The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-03-12

press, echo, and enforee IT, natural rerst,4ttu
| Of men; for oil Gov9nnsuts, Uaionp. M
Confederaciss are natural .ousgrowshs, God
made, not man made, Our Confsdssacy VIII
lsst 80 long - II is nataral, no longer; and Il
whI bs natural 20 long A. Il ID needed ioa
mutual defence 50 49, satsa sselI +
/ - .Asssse 81
| Ax.tiaf .faw. s7s
The introdactiot Of martial law has added
greatly to the comfort Of THE Community So
mueh satisfaction has it given that VS. expect
1t soon 10 become fashionable sbronghout tas
State, aud have no, doubt but aspiring vii
lagos ia the interior viii speedily position for
the creation of . Provost Marshal We have
long enteYtainsd an opinion that civil law, a.
administered fn this country, 10 the most un-
civil of all laws, and that the ofacular Mr..
Bomb wasright when hs pronotnced the law
ian ass" Under the polite dominion Of the
civil law, ~ administered in Republics, the OH
Ger being elective, takes good heed how he at.
fronts the citizen who elects him, and that
his recognized designation Of public servant
Be net &c empty name, butthas it comprehend
every degree of serviHty and bootlicking,
and the most bsrefacsd fattery of his mas
ters virtues, and the most shameless conni.
vance at his vices. Under the laae Enited
States, from Old Abe Lincoln down 10 the
pettiest policeman, and from the juries in the
Cocrt. Of the Union down to the least intelli.
geut twelve that ever sat on the fate of a
chicken thief, tho law vss administered with
degree of civility that eneorfsscd such an
amount of public and private prodigac,, pee
ulation, plunder, street fights, and marders, a.
the annals of NO other country in Christen-
dom, pretending TO be civilized, has ever ex-
| hitstea. And - craftily have the people been
befooled BY their public servants, that in
| the midst of such political and social corrup
ton as might we'll provoke tlse almighty to
visit us with his heaviest Judgments, we
have looked down with contempt upon the
poor, oppressed, and benighted subjects Of
European monarchy and despotism, where
l,fs and property were hundred fold moro
secure thsh On cur own continent, and whose
| people, if deprived Of . master, would have
relspsed into barbarism.
Our own city, before the beginning Of the
war, was the most quiet and orderly city Of
its size in America, with the exception. per-
haps, of Charleston. Its streets were as silent
| g. night as any rural district in the country
Not e0utd vas to he heard, save the deep
| roar of the liver gs II rushed over the falls,
and the deeper snoring Of the night watch
| from porches and cellar doors. There was no
occasion in those days for any watch at all
| save now and then to participate in the arrest
II some predatory African, who would be
escorted It sunrise to the Mayor by the whole
body of the guardians of the night, each look
ing msjestically indignant at tic violator Of
| the law, and the interruption of their accus-
toned slumbers. After introducing the often
der to the whipping post, there was general
dispersion of the city functionaries of high
and low degree till the next morning, the city
governing itself in general without any
difficulty, and kesring up the mayoralty
at some expense, as an ornamental
weathercock to the municipal spire, which
should add variety to its proportions and
enable every cne to discover which way the
wind blew.
But since those calm and so1ie v hat monoton-
ous days,when we smoked our cigars and talked
at street corners, as if smoking and spinning
street yarns were the great business of life, a
change has csms over this once placid and
domestic old city, 10 thorough and wonderful
that we sometimes wonder whsthsr it is no,
all dream, and haye to take several pinche.
of ourselves before we can fully establish to
our own satisfaction the fact of our identity
We scarcely meet familiar face in the streets
or III aay Of the public places Of amusemen,
and resort. II. old population has besn com
pletely submerged by shA tide which has sol
~. since year ago. The vas: influx has no,
been an - singled blessing. The establish
ment Of the Con.e4e,sts capital in Richmond
and the stirring times have .cs only brough.
among us many persons eminent in tslsnt, vir.
tue, and social position, but that multitude Of
birds of prey, from the eagle to the buzxard
which afwsys follow the scent of spoils and
battle. The eonse rueaee has been not oDly
an amount of rufianism, drunkenness, and
bIoodshed, unprecedented in our atnsls, but
emjssaries of Lincoln have had full sweep
amengs! a crowd where all were strangers to
each other, and spies and traitors have held
high holiday. Tho civil law, with ito gra-
Gions courtesy, was uncHemoniously kicked
from tt : saveldent ,andit fnnctionaries, ,inelud
ing the most sosor7ac Of the watchmeD, &C.
tualIy opened their eyes Nth amazement
But )ehold the wonders that martial law
has &C, omp'ished. Ever since civil Law has
been placea on the retired list. his martial
brother has given ds taste of his quality
which makes us almost wish thst cities wore
always governed by martial law. The yas
Gals, 70 dies, and rioters, have disappeared a.
my steri usly ~ the sora; the dram shops
have come to an untiuely end; elderly gen
lemsn can venture out at night with rsA,
Sensible expectation Of not being brought
home in Q comstose condition from the effecti
of bludgeons and bottles, spies and traitors
have felt that they can no longer carry or
their underground diabolism with safety The
sober, honest, and loyal portion Of the com
munity cheerfully submit 10 some temporary
Inconvenience for the sake of great good
and only regret that martial law was not %
tsblishsd year ago in Richmond.
INTERVENTION IN Bl1xlCO.
Tho p, otable intention OF tho EuropsaI
I allies to place king over Mexico 10 NO y ex
citing much attention In the Northern news