The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-19
DeoeneracY of the Times.

The late huge robberies in New York and
the stupendous frauds practiced by tax payers
upon the revenue officers have led 10 the
usual amount of moraliZing upon the - deSen-
eracy of the times "A lamentation Whicn is
10 be found in the oldest extant Greek ltera-
ture There has not been period oi the
world, from its earliest days, when the poets
did not picture 4 golden age OF innocence ana
happiness in the dreary past from which man
had gradually declined TO an abyss OF social
corruption. The antiquity and universally
of this propensity 10 look 10 the past Tor the
perfection of humanity, afford confirmation
10 the scriptural history OF the orlglnal purify
and happiness of the founders OF our race bu'
after their lamentable fail, 1t may well OF
doubted whether there has been any inter
yening period in which mankind was more
yirtuous and honest than at present. Inc
wickedness of the antediuvian times was so
great that the Almighty visited the earth with
flood and of all its tceming myriads, only
eight were saved from the universal destruc-
ton. There has scarcely been IN age since
then when a larger number of righteous men
could not be found i'll the world.
But nothing i more common thah' al Inc
recurrence of every startling crime, to see
humiliating contrasts instituted between thcSe
DAYS and the past days, especially me Gays
of our grandfathers and great grahdlathers'
when every one is supposed TO nave peeh iii
maculately honest, and roGues were 80 scarce
in England that even the rewards oHered lot
their discovery rarely sntilced 10 bring them 10
light The contemporary moralists seem l"
imagine that the excessive love OF money ana
of display is a passion which has lately sprung
up in the human heart and that all honesty
and all public and private virtue are uhoer
pround Nevertheless, though II Is wrong 10
speak evil of the dead, we cannot resist Tue
conviction that most of the generations WHICH
the earth has gathered to Itself were men VI
like MISSIONS with the living men; that their
morals We're no better, and their manners
rood deal worse So far the love OF money
Is concerned the most brilliant Satirists ol
ancient times are found constantly aiming
their keen shafts 1t the greediness ana ava
rice for which the most polished nations ol
antiquity were proyerbial. The denunciations
of both the Old and New Testament against
the excessive love of money were not ehciIe"
by imaginary evils. Nor is 1T confined 10 any
country more than TO any age, nor 10 any
section Of any country. The experience OF the
late war was enough 10 demonstrate the power
and universally of that passion but we DO
not believe that in this respect, or any other,
the present age is much worse than former
ages.
The roguish 1inanciers and swindlers, if they
had lived in England Il few centuries ago, AT
time when we are taught to suppose that
people were content TO live plainly, 10 WORK
"patiently, 10 await contentediy, the sure
"but modest rewards of industry anu tenn
"perance" would probably have figured on
the highway instead of behind the counter,
and with pistols instead of pens. There was
not a main road In England ut the time, not
one great route to London, which, even In
daylight, was safe for travellers. The high
wayman, we hear it on good Enghsh au-
thority, not unfrequently held an arlsto-
.cratic position in the community of thieves,
appeared al fashionable coffee and
"gaming houses, and betted with men of
fashion on the race ground. Sometimes,
"indeed, he was a man OF good family ana
education" The manners and doings OF
celebrated freebooters were objects OF roman.
tic interest TO the vulgar. They delighted 10
relate tales of their audacity, generosity ana
courage. When CLAUDE DrvAL, the french
page Of the Duke of Richmond, who became
captain Of formidable gang OF highwaymen'
was taken prisoner, il was reported among the
popuiace tnat Games OF nlsn rank Slsileu HIN
in prison, and with tears interceded for his
life, and that after his execution, the corpse
lay in state with all the pomp of scutcheons,
wax lights, and black housings There were
not only rogues in those good old times, but
they were popular men.
The Government itself and the conrtiers
were just as honest as the people Whilst,
during the last century, no Prime Minister of
England has become rich in office, in the cen
tury which preceded IL no statesmen, how
ever poor, held public Office without becoming
rich, and that without shame or scandal. The
regular salary was the smallest part OF the
official gains. Titles, places, commissions,
psrdons, were daily sold by the great dignita-
ries Of the kingdom ms openly and without
reproach tn beef and vegetables are sold In
the market. The public service was starved
IN order 70 gorge with the public money the
personal fayorites Of the sovereign. That
may have been a golden age, but II was
golden sge only for courtieys and creatures Of