The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-05-08
Puhlic Spirit.

Public Spirit.
London telegram published 10 '"'
p,ner Thursday gave the suos'au.e
.-,,,or;s, &C the London Stdndd'o '"'' we
No, a, all filtteripg to our na'.on"' en-
rrhnrn wss too much truth in it Tor our So'u'
.aa .po cannot treat it with snd'Herenee'
Tho Standard alleges five points against
our i. republican experiment." neither Que
If which we eau htis contraaic'-'"
.. Corruption of public NE, extnc''oa Oh
s.nuhlc spirit, oppression OF the n'nentv'
&. d;se,st Of honorable sssen With psli-
.cs and the transfer Of the Government
6. into the bands Of cerrupt INSCRIPTIONS
u" and ignorant saep>"
We imss;ne that when 40 intelligent and
liberal Amcrican gentleman takes up tnese
Ave no;ots with the view Of answering them
he will feel very much like amiga endea'oi-
ing to find the handle Of sphere. lhere Is
q, nresen, no civilized Government winch
ts more corrupt than ours. This fact VIII De
generally admitted. That 'minoritles nave
been oppressed eutrageousay the last te"
years has furnished the most fearful e&sn.
I,es That the better portion OF the men OF
this country have been supremely disguised
with party politics every man knows, ~n'ie
there has been wonderful deci'ne IN the
virtue and honesty of aaicial character.
What ia most painful! TO reflect on Is the
decline in puulir>spirit which must oe appa'
rent TO all close Observers. AS long as We
haze decided public spirit--a sense OF oe'
yotion to the public welfare that prompts
the citizen to make personal sacrihces OF
means and labors for the general gooc-"e
may know that the,best eXertions ana innu'
ences Of the constituent body will be gwen
10 rrotect the country from abuses OIL all
kinds and to purge he counsels Of bad men,
who seek to avail themselves OF their oppor'
tanities to promote their own personal ad.
vantage to The pusiic injury. Public spirit
Is the nurse of public virtue-the guardian
OF the public honor. IL.
But we behold the existence OF spirit OF
Dartisanry- a. devotion to the personal am b.
ton Of individuals devotion inspired and
stimulated by expectation Of rewards-re.
wards dispensed by victors who DO not hesi'
tate to devote the public means to the COM
pensation of spartisans, and who are un-
scrupulous in appropriating whatever they
can to their individual pecuniary advantage.
There Is no public spirit in this, but there is
that whicbkIls the soul of public spirit. The
State loses the devotion Of the citizen, which
is transferred TO the most sordd objects.
The State, instead OF being idolized, is the OBJ
jcct of prey. The study is not how much
good may be done for it, but how much
money, how many fat jobs, may be gotten
out of it; not how the citizen may best live
for the State ,but how the State may be made
to yield most tor his gains, bis luxurious en-
joyment aBdcrimiDa pleasure.
This public greed, this base partisanry, is
ever cberishipg the schemes for personal &C
QUESTIONS. The State sinks in the view and
the man rises 10 consequence. The follow
ers fight for the spoils ana the victor dis
penses the property of the State TO reward
his seryie supporters. Nothing could more
rapidly and seriously impair public virtue.
Cannot any observing man see cases about
him in which, while men object to appropri-
ations for public good, there is zeal in gig-
ing good fat offices to individuals that is
wonderful. We see enormous salaries voted
to individuals by men who are opposed 70
paying the public obligations and are willing
to see the State disbonored.
The signs Of the decay of public spirit are
too apparent to be denied. Though we may
give partial denial to the assertion of the
London Standard that it is extinct, we cam
not consclentlousiy say that it has not sadly
waned. The true statesman eeunot fail to
regard its present condition With pain and
apprehension. Anything that may be done
to revive it will confer blessing upon this
country that cannot be too highly peized.
In no way else can so much good be done to
commend the "repubican experiment.
which, alas! has too clearly provoked the
criticism of the London Standard