Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-01-25

kSNrO one nov dares to talk OF bridling the people
y ..or ofresisri0g their united wishes The NJ
.no, that Is ssid is tbai efforts should be made to
nf5r them as to their real Interests, and enhghten
.public opinion hut every one allows taat, SO soon
uabl., opinion Is formed II can no longer be
rithstood On this point all are agreed and this
..rer power which Is graiaaliy superseDung every
..otber. isnow obeyed by those very statesmen who.
/..bad they lived sixty years ago, would have been
.tLe hrst 20 deny It's authority, rldcuie It, pre-
4.tens.ous, and, itpsssible. eNtngush MS liberty
Buckles History OF Civilization al Elgiand-voi
!. %. s5J-6l-Applerun's edition.
The above lines, emauatius from one OF the
most profound aud iudicjyus thinkers Of this OF
my other age, Involve great truth which, IN IT'S
ue,aliar applicability 20 the situation of this Con-
fsders,r should commend itself % our authorities
both as lesson and warning IL Is lesson, tAe
free OF which Is siupbaticslly- corroboraJed by thu
event, Of the present war, and especially by the
eveats Of the last six mouths, and warning Of the
disastrous effects which may result from disre-
gard Of its teachings Even superficial view Of tie
present aspect Of our affairs wEshow that there is
no resisting these conclusions, and moments re-
Election viii convince even Tie most peryerse adj
herent Of power orJhc terrible consequences which
must dow from persistent attempt TO rOil'N that
flniamestal truth in modern poiiy, which IS So
concsely aud 50 orcbly stated in the extract above
quoted Without assuming that thSdisostevs which
our cause has suffered during The las, few months
are attributable in any measure either 10 mal-ad-
minis,ratou in Richmond, or to lad genGr-fship in
the field withou; asserting thar those disasters
could have been over,ei by. different policy, VIC
do NOS, urhesitatiHgly affirm that the effect Of our
Inisfortunes on the public is directly treceabe 10
the prevailing opinion Of mismanagemcut and IL
competency On the part of the Executive author
ties. We do assert that there is al this moment al
UlsQCiyocql mjpi!estatioU OF want of confidence IN
the scga-.y discrD ton and capacity Of the Govern
ment aud THAT 20 this want OF confidence, and
70 the slight expectations Of removal Of its
causes, is owing the indispUtabe dependency
which is the most alarming feature Of our condition.
IN other words, che GROWING misfortune with which
We may have 20 coueud-the sbseucc Of that moral
spirit, ,hs mpulsiye energy through which alone
We can utilize our demoGstrSble physical and mate
rial resourccs-will arise from a disregard Of the
elementary truth above stated and must be followed
u the tep0rable and disastrous consequences he
ccssSriiy flowing from 9ntagouism between the
Government ana that public opinion which
s, Is ne business Of the Government 10 represent
End % express. We do not D. any means intend {,
s.euse the President of desire to place himseli
inorposition 20 the wishes Of the Country. Ou1he
contrary nothing is more reasonable than 20 suppose
ta.t he would desire 20 strengthen himself ty de
serving AMI securing that cordial and universal sup
-.gr. vi,E.U; wAilh even the most energetic meo-
SUES OF g ,l1y9n oud administration would prove
iaede-tusI EsiJIer do We argue the justi.c OF u
Justice ~ tie popular verdict which no" espresso
.;,e,i ga 50 Uumisrslablc form tUroughya; tl,s
country, We simply sag Jhat the opinion exists,
;taty mas assumed 50 decided a character that il
las become the opinion Of the country tiat II con
sti,g,.; thar formidable public op.ni.n which II Is
tie % deny, disastrous 70 disregard, gnd fatal to
resist Let II even be conceded that the President
has done ali that any man could do t,rthe success
o. the cause still public opinion. persists ia dscred
i,iug the fact Let il be conceded thar he has never
made mistake still public opinion idUce57t sees
in the events Of tbs last SIX months series Of ma
tiorl misfortuucs linked with a series Of Executive
binuiers Let IL be conceded that the President
has been entirely rigbL and that public opinion 3
sntirelv wrong, s;iu the public opinion exists
which is the only important fact to be considered.
Ii NAV be very unfortunate but it is vcry true We
do not wish % hold the President responsible for
This state Of affairs We cab acknowledge and ap-
plaud the integrity Of his character, the purity Of
his motives and the recttude Of his intentions. We
can readiir believe that be would promptly yield 70
the demands Of tie public could thoSe demands reach
hin 81 an AUTHENTIC form, ana that he would comply
with bubble opinion were De once c0ngincedcf itsex
is euce But IL Just here that tie danger hes i Is
so hard fr man 10 believe that he is wrong 10 Is
so difficult for PresiieEt 10 sec that be unPopu-
lar II is the baI Of rulers, whether OF aonarchies
or Of republics that they are surrounded by iniiu-
ences which Isolate them'fIom the public and ren
der them comparatively inaccessible 20 The appeals
OF opinion The muttoriugs Of discomfort aCe watt
ed 70 their ears upon the breath Of fattery and thus
what i. az first acquiescence is mistaken for Rp
vrovaI what is remoOstrance is considered faction
and what is finally, universal dcnuucaton is mod
fsi 70 an idle and causeless clamor. II y not
strange. therefore that the President should be the
last man IN the country 10 see wha, Uo0ii have
been desirable chat De should have been the hrsI
70 discover Bat il would be strange indeed II lie
should now ener tEe DECISIVE expression CT sentl-
ment on the part OF Congress, tail 70 recognize
the great fact ON which We have been
Insisting. lie is not orc, OF those states
men Of sixty years ago who would deny the
authority Of public opinion, rilicule It's preten-
sions and extinguish it,. Hlerty.'' Re needs only
indubitable testimony Of us existence TO conform
10 its wishes If that testimony had not been srea-
dy farcished BY TIE voice of the public press by
the unmistakable Indications II popular sentiment
AMI still ore iorcitly by that logical connection
between cause and eject which traces the pres INT
feeling Of the people to thai public opinion Of which
We lave spoken AND which can be traced to nc 9th
sr cause, these eynences would he confirmed BY
the testimony Of the Representatives Of the people
themselves. The members Of Congress are not az
fscted by the SANG dele,eriOus influences which
must surround ths-RTssiSsnsi they have come .