The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-03-28
James Brooks.

otgDsliZed himself before the war as an ar
dent advocate Of the constitutional rights of
the South. He had conducted his pepper with
both spirit and dignity, and was regarded
personally q gentleman. He had married
,Avirginia lady, and manifested that interest
In Virginia which might be expected from
such ties. His memorable description Of
the visit Of Daniel Webster to this city, and
Of Richmond and It's celebrities. seemed to
have been prompted by genuine appre-
eiatlon Of the character of our people, and
IN honest elimination Of the Old Dominion.
But when the war began, Brooks, like
such multitudes Of our quondam Northern
friends, disappointed all the hopes which
had been aroused by his former career. The
gale that swept from Fort Sumter stripped the
Northern forest Of its glories, and among
che first leaves whirled away by the hurri-
cane was the editor of the Express. His was
not gradual and graceful fall from his high
position. II was not merely fall, buta
buylng deep In mud and slime. He sought
tosurpass even Bennett in thsshamelessness
of his tergivesation. He recommended
pfn1dexing and destructive raids upon that
james river on which stood the estate he
had acquired BY marriage with his Virginia
wife. He seemed eager to purge from his
nature Ill faint Of its ancient Virglnianlsm,
and 70 be known only as the unforgiving
enemy Of all he had professed to love, and
the seorner and contenner Of sli he had pro.
fesssd TO admire and vensrate.
Tho war was begun, ard it begun and
moved on in different manner from that
which Brooks and the rest of the North an.
fieipated. Expeditions up the James river
did not prosper. Wilton, the old estate of
Ms. Brooks, remained ia Confederate hands.
Even its chicken coops, and those of the
neighboring residences, we're safe from the
Yankee foe. The first trial Of strength be-
tween the two belligerents came off at Bethel,
and the Northern army was driven in disgrace
from the aald. Then came the great battle
OF Aanassas, and the North was hurled to
the depth ofhumiliation by the most unex-
pected and disastrous results of that great
encounter. Mr.. Stewards ninety-days' bills
began to 60 to the dogs in the Northern
market As time wore on, And events
developed that Bethel and Manassas
were not accidents; Is the despised and
Outraged South began to emerge from
the shadovs Of obscurity and contempt
In which she had so long dwelt; as the grand
forms Of such warriors a. Lee and jackson
began to appear at the head of her hosts, q
sober second thought erept into the mind
Some Of them began to say that their
fhoughte. they must confess, were turned on
peace Among these penitent sinners was
Our ffail and fallen friend Of the New York
x1prssa The turbulence begotten by Sum-
ter oosed rapidly out at his nngere ends:
the sword In his hand was exchanged for the
plowahAre, and the spear for the pruning
hook the volcano which had belched forth
foods Of smoke and lava became apparently
extinct, and the vine and the olive grew
peacefully on it, frowning sides, whilst be-
meath their sheltering Shades Brooks, John
Van Buren, d Co., gentle shepherds, sat and
piped strains Of harmony and love.
But alas for human nature! A sad COM
modify At the best! Aud net much improved
by - New York atmosphere! Not favorably
developed by the career Of politician The
penitent Brooks has fallen from grace
again, and like ell reformed sinners, when
they nh, he hss become ten-fold moro the
progeny of Ga&An than before. Like the man
deserted tor time by one devil, and having
the chamber Of his soul swept and garnished,
when the old inhabitant returns, he
bripgs with him sevep other devils, and the
end Of thatman IL worse than the beginning.
Brooks Il not only red-hot war man again,
but he has become rampant Abolitionist
He u hale fellow well met with Horace
Greeley, and the bedfellow of Fred Douglass.
Wsndeil Phillips, aand DR.. Tying. He has
rome over to that party-American citizens
OF African descent, body, boots, breeches
and soul the list an article of baggage which
could be easily packed away 10 any pocket
book that would hold quarter OF dollar.
We cannot say With contemporary that
We Sssl sad In contemplating the final fall Of
James Brooks from rectitude and virtue. He
did not TALL fas enough to hurt him. Our
osly vnnar. II 1t the tremendous fail of
grssabashs, for they must have deprecated
to ns1t TO nothing, when anybody would be
willing 70 Invest them in the purchase Of
james Brooks.
he man may haye been originally a.
sosteo - hs now ltands confessed, but the
We O politician = enough to corrupt even
We best Of the sons Of Adam. which BROOKE
hardly eves va. Of Ill the hopeless proeti.
tstss on ths4ace Of the earth, the most sb.n
oens6 and irrscis3msbls are this cisss u so
10y No hagdaisu Asylum could ever rs.