The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-15


peauregard and Breckenridge.
II has. become wholly impossible to
credit any Of the news coming to us by
way Of kilograms or correspondence to
northern newspapers, especially when that
news relates to the South, or to any South
ern man. Part Of the regular machinery
for producing political effect at present
seems TO be systematic lying, well follow
cd mn. often reiterated and reproduced in
thousands Of newspapers all over the coun-
try. A Geographic report Of speech said
to have been spoken by General BEAuRE-
GARD at dinner to the congressional ex-
cursionists, lately occasioned some sur
prise throughout the Southern community,
which Justly holds dear the glorious fame
of that great soldier and patriot. Our
readers have seen by the letter of Gene
raj BEAuREGARp, printed yesterday, that
he never uttered such speech at all
and that what he did say in conversation
with those gentlemen was precisely what
every thorough Southerner must heartily
endorse. The General might have known
that, in talking to those people at all, he
was exposing himself to almost certain
Misrepresentation.
The system appears to have for its prin-
cipal object the creation Of distrust amongst
Southerners, by inventing and putting into
the mouths Of eminent and trusted men
language which indicates some base and
traitorous intention on their part-as
commencing the constitutional amend
mont" avowing that the South has "no
rights" and the like. If the person thus
misreprescnted happens to be far OH, so
that some time must clapse before any pos
sible contradiction, the falsehood has all
that time to run, and to do its work of IN
dermiping the trust and faith which we
ought 10 repose in one another. General
BRECKENRIDGE, for example, is now in Eu-
rope-accordingly correspondent OF
Boston paper sends over for publication
the substance Of what purports to have
been said by that gallant general: that
the South was utterly conquered, and had
lost all rights of every kind, and was
bound to accept thankfully whatever the
yictors proposed to her; and in particu-
lar. that he was amazed at the blindness Of
the southern States in refusing the consti-
tutional amendment-in other words, that
he General BRECKINRIDGE), whatever
others might be, is himself perjured trail
tor, and would wish us to vote him q per-
iured traitor, and have done with it. OF
course it was hoped that this infamous
falsehood would be current for awhile
would be believed by some, and would
dispose some weak people at the South to
look more favorably upon measure ap-
proved by so trusted leader.
Pursuant to the same system, we are
New York papers that the Virginia Legis-
lature is about to reconsider their action
upon that tiresome amendment. 1t mat
tiers not to the purpose that there is 10
shadow Of foundation for this piece of news.
1t was to be sent over the country, at any
rate, to be reprinted by southern papers,
and produce in some Of the States an I'M
easy feeling that perhaps, after all, Vir-
ginia was going to abandon the cause of the
South. Thus it would help to educate the
Southern mind up to, or debauch it down
to, the desired point of pronouncing its
own political degradation and moral in
fanny.
The continual stream Of falsehoods, how
ever, tending in that one direction will
shortly be exhausted. We may be said to
be nearly done with that precious "amend-
ment." Then the manufacturers OF news
will shape their kilograms and correspond
ence with q view to some other political
effect, to promote some other of the "great
moral ideas" The essential point is to
know that they will not tell any truth when
it is possible to avoid it.