The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-20
SS e sSITTIl M,a Us a.~-,a@
,r,>y OCTOBER 20, lN'0
,n;,itarr Government.

Work II GRID says it has de
,ns,ratcd the illcgality OF using bayonce
w. .,v nurposc but to serve judicial pro-
cess that is resisted" let baFohe's WIN ~
eunIoycd to overawc your naturallZco
voters on the Sth of November. This is the
,ro,, for which YOU started when YOU began
an uni,,N war upon the South. The trsl't
Won eat is Of the tree you planted 1t is
mot without tincturc Of satisfaction that
MO road such captions us the following over
articles in our northern exchanges "Bay"-
nnts and Ballots Federal Troops Conccr-
.,atjnr In and Around the City; MarSilai
Su,srr Preparing for the Enforcement
Ar. We Of tho South have hitherto en-
,ovcd a monopoly Of these good things.
We would fain sec our northern brethren
narticjpate in our pleasures. Gen. GRANT,
,srhaps, is acting upon the idea suggested
!, his inaugural address, that the best way
Ia get rid of an odious law is to execute II
faithfully. At any rate. the northern pco-
nIc will now have occasion TO reflect upon
ihc condition into which, in their insane
devotion 10 an idea, they have hToughl
what was once 4 free country. We
do not know that free Government
is possible in this or any other country.
We do know that it is possible only where
the size of the state and the number OF pco-
plc are such aS to allow Of a healthy publlc
opinion strong enough to control the acts
az officials. These two we had in this
count ~ up TO 1850, and might have con-
tinucd to possess if the sovereignty "t the
States had been respected by the Northern
neoplc, or, which is the same thing, the
Federal Government. But to attempt to
have a free Government with the law
making power 1T WaShington-that Is, the
power to make such laws rs it belongs only
70 the States TO make-is an abSurdity.
Each member Of the House Of Representa-
tives represents more than 4 hundred thou
sand persons, and neither knows nor cares
who are bis constituents. nor what is their
will, 50 long Is the wire-workers keep him
in office. The President is so bcsct by
thousands of visitors. each trying To curry
favor with him, that he makes his own
public opinion. All the opinions he hears
expressed are merely his own repeated
back TO him by place hunters. He has no
time for reflection, and none for study.
He cannot allow five minutes to each caller
and men who are likely to be plain-Spokcn
or diSagrecahle are not admitted into his
Excellency's presence at all. 80 * to the
heads Of Departments. Their presence Is
sought daily by hundreds lis if they had
been born in the purple. They cannot but
grow arrogant. and dc>piSe the masses.
Free government cannot coeXiSt along with !
this state Of things. The several States |
should make almost all laws affecting indi- |
yidualS, and be controlled by the public |
voice and the popular will. The Federal
should be confined to the du- |
tics imposed upon it 10y the Constitution OF
our fathers. 1t cannot safely he permitted
to exercise such powers rs it has exercised
for the last ten years. "A frequent rccnr- |
renee to first principles" is said 10 he |
wholesome exercise for the minds oi states |
men. We would like 10 hope that the pre-
sence of armed men at the votin" places in |
New York and Philadelphia will cali>c the |
minds Of the statesmen ui the North 10 III |
tulgc in this wholesome exercise.