The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-24

WEDNESDAY, !. JANUARY a, 1877.
fRor the Dispatch.1
UsurpAsaon and Usnrpers.
40 some o. the politicians Of our time
.eem nnprehensive about usurpation, ty-
sanny, &C., It would not be amiss. perhaps,
"a look Che whole matter sqnarely In the
face, and see IL there Is not bright side ss
well rs bad side to gaze upon. The Babe
Is a book that even deanagogues are ooaaa
sometimes 10 respect, and we are forced 70
conclude that Its wisdom is stu entaefea 20
some weight eYen with American pealti-
c;ans. ThcS chapter OF Eccscsiastes tess us;
q To everything there Is season, Snd
fine 10 every purpose lrader heasen--a
t;rhe ff he born and a time to die, u Tsme 10
pIant and tine to pluck mp that winch IS
nlanted.n IL this is admitted to De srue, OF
course there must be a tine for usarpers,..
/ p. time when the conditions OF poh-
tics and society render It @ese tha'
n de fuoto Government, looking 70
ixapreveneat and the restoratloa OF oIuel'
should he established under the adD OF ne
$3.50, In mace OF that routine Of govern
,ment hitherto exercised, and which has
aood to the people s concerned.
The ~ sk-i du petsSse" that fbe anti-usurp-
ora tlwen most upen Is, GO Our liberties are
In danger" when really thewaaole Union is
rotfine with license, and the most unnataf-
mol. poa;tical determination ever known,
EXCEPT In Hayti Daring the Raench Revoi,t-
ton. In one scnse we haye:Fassed through
the worst period Of guaSi'usurpation; or,
at M events, tlfewaorst forr,, ss experienced
In the negro power under the unconstitu-
tionaI reconstruction acts. But short
time before the last presidential election the
Washington Rergt6iicdn expressed the SEN
timent that 5cfbe sooner the negro vote IS
reduced 70 ,insignifcance tine better for all
concerned.' Iais was Significant. Gene
ral Lon sstreet'S abnegation Of Packard In
favor OF Governor Nichols, and Judge
Mackey's threats to Chamberlain, urging
his resignation. have ut least sunshlnE
look.
The South may safely he said to have
passed through its severest trials. Under
absolutism it may reach higher point OF
prosperity than 1t has ever enjoyed, and for
this simple,reasan that one man would DO
more to propi6ate it for popular power
than many representatives OF hostile see
ton. The-tcsdSd South" wall be worth O
subtle enough 30 scheme successfully for
the rule OF America. Suppose for we are
only supposingl that some ene is chosen
Fice-President by ,the:Senste, and in de-
fault Of any election by the House he holds
on as acting President until "a "so-called !"
presidential elec6isn can be helS. OF course,
he would control the army and navy, and
be in full possession Of public power. If
considered q usnrper it woula be in full
view OF an entirely new phase OF govern
ment fer our co6BSry, and we would be
thrown back upon English law for the ds-
ties OF citizens under such circumstances lat
least so far as those are concerned who have
taken the oath OF allegiance to the Govern
ment OF the United States(. Sir Matthew
hale, in his Pleas Of the Grown. l., go,
states th.t " subjects are bound to yield
obedience even to usurper, as long as he
is in full possession OF public power, and
are equally guilty Of high treason In form
ing conspiracies against such usurper as
against the lawful authority" See Black
stone CONFIRMING. l., $40, and iy., II. Even
the ancieIts distinguished between tyrds-
MS s1ercitio and tyrdnntS abSque titulo Tor
usrrpation). The southern people have
suffered terribly from the former, but even
their expressions may have prepared the
public mind for their speedy relief under
the latter, and the really imperial-not pre-
sidential-paw may be placed somewhere
else in the new moves Of the political chess.
board in order to eQaalaze-the love OF
equality being the rage now.
"When the Patricians lost their power
Rome went to pieces; then came the fury
of. Marius and Sylla and the prescriptions
of the emperors," was the remark OF Napo-
leon in referring to the necessity for the
"Legion of Honor 1t may be said
with as much truth that when the
shareholders lost their power in the
councils of the United States the
Government OF the United States went
to hell, morally; and the great trouble now
is "to ensure domestic tranquility and pro-
mote the general welfare" at the same time.
This cannot be done without reducing the
votes Of tramps and negroes to insigniti-
canoe and with other relefs) the restora-
ton of the income tax, which would ad-
vance the price of our unstable lands and.
enable many OF our southern people to
prosper and iii they like change their pur-
suits. It is under usurpers that such
changes are often brought about more
promptly than through the means OF I'M
awed Representative bodies, given up to
sectional bate and partisan bitterness. The
amis experienced great relief when the
usurper Pisistratus, whilst respecting the
laws of Salon, required all citizens to con-
tribute in proportion to their incomes to the
support of the Government and they
shared the blessings OF the most splendid
monarchy that the Athenians ever enjoyed.
The rebels Of La Yendee were rehabilitated
in similar way by Napoleon l., and even
under t'the curse of Cromwell" the COM
merce OF Great Britain received q great i'm
Detus, and the trade Of Ireland frightened
under the care OF the Protector. No SEN
sible man doubts that il Iturbide and Maxi
milan had heen "kings Of men," and had
either been able to firmly establish imperial
ism in Mexico, it would have been far bet
ter for the Mexican people. They both
lacked generalship. The question whether
the South shall Improve under centraliza-
ton and imperialism, or continue in state
OF decay for the benefit OF northerR politi-
clans and candidates for the presidency,
may be presented sooner than many eX-
pect; but even the sun does not burst upon
us instantly, :. JASPER.
A SeafhtnH Letter.
Tn HE Editors of the DISPATCH: