Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-12
THE COEsTIrUFIOEAsTATE RIeATs:
RICHMOND WHlG.
TUESDAY, MORNING, JAN. IL. lss4.
rha pnnnla and Ttelr Rulers.

1Va
it bshooves every patriotic heart to Use WIN
.on ,ra upetior to all sense Of danger to person or
property be ready at any moment to cast nS ne anu
bs all in the scale of his counttys cause. Unity ana
earpestuess Of SOUL from universal CONVICTION Oh the
iu,tee Of that cause and ah-sthe parent oil love ana
h,pen-she strongest, the purest, the nOOes instinct
Of the human hesrt-fsith in their leaders should an
mste each breast. How stands it to-day with Us
ooo the Justice of our GAUGE people are as one.
Their lives their ALL they haEe fully demonstrated their
vllpguess to stake upon it. We would rejoice, and
allow one cloud to darken Our confidence, could We
.ert "a much for the public faith in those who control
our affairs.
We would respectfully suggest to Congress that, 10
h frIv informed mon the affairs of the country and
(, receive suggestions of policy, and INSPIRATIONS tha'
would rouse them from u1beeomiug and unhmely weak
ness and despOndeney, it become rule in each
House that the Clerk Of each body shall, during their
morning hour, read for the enlightenment OF their MEM
bars ops or more Of the letters Of George Wash
hvton 10 the Continental Congress. There are
arguments there are facts and principles, there Aid
o1n that throw light every measure aud give ireeh
hope on every occasion during the cheequered progress
of our present war And as the pure The lofty, the
p,roc guidance of the hero of 776 carried US safely
through war more formidable THAI that which We are
now Ell gag ID in, none worthy to bar bis mantle having
ren in Cur present struggle to aid us, let
| to him ss the fountain for counsel
LIE: uI turn nov to the writings Of another which
contain "prncplss worthy to be Transmitted to POS
trity" to ons who maintained that "the liberty OF the
press is the palladium of all the civil, political and re-
lisious rights transmitted to u.s. "Ehe submission OF
fee people TO the Executive suthOIites Of goysrnmen
(of their own choice with u1) "is no more than COM
pance with the laws which they themselves have en-
acted While the national honor is firmly maintained
abroad and while justice is impartialy maintained a.
home the obedience OF the subject will be voluntary,
cheerful. aud l might almost say, unlimited gen
erous nation is grateful for the preservation OF Its
rights, and willingly extends the respect due to the
Office of good prince, into al aHs On for his person.
hoyal,y, in the heart Of an E hhman," {ard also of
Confederste) ais a naoni attachment to the guar
dian Of the laws. Preul les and passion have some
times carried it to a criminal extent and, whatever
foreigners may in agine, Engshmsn have erred as much
in mistaken zeal for particular persons and families
as they ever did in defence of what they thought mo't
dear interesting to themselves"
III naturally fills Us with resentment, to see such
emp.r insuted and abused In reading the history Of
free people, whose rights have been invaded, We are
Interested in their cause Our feelings tell US how
long they ought to have submitted and at what moment
it would have been treAchery to themselves not to have
raisted. How much warmer will be cur resentment, If
experience should trng the fatal example home 10 our
| selves"
"Tae situation of this country is alarming enough to
rouse the attention Of every man who pretends to
concern. for the public welfare. Appearances Justify
suspicion; and when the safety Of nation is at stake,
suspicion is just ground Of inquiry. Let US enter into
il with candor and decenoy. Respect Is cue to the sta'
ton of ministers and, if resolution must at last be
taken, there is none as likely to be supported with
6rmness as that which has been adopted with modera
ton"
"Fhe ruin or prosperity Of a state depends so much
upon the administration Of its government that to be
acquainted with the merit Of ministry, we need only
observe the condition Of the people. If we see them
obedent the laws prosperous in their industry, uni
ted at home and respected abroad, may reasonably
presume that their affairs conducted by men of
perience, abilities and virtue. IT. the contrary We
see an universal spirit of dstrust and dissatisfaction
rapid decay of trade discussions in all parts of the en-
pire and total loss of respect in tbs eyes of foreign
powers we may pronounce without hesitation, that tie
government Of that country is weak, distracted and
corrupt The multitude, in all countries are patient to
certain point. Ill usage may rouse their indignation
and hurry them into excuses but the original fault is in
the government. Perhaps there never instance
/ of a change, in the circumstances and temper ola
whole nation, so sudden and extraordinary as that
which the misconduct of ministers has within these
few years. produced il Great Britain. When cur gra-
i ~. Ao,, h
ing and contented people. II the personal virtues of
king could have insured the happiness Of his subjects
the scene could not have altered entirely as It has
dore. The idea of uniting all parties, Of trying all
characters, and Distributing the Offices Of state by ro
tat.On, was gracious and benevolent to an extreme
though it has not yet produced the many sauiary
effects which were intended By it. To say nothing of
the wisdom of such plan, it undoubtedly arose from
an unbounded goodness Of heart in which folly had no
share 1t Was not cGprciOus pagslty to new faces =;
il was not natural turn for low intrigue; it
the sreaeherous amusement of double tn triple nego
tsions No sir arose from continued Gaxiety, in the
purest of all possible hearts for the general welfare On
fortunately for US the event basnot been asHerabe to
the design After rapid suecsssion of changes We
are reduced to that state which hardly any change
mend Yet there Is 10 extremity of distress which Of
itself ought to reduce great nation to despair II is
not the disorder but the physicians il is not casual
concurrence of caamious circumstances it is the per-
nicious hand Of Government which alone maks q.
whole people desperate"
We make but one further quotation from paper,
which seems so applicable to our own times: with.
cut much political sagACity any extraordinary depth
of observation, We need only mark how the principal
departments of State bestowed, and look far
Their for the true cause of every mischief that be
usl'
Deficiency or Guidancea