The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-11
Mtt'mond 1ispattIl,
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST IL, 1869.
Imperialism.

ucopiuion thhl iIhpcfihllSht 10 hSNoi iA"'>'
but born. 1t comes unawarcs upon coun-
.ry--comes like thief in the night. We
have also repeatedly said that the people Of
this country must either concede and act
upon the theory that the principles Tor
which the South fought in the late war are
the true principles of our Government or
else sec that Government drift into abso-
lutism. What Mr.. STEPHENS said in re-
cent letter may be found in the files Of this
paper for the year lS6G-namely, that the
issue is now, and has been all along, be-
tween absolutism on the one hand and the
southern theory Of the nature of our form
of government. This is now, as Mr.. STE
rHENs says, "thc chief practical question
" before the people of the several States.
Z" II involves on the one side constitutional
liberty, as established By the fathers !;
"and on the other consolidation, absolu-
tism, and monarchy Of some sort or other
There is no middle ground-no halfway
housc-bctwccn. the alternative Of this
tissue as above stated. Between these the
people must choose. They must take one
cor the other
We do not know that it is even possible
despotism in this country. 1t seems to us
that we already have as imperial govern
ment as any one could wish for. We havea
government which claims and exercises the
power Of governing the people BY military
officers; suspending the right OF trial by
jury and the writ of hdbcdS corpus; i'm
prisoning men at pleasure confscating
property for the offence Of treason, to be
Judged Of by the men holding the Offices
comforting or denying the right Of suffrage
mt viii; expanding the common treasure
for private and personal purposes; using
Government vessels aud the railroads OF
legal corporations as if they were sub
icct to the control Of the President and his
Cabinet and in fact, performing every act
phrases it, "may define a tyrant.' We
do not complain that these things are done
only in the southern States. We do not
pretend to believe that the North has any
advantage over us in this respect. We
know full well that New York is in just the
same bonds that fctter Virginia. The only
difference is that she has not yet attempted
to free herself from them, and therefore
has not yet felt the full weight Of the iron
hand Of Uncle Sam. Her time will come
soon enough. The dogs with which she
hunted us will perhaps devour her in the
end. We say therefore that we do not
know that it is possible to prevent the
establishment of an absolute despotism in
this country, even conccding that this has
not already been done.
The New York Imperiatst is the organ of
those persons who openly advocate "the
empire" and long for the coming Of "the
man on horseback We have thought
that our readers might like to know what
reasons are urged in favor of such q form
Of government; and we have taken up a
copy of the last issue Of that paper to see
The first article is headed "The Lower
Classes" 1t says we are afraid in this
country to speak Of such II population or to
confess it exists but that the fact is TIC
country is utterly at the mercy Of "thc
az lower classes - lower in morals, in
tellect, information, wealth, parcntage,
" worth-lowcr in everything that consti-
tutes manhood-in all this broad land
" but one strong and fearless voice has been
" lifted in earnest protest against such a
d" disgrace and shame to our national honor
" and intelligence. We sec the evil as eve
"rybody else sees il, and we dare to pro-
pose the only efficient remedy, for there
=" ID but one" And that, of course, is an
emperor. Then comes an article showing
that "despotism is "ahead" of us
then selected one containing the following
remarkably strong language:
1" Il is the veriest waste of time, type,
and talent, to talk to the people of the honor
of nation that has transgressed every law
OF God and man, and outraged even the de-
ccncy which obtains with scmi-civilized ma
tons. There may arise n necessity some
day for the substitution of despotic and au-
tocratic government in the place of our pre-
sent form; and it may come sooner than
many think for, owing to the way the Radl-
Gals have thrown open the doors Of citizen
ship to negroes and Chinese; but it Will
arise from no fears of the national honor
being sullied. The hmperialiSt might as
well talk of the honor and virtue of com
mon prostitute, and call upon men to defend
her assailed innocence, as to attempt to get
up any enthusiasm on the subject OF our
national honor. Eight or nine years OF
prostitution, and the practice Of all manner
OF foundations, have left little in the shape
Of national honor 10 contend for"
The danger of Reputation by the voters
of the national debt is urged as reason
why we should have an emperor and who
ever believes in the equality Of mankind is
denounced as one "who can neither fear
"God nor regard man" In reply to a
question, The Impsrialist declares that the
empire is coming, "and that at very
early day" In the true Puritan manner
The ImperiQist announces that it is the
agent of God. GAS His agents, so we labor
ain His cause.-the cause of humanity, and
Gin humble reliance on His guidance, pro-
lection, and aid" 1t declares that ga
Government to permanent, respectable,
land strong, must be placed beyond the
reach of the barbarian mob. Nothing
has or can exist politically that the mob
touches J,.t corruption and lawlessness."
And so on to the end Of the chapter.