The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-18
The After Piece.

The evenings entertainment of I theatre OF
these DAYS consists often of tragedy and farce"
Always when the tragedy is put on the man
ayers bill OF fare. the farce follows as mat
ter OF course. Indeed, it seems 10 be part of
the order of Providence that something in the
way of relief. either in merriment or rerosc,
should follow great anxiety and great events,
which try the souls and exhaust the energies
of mankind The soldier is carried TO his
grave 10 the music of the solemn dirge, and
his comrades return TO the gay quickstep-
sometimes yankee Doodle " itself.
We suppose il is upon the principle of this
humane provision of IN all-wise Creator that
we are now spectators of some proceedings OF
those in authority which are almost ineNplica-
bic upon any other plan of solution. The
South has just played the tragedy throush-it
was the hero AS great tragedians often do,
il has taken = seat in the boxes TO observe how
the comedians get along with the farce, TIL"
capitol of the nation is the theatre, and the
congressman are the comedianS-high and
low: very low. There they play the extrava-
CANT conceptions of the playwrights STEVENS
and SUMNER, and, like the Chinese plays, they
are continued from day to day and for months
SUMNER plays BOTTOM ,cih the ASS Hod,
worshipped by the black TIrANIA, and he So
Hci,s Master PEAS LossoM-a hybrid, born of
Mrs. SQUASH" sired by "PEAscoD to
scratch his wkilom sore head, which now be-
ginneth TO itch. Poor SUMNER, he will never
be disenchanted in this world.
STEVENS is the CALIBAS Of the House. 1t is
his lot TO trudge through the scenes with the
dirty linen for the laundry. and bear labori-
ously upon his back the fuel that feeds the
flames that does the heating and the cooking
of the monstrous dishes for those who play the
one-eyed and other monsters Of the drama.
He is given 10 bowling with pain; he is afillct-
ed in his rolling mills and water wheels, and
is addicted TO awful imprecations and threats.
that excite no little merriment "down be-
low
WADE is the Lion of the Senate, who is no
lion Half his face is seen through the lion :
neck, and his name is named always when he
gets up, lest the ladies be affrighted. He is
only Senator WADE--a clustering WADE.
The supple editor of the New York Times is
s'SNUG the joiner" rs MoonShine. He comes
in with n bush of thornS and lanthorn-ra-
Their dark, with two lights in it,-and he
comes TO "disfigure or to present (both sides
of the person of Moonshine."
Ii is needless 10 run through the catalogue
of the principal players for there are many
Of them, and all are doing their best for the
good effect of the play, which is 4 "most Ia
inevitable comedy"
The distinguished spectator of the occasion
scarcely knows what the very singular exhibit
ton means, and what sort of termination to
anticipate. Yet that it is farce, and all who
are engaged in it. merely comedians, is very
plain. Occasionally the course of The action
looks little tragic but the spectator is soon
relieved for he finds that the tragic mask con-
ceals harlequin, and nobody else.
So this farce proceeds, and the South has
learned to regard it with little interest and
less apprehension.
Really the proceedings of Congress, which
have been devoid Of all dignity from the be-
ginning, have become SO extrayagant as 10 be
utterly harmless, save to the dominant party
of that body and the Northern people. The
extremity TO which they are hurried by their
fanaticism and their desire to retain their
power through the agitation of the sectional
prejudices of the times, but heap up wrath
against the day of wrath for themselves.
Their measures are really impracticable. Can
a law against the unanimous temper and feel
ing of people be enforced? Look at the Civil
Rights law. Is that measure that people are
likely to submit to?
Let the Congress go on. 1t may be all the
better that they are violent in speech and OPP
pressive in their measures. The sooner will
the people rise and put them out of power.
The Civil Rights law will arouse wide spread
indignation in the North especially. They are
far more illiberal to the negro there than we
are here. We have given him far more privi-
leges here than they have ever given to him in
the North. The rigid enforcement of the law
among Northern men will probably raise a
storm there that may sweep the Radicals as
with a whirlwind from power.
Long ago, the cry in the North among those
who had the power was this is a white
mans government" 1t was a sentiment
deeply engraven upon the minds of the Fede.
raj soldiers during the war; and when the
Congress commands each soldier to associate
with the negro under pain of Il fine of one
thousand dollars, he will not very readily SUBJ
nit This bill is one Of the cancers which have
been developed by radicalism in It's depraved
condition. They are of the nature Of the off
spring Of sin, and will prey upon the yitals
that gave IL birth, and ultimately destroy
them. Thus, by its own violence, is radicalism
10 IND the termination of it's existence. 1t 80
mars ats own work that it reduces all its deeds
10 disgusting absurdity
Inc oouth has learned calmly to look at the
farce.