The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-21
MIR. Tucker and the Centennial.

10 such real advantage as inc e&penult use Va
SO iauch talent should bring with it. 1t is
inspiring to the hearts Of the Older people
that live to hear now and then the keen
tones Of the trumpet Of the " defenders OF
the Constitution" We hail them in the
breeze with true delight; but In these times
they only make the air musical, and call oacK
the dear memories Of other days. Yet, MF.
TICKER is no old man, and with the Lesson
he has learned, and the harsh experiences be
Las had, he has had quite enough to snow tne
unavoidable nature of expatating in this day
atout district construction and endeavor-
irc 10 call back the public mind to the prin-
c!pyS and p3licy of the fathers-principles
80 po!icies that put restraint upon power,
r,...sacd simplicity and virtue, and main.
a..Lld q rigid economy. Gentle, and good,
:: d cure, while they lasted; but now these
3I.aciples and policies are not respected, for
tn very reason that they did 1ot perm
vha, the nation is determined to have. The
restriction being broken, the public or no.
t;onal will is become the guide and not the
principles Of our fathers.
Our Young friend from Rockbrdgc comes
somewhat out of his time; for the .'rcal
old" representatives OF the fathers nearly
all left the stage too long ago, and we had
supposed that except Mr.. BAYARD and one
or two others older than Mr.. TUCKER there
were none that would seriously hope to CT
feet any serious resistance to extravaganza
and Iatitudinarianism By "strict eonstruc-
ton" at this day.
We do trust that our friend Mr.. TUCKER
will get q great deal Of fame out Of bis
speech, for that will probably be all. La
deed "strict construction" has bceD, we
rather think, pressed to good degree be.
yond the point where our people might have
naused under a sense Of having fully per-
formed their duty to our ancestors. We
failed in our defence Of the "rcmains" OF
real republicanism, being held in part
nership of States in which cur resistance
was whitfield down to the feeble force that
could alone reject any share for ourselves oil
the common fund that was divided amongst
others. This was only increasing the shares
of others, while the principles of the fathers
were for oil practical consideration dead.
We rejected our food, and the fat members
Of the family ate it all-nothing more.
What doth it profit US: We could, circum
stanced as we were, hope for no better scntl-
ment than sympathy, and even what there
was of that has proceeded from pity to ridi.
cule.
And now what are we to do about it? We
do like to hear little old-lashioned talk now
and then, but that can no more improve our
physical and social condition than could the
performance of BEEruoyES's Prometheus "
build railroad. Times and politics are
changed. We know that principles never
change; but politicians have deluded the
nation into a sort of mOckery OF principles
which have answered their tricks well. So
it is, we are unable to change things. The
nation has passed through the series Of strata
in the progress Of government, and there is
no returning backward through them.
The country is as naturally going through
political changes as have all countries gone be-
fore us. Indeed, they don't all grow alike
they d. Her from one another; but all lands
lave their different phases OF power-the
power Of the neighborhoods and the local.
ties, and the centralized power Of the en-
bodied ma. os, after which comes the power
iuperia.-aud all have their various pecu-
liarities. In this manner has the country
passed through good degree of change.
The sge Of "strict construction" has drifted
by. 1t is no more possible to restrain cen.
.tealizaticn nor TO chain the national will
down 10 the Constitution than it would be
to ga'her up the rocks and scoriae that have
been b"Iched up from the volcano and put
than back INTO the bowels Of the earth whence
they came.
We repeat we hope that Mr. TCcKER's fame
will be eLduying. But certainly the Centen-
NAL speech will confer upon the South no
positive good. 1t will not throw q bit OF
gos>amer 10 shield the Constitution nor help
the South in any way to solid good. Things
will 90 on in the way they are going. What
if Congress will not vote money to the Gen.
tenrial, will any "slrict coHstructlonlst ="
fancy for that that "stric. construction - tri'
umph>: That would be as great deluslon
a,tta. Of The ostrich, which fancies its body
i, hidden when only its head is covered up.
And let us say, from the bottom OF our heart
taa. we prefer Infinitely to see the national
authority stretched to vote money for the
cause of peace and harmony to seeing it
appropriated to promote discord and to pun
ISL and Cypress the people. MORTON, who
scorns the withes with which MIR. TUCKER
desires to bind him, opposes the Centennial,
along with Mr.. TUCKER, but he would take
the very money he refuses to vote to the Ger
tennial and appropriate it to the persecution
and degradation of Mr.. fuckers fellow.citi.
zens !!
We move. Things are going on. No
thing can stop them. The policy of all men
who exert influence in the land should be to
p omote peace, and prosperity as well
There Is no earthly way to prevent centrali.
zatiop, and the wisest way is to unite all in
the best means for promoting the general
good and repe ling all things that tend to
discord and alienation of communities. Let
order, equality, wisdom, and national hsr-
mony prevail! There is no other ground
for hope for peace and contentment for the
great Republic in the interval between now
and that next stage Of imperialism, which it
would seem TO rejecting persons is as sure
to follow as that night follows day.