Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-06

previous nsul have been borne bY us, ana they tako
childish delight in shaking their fists in she face Of
great strong country. And, accustomed to hsar US
deprecIe. something 10 be scarcely though! OF, an
appeal to arms the natural consequence Ia, that when
they have gone go far a. to place themselves in the
predicsm Of having TO choose between humiliation
and war, they are nlmos. universally persuaded that
we shsl bear this Insult like the rest Had our Ian
guAye been different from the frsS-fiad given them
plainly TO understand that meant to strength
on due provocAtion the mob that orignstes al
tn cabnet that conveys, their vulgar aronLs wou
lower their tone Of defiance, and would never have
pushed matters to their present extremity.
We have said that in view 10 TO be regretted
that the apparent faults Of democracy should be ten
derly treated We all ready TO join in reprobltiou
Of absolute government but when did any civE,d ab.
solu,e government show less clsim Indulgence
than the American Republic' What despotsm has dis
played little moderation in prosperity, 10 little dgn
y in adversely less seEcontFo less wisdom in counci
less courage in the faldl Is King Mob more agree
able more remsdiable despot than king Francis p
The gravest charge against absolusu is, that 1t may
place the liberties of the people and the conduct OF
public affairs in the hands OF weak and incapable
men. But to what country shall we look for hsred
ary princes less st to Nield the dostines OF natiors
than the obscure and commonplace man whose de-
creea stand in the plsce Of public Law In the
North Il may be sail that at least he is the choice
1f the nation. But was he chosen by the intelligence
Of the nation Or 10 take lower ground, does he rep
resent the mseria Interests and responsibilities Of the
nation Not at all he 10 the choice OF numerical
N gity Of a people who have derived the prncp pal
acje,sons TO their numbers FROM the scum OF Europe-
Every four years the constitution is in travaii-a man
kind invited rather commanded TO hatch the in
teresnR eVenta is congus0D the tbroes of the noun
tain are prodisiou, aud the latest result is-Nr AbIs
ham Lincoln The great achievement in ssligOvernmen
Of this vauntod democracy, which have been 30 loud
ly and arroganty called to admire, is to drag from
hil proper obscury an eI.railsptter and country at
.h.ttf
dilposal No country furnishes so many examples as
England Of grea. men Who hav1 risen from humols be-
gilninga But il would have been impossible for him or
any Of his cabinet 10 have emerged under British insi
tutions from the mt diocrty which nature had con
dsmned them and from which pure democr-cy alone
capable Of rascuing them Are the best Americans will
ing accept Mr.. Abraham Lincoln and Mr. w. H. Sew
ard their be II not they substitute better
meni II they no, what other proof is needed oil
the inecacy OF their bolse1 institutions! An mbscile
executive above, restless purposeless multitude below,
linked together like kite tied TO balloon and drifting
4, the mercy Of the air currents while respicabiiy
moderation and pushed aside dragged help
etsy sloug-uch il the spectacle presented in the first
orm By the model Republic. A gallant army, whose
energies have been displayed chiefly 10 flight free
country whose judges overlooked BY sentres-dis-
Interest ID patriotism that requires TO be brbed by eight
De. csut-a uuitod nItiol, The elements OF dsso
luton are ifs-aprSctcsl people who spending more
than they possess for object they cannot dnesucb
are few Of the results Of tloss remark BILE Institutions
that have been recommended for our imitation as i'm
menSe improvements on our ow1.
