The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-05
The Rickets in Resolutions.
From the Tribune.

From the Tribune.
The shape which an American opinion or emo
lion takes is that of Resolution. First, you
have ''Whereas'-then ''Theretore"-then, as
ultimate clencher, "Resolved.n A great proper
ton OF our political history is to be found in
this form-t is the ultimate condensation of
conventlon-pubic pugnacity and Indignation
boiled down-sOcial opinion reduced to brief
party promises minimized to a convenient
iorm-the promissory note, in fact, which in
the future is sometimes uaken up, and sometimes
lays over. In theory, the concentration above
set forth must be preserved, but IN practice, as
becomes the declarations of treemen owing ale
glanCe no more to Llndley Murray than 10 any
other old-iashioned and square-toed tyrant, the
"Whereas" need not, and very frequently mas
not, the 1emotest connection with the There
iCIe.n This Independence may not seldom be
observed in resolutions passed by engine COM
panles returning from friendly visit TO other
engine com panies, while the knob OF the whole,
the moral butt-end, so to speak, OF the doom
ment, the "Resolution" itself, is sometimes OF
the most struggling and heterogeneous variety,
az Tor nstance:- ... .. ..-
"Resolved, That we sha long, cherish our recep.
ton by MOhawks No. lher kindness can never
be forgotten. 10 Captain BashaW Tor bOun Itul
supply OF lemonade. de mas our thanks. 70 the
. ladles OF SkOw whegan. The beauutul bouquet which
they presented shall never fade Conductor Brea't-
plate Of The Little Rock Railroad tor his poite at
tentlOn. Also, Tor suDOly on cn iWOef Al the bite
Station, etc etc. 'Whereer we 20, whatever realms
We see, The heart untraVePd still returns to thee
This conglomeration of good feeling. graft.
tude, and sincere although somewhat awkward
poiteness, does no harm IN feetlng advertise
ment; but when we come to the grief OF the CITY
Fathers tor the death OF Lieutenant'General,
recorded on sneep-skin, and sent 70 the family
OF the great deceased, we feel that the clums
ness is likely to be historically dlscredltable,
and to give tuCure antiquarlans low idea OF
our civic Iuncnonaries. Consider, Ior instance,
the Whereas" J" and Resolutions adopted by our
Board of Aldermen on the death OF General
Scott We cite Tor admiration and wonder
Whereas" No. 2;-
"WhertaS, The occasion of This sad although not
unexpected event has plunged our whole country in
mourning the deceased soldier, patriot and states
man was in his lifetime the very personcauon OF a
truly great and goOd man. He was closely identified
| nay almost insepaIably connected-wlth every
| great event, etc"
Now, can anything be worse thanIthis "Oc-
! cason" for occurrence we can pass over; but
will the reader notice the awful hiatus between
whole country in mourning and 'the deceased
! soldierW ltleduces the whole OF that part OF
! the "whereasn to this:-" Whereas, General
Scott Is dead he was great man while living
--and so he was, although this is rather blum
derlng way OF asserting the fact. But mark thai
he was also ''he very personitcaton OF truly
great and good MANI. e., che was the very
personihcat1on OF a nersonl We say, sometimes
that man Is 'he very personihcston OF Nalor