syyec to their names and the Home Guard
also The men between forty five and sixty
are more likely to be yictimized by the re
moreeless Executive of the grave than by the
Governor of Virginia. 1t matters little
whether Death gradually chokes MAI
in his bed or dismisses him summarily by d
bullet.
Ia the Christian system, Hope is a virtue
and no virtue can have anything but sickly
existence without it. There can be no hap
piuess where its sunshine does not fall, nc
faith, no patriotism. Let the Respondent de
sist from their Dismal Swamp melodies. Let
them cease from interrupting the jubilan1
strains of Hopes inspiring anthems with their
doleful and discordant croakings.