OF course ve do blame Mr.. Lincoln for being Pre-
siGeat Bat We venture 10 pity him. No man i, more
unfortunate than he who is in conspicuous position for
which he is maaifeEy unfS What had this i'll starred
MAJ done to merit such visitation to be Sc: at the
head OF guly nation that u going to pieces IN con-
vulSons? His antecedents respectable though not
iustriouA Hs is said TO have exhibited considerable
Sex Gritty and muscular power 10 the spltting Of rails
De may possibly bs good attorney, though We should
never have selected him esal adyssr.- HAD dor
TO- WI should have exp olei to fad him oracle Of the
coujiest kild, and, a rule, arriving st clear cou-
prehenson OF he facts few weeks after the case
decided. In hs public compositions he IS distinguished
Chi, for disregard of grammar and an Infatuated
fonduess for metaphor. He gets labOriousy on 10 +
figure OF speech, which generally runs away With him,
aud after ,IhbiGg him in various eccentric postures
leaves him spra Wing IN an attitude highly nnbecomiug
n the Presi ent Of great Republic. Still to fed meta
,hors unmsnaseSble is DO great crime. A man NAV be
r-ss llod in composition even all indifferent lawyer
tcou srtng such fate as hat which we dopore in
M. Lincoln. 1t msy BE- said that he sought the pest
Wiish be so uaeomforshy occupies ard has no right
con plain af its inconvenience. But he may reply
hl, other Presidents no better tha- ke had got very
well ard ;h, he only bargtned to be, like them, the
D ain Of a fair Teather ship o. such plea be may
pos biy be ibsoved OF presumption, but the absouion
o. Ihs Prsden is thS condemnation OF the system that
ndstf him possible.
When the council Of nation meets, we and other
countries that ejy any degree Of political freedom
PFC. 70 listen 20 man cap bic, not ony OF expressing
1ut Of guiding and controlling popular ognion Many,
o course msy b, found in tho assembly whom the
on would be UNIV Hog 20 SEQ; ~ the l3aentg of s
s,iri- Bl. there will aso inevitably be- many who are
ma xed for emiaenle, and none rule, command
attention gsG irhueuce eScep in proportion 20 their
ab ltifs Bat no uau l0pks foe light guidance, or
sell conrc to the Congress tba. has jisi assembled
To- vote OF approval OF t1e buccaGe rng attack on the
Trent stamps the character Of that aasembiy IL most
countries the apyrbsion Of the people and Of the Sc
nate j. the bCh st reward to which citizen aspire
Bu. what of real merit character could be incit
cd - action by the prospect Of praise which he mast
shar, with Wilkes aad whch has thus become degra'
da i'm? Il is true that the political system OF America
may answer the end proposed by all representative inst
tutons sud that President Cabinet and Congress miy
truly :ct the spirit of the nation. But how the
most bitter enemy of their institutions add TO the
strength Of the case contained in the facts tta the
AmsIc IN people elect tuch men they Dleae, sni
that ouch are the men whom they please 20 elect'
II it we're necessary that an American idol should
perform anything really great n order 10 justify the
pm gyrieJ of bic couGtIymen, should look on Gen
Mcclellan as the unfortunate man alive. he can
not uoss hc be more than mortal, redeem the p dce,
that baye been given for him He has received in cd
vance ~ a small ins.sTeat Of public admra,ion the
title OF "the Youpg Napoleon" From this we gather
vas solely remarkable as soldier for making reviews
ths mos serious bu ness Of hs army, for compliment
ing his subu- nstas their bludsfs and dsasteTs,
soi for speuiig moaths in presence OF his ensmg, 10
forming plan OF campaign which he never yentur9d
T. exccala Il is this singular way Of estimating events
tui men that renders it easy to maintain position
is celebrity m America. Foe na,ion cOnters its fame
as according the cync, people give their gratitude
-frOR liv IL sense OF ayOrs 10 come The prospect
OF taking CD these heavy bills on the eve1ts of the
future Uou1 sppal meet uutried men Bli luckily
g a. Mcclellan, who is a great man Tor what he is
soug 20 do has bsfOre him the rccs'urng e1 mpe OF
jomnauder Wlkei who 10 great man for what he
4,s already done T1ere are many other circum
Stances TO soothe and comor the future hero. Gen.
Jackson aud Gen. Scott among the gtea!es. COM
usnlsra tho wol1 has seen. The battle OF some'
bodys BaT ald som,b body else's Ferry amorg the
most important actions that fought a. the vic
,ors Of Wslerlsp / hermann eud Soferiao are bound
tn admit Bulker's IL Il Srea' victory. A' Amer
c.n history written prove, nos that Americans have
actio bi he we