The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-07-03
National SclE.Conceii.


National Scif-ConceiG
'Oh wad some power the g:ftie gle U.S.
To see ourselves tss others see u.s." &c,
Sc an aspiration which might be uttered IA be-
comiugly by nations AS individuals OF all
studies, the study of self is most neglected
Men do not like to look inwardly upon the
springs of their own action, nor can they, If
they would behold the image of themselves
which exists in other peoples visions. OF all
selfconccit, that which is national seems the
hardest to disrel. 1t finds IA prcteNt in the wiz
tue of patriotism, and there is no limit to its
exaggerations The Yankees have alwaysbeen
remarkable, individually and nationally, for
the "God, thank Thee that am get as other
men," keligiously, they were Purilans, which
is Pharisaism under anSther name, which be-
lieves that it is the elect, the chosen people OF
God, aud that all others are rerrobates. Their
political and religious framework were parts
of the same edifce Church and State were
even more closely united among the primitive
puritans than they now are i'll any European
country Upon their settlement in America
they passed the following resolutions: Re
sRrcd, That the earth belongs to the Saints.
Res0tced, That we are the Saints" Upon the
strength of these self.evideRt truths, the Saints
proceeded at once To steal everything they
could lay their hands Oh. They killed the In
dams, cheated the Dutch out OF their posses
sions, chased the Baptis.s to Rhode Island,
and hung the Quakers and witches, believ-
ing, perhaps, that they were doing God
service, and quite sure that they were advanc-
ing their own interests. 1t is not matter of
surprise that nation founded by such progen-
ltOrs became ~ proverb among other nations
for it's self.conccit and scif-love. The most
boastfal people on the face of the earth was
the population of the late United States
Its unexampled prosperity gave plausibility
and intensity to its assumptions. The truth is,
a new continent, settled by an enterprising
people, and with free institutions, the product
of British experience, philosophy and laws,
had sprung up, with the aid of foreign enligra-
ton, like Jonahs gourd, in night. This new
country possessed certain remarkable staples,
nowhere else on the earth to be found in such
perfection, which yet were essential to the
wants and comforts of mankind, and which
could only be cultivated by slave labor, and
liar staple had also rroviJ peculiar labor.
In fine, it was to the mos extraordinary com
bination of providential circumstances that
ever occurred i'll all the tide~f time that the
United States owed its unparalleled growth,
and not to any superhuman merit or excellence
of its people
We are aware of the tolls and sacrifices of
the American Revolution, or, rather, we sup
pose we are; for, after reading the astounding
lies which the Yankees tell about the present
war, we know not exactly how much to be-
lieve what we have read of the old All that
we have from iginal Southern sources we are
disposed TO credit. The rest we look upon as
apOcryphal 1t was "a war undertaken ON the
: part of New England from pecuniary motives,
and whatever labors and sacrifices she endured
proved "a profitable investment But for George
Washington, the Virginians, and the vast ex.
tent of territory which the British found it i'm
possible to "hold occupy and possess the
Revolution would have been a failure As to
any superior valor of Yankees over English
men, that is one of the numero us self-conceits
of the most egotistical Of people. One nation
is as brave as another, always provided that it
has a cause.
There are scme nations which, like the
French FOR example in the.tim of Bonaparte,
suffer from paroxysm of national vanity. But
the achievements of the Corsican were enough
to turn the heads of any people. Self-esteem,
however, was not a paroxysm of Yankeedom;
it was its Natural condition, as peculiar and
pervading as its nasal intonations. 1t always
I<A
most humane, the most free and enlightened of
mankind. What it isDthe present war has
shewn. 1t looked down with sublime compass
sion upon the ignorant aid beniglted subjects
of European monarchs. That high sounding
phrase, "The United States and it's Mission
and manifest Destiny" showed its exagge-
rated conception of its own character and i'm.
portance. Its real mission was to make
money; it's manifest destiny to 20 to pieces
in mans life time, but nothing could have
been further from its own expectations In
stead of being competent to Christianize the
rest of mankind, it is itself one sccthing mass
Of irreligion and infdelity instead of the civ
ilizer Of nations, it is only the rebuker of Eu-
ropean civilization, which have prevented this
war from becoming professedly as it is really,
one of the most brutal and barbarous in human
history; instead Of engulpiing in it's ',1Iani-
fest Destiny" the rest of America, it has swal-
lowed itself, and made its decline even more
rapid than its rise.
Patriotism IL one Of the nOblest of virtues,
and national pride essential to national dignity
and greatness. Bat these are very different
sentiments from the vain glorious and boastfil
spiritof Yankeedom. The nationality of which
the Yankee boasts is love of the country for
what he can make out Of it. His self sufii
cheney IL based upon u good fortune which wa.
not the product Of his own virtues. It is but
The selfcomplaeency of a millionaire, who has
accidentally come into the possession of i'm.
mense wealth, and who looks down with sul.
gar scorn upon poorer and better men than
: himself
II the Yankees would acquire the inestima-
bic gift Of seeing themselves az others see
them, the present war affords them an oppor-
tanity which they may avail themselves Of
with signal advantage They have only to read
the European papers, or to. listen to the nc.
counts Of their own travellers IN tho Old World.
y discover that they are held in no gr.a. esteem
~ any u The civilized nations of the earth.-
Instead Of being regarded a. better than other
nsn, they ars tookod upon ~ a good dsal
WOrse. Their hon1ted Rcpubiic i eonsidered
- AlDmtnAbie nlililAsy desIotism their ya.lnt.
= Moe4ono k thought . sham and cheat;
eAelr hee pee1As except ~ n sewer Of Hccn.
etQmnQooo. donftt41o ct every ap6fk Of manly