The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-22
The Equation Stated.

All history may be traced, indeed, can only
be traced by study of the moral and. intel
lectual forces at work in any given era The
thoughts and feelings, the sentiments and
opinions of men, are the powers which shape
the destinies of Empires and Republics, and
he,who by his sagacous generalization can ar
rive at these, stands ready to predict the course
which the current of events will take, and to
foretell the future. Ia the old world and gen
orally under menarchical forms of govern
ment, it is difficult task to learn what the
masses of men really think and really feel
from the simple fact, that "free speech" is
there restricted and men are more habitualy
reticent in expressing their opinions on pub
lie affairs. Hence we find, that one of
the functions of the French police, for exam
pie, is to keep the Imperial government in
formed of the real sentiments and opinions of
thatmercurial people; and the same duty is dis
charged by the secret service bureaux of the
rest of continental Europe. 1t is this want of
Information which it is the function of these
agencies to supply, that explains the surpri
SOS which sometimes overtake cabinets and
astound kings In this country however, we
have a freedom of public utterance on the
part of the press, the people, and popular
orators, which, with the addition of frequent
ly recurring elections, leaves us very little
information to desire as to what the masses
think and feel. Here the problems in our
history are stated with cearness of enunci-
alton which render the prediction of the future
comparatively easy; here "coming events cast
their shadows before" in such clearly defined
masses of shade as to require no seer to fore
tell the American Lochiel what fate has in
store for him, either of good or evil. AT the
present moment we have conspicuous illus-s
tration of the soundness of these principles
Two great parties, animated by different pur-
poses, and stimulated by different passions,
are arrayed against each other On the one
hand we behold powerful organization NOV
ing in obedience to the infammatory appeals
of men whose utterances sound like awk-
ward TRANSACTIONS of the wild defamation of
the French Assembly. These red cap philos-
ophers cry out against all that is venerable or
conservative in our institutions, and endcavor
to substitute the tyrannical will of the major
lty for the solemn covenants of a written con-
stitution. They are at once intolerant, re-
morseless and aggressive. In opposition to
this revolutionary party, we see the conserva-
tive masses of the North presenting front of
manly opposition In the ranks of the sup
porters of Mr.. johnson, are found the
wisest, the best and the bravest men of the
North and South They cry out against fur
Their efiusion of blood; they demand the con-
servation Of peace, and the development of
the material resources Of the country, and bar
the path Of the enemies of law and order with
resolute front. In this aspect of affairs two
questions of the most vital importance arise:
LIST Can the Conservative party gain
strength enough in the elections of this fall
to check the Radicals in Congress, either by
destroying or materially reducing their large
majority and I'd: If they fail to do this will
Mr.. johnson acquiesce in their arbitrary decree
and allow himself to find the termination of
his grand career in an ignominious expulsion
from Office?
Upon the solution of these two questions
depends the future destiny of this country
These complete statement Of the prodigious
Equation set by Fate for this republic to work
out, and a few months more will give us the
result.
No language can adequately describe its
vastness.
Grape Culture in North Carolina.
Mr.. Butner informs us that, besides the white