The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-10
sincerity and Patriotism Make Har-
- nOny.

S,ncarity and Patriotism Make Har-
mony.
That sincerity and patriotism lead to har.
mony In The public councils Is . truth that
cannot be denied. Sincerity united with
patriotism is unimaginable without bon.
esty. No man who Is sincere aud devoted
20 the public welfare can be dishonest. NO
such man in the Virginia Legislature can
proceed to consider the public welfare WIN
selfish or sinister motive. He must aus
card all considerations save the puehc
rood-he must put the State above all
earthly things.
five NAV suppose the members OF the
General Assembly, acting with motives
such as these, we cannot for a moment fear
that there will be trouble for>the want OF
harmony or honesty. While the controlling
poser OF the government shall be with the
men OF integrity there will be order and
prosperity, and the people will enjoy that
pride and serenity which can exist only
where the public reputation is maintained
by the fidelity and honesty Of the makers
and executors OF the law.
The present Legislature Of Virginia is
one OF the most remarkable that ever as
semblcd in the Capitol-elected under the
most singular circumstances and under I'M
fortunate eXcitements. The embarrassments
of the State afforded the opportunity for
raising questions with regard to the burthens
OF the people; and whenever these can be
presented the temptation thrown in the
way OF aspirants to donors and emolu-
ments is irresistible. The popular side
is generally that which holds out hopes
Of relief in repudiating burthens and
obligations instead OF honestly meet
ing them. The influence upon the judg-
ment, in any attempt to devise way
to avoid an obligation without honestly
discharging it, is in the moral world most
lamentable, and with the adiuncts Of stay
and bankrupt-laws, to assist in blasting the
public mind, the influence has been strong.
II has sapped and undermined the conscien-
tious sense OF propriety and right and made
men Of known probity and reliability trick
sters, dissimulators, ingenious trainers Of
ton. Men who had been honored for
trankness have been thus sometimes changed
into trimners and time-seryers.
1t is too plain for denial that number Of
such persons, under the eSigencies of the pre-
sent period, have been brought to the sur
face Of public affairs. But we are not ap-
prehensiye that they will reach controlling
position in the Virginia government. There
are insuperable difficulties in their way.
Two departments Of the State government
are unassailable. But we fall back upon
the Legislature itself, and avow in it an
abiding faith.
In all the excited discussions Of the past
canvass we do not remember that any man
had the efrontervt to espouse open repudia-
ton. There was no definite statement OF poll
cies.. The views were rs variable rs the colors
OF the rainbow and just as Intangible. I'm
der the. general declaration Of willingness
to s..reSdjust the debt :" We infer that it was
meant that such adjustment shall be such
as while it shall beb enefcial to the State, it
shall preserve the honor OF the Common
wealth and the rights OF the public creditor.
This is Mr.. BoCocK's adjustment, and We
beg to ask who is it in the Legislature OF
Virginia who would be willing to see the
sstraditional fame" of Virginia furnished
Could one who could not bear to gaze upon
her stained escntcheon himself blear it with
a brush held in his matricidal hand?.
Talk-run-mad rhetoric-is one thing:
action is another. The members Of the
Legislature all have to act-to vote. They
must settle questions with their. best judy
ments and must then cote upon them. They
must, after deliberate reflection after, it
may be, conference with the bondhold-
-ers-after looking upon the grand State they
represent, with her resources, with the ma
ferial increase OF these resources under new
measures OF taxation and the retrench-
ment OF public expenditures after
all this, and after patient consideration of
the public obligations, the insuperable diff
culties OF avoiding them, and the over
whelmipg reasons which show them to be
morally and politically unavoidable: we
say that after all this'they must, upon their
responsibility as public representatives,
give their votes-take their respective parts
In deciding Virginia's position before the
world :: Whether she shall stand forth with
animpaired integrity and honor, or whether
she shall appear as dishonored and discred-
tied, denuded OF that glorious panoply
which has from the foundation Of the COM
monwealth been the light and love OF her
children and her shield impepetrable to the
shafts Of detraction and envy.
The time for action is the purgatorial Pc
riod, and then the conscientious and pa
triotic representative will be very careful
what he does. We have no apprehension
that when that period comes the Legislature
OF Virginia win compromise her. It will
be well for the legislator and well for the
public IL at that time party feeling is sub
dued and all minds are left free to their
calm judgments. The rising young public
men should be particularly careful
how they make their records. A
mistake upon the very important questions
they will have to decide may settle their
fate and leave to their future lives regrets
that they may never shake of. TO us who
have never been partisan, and never, as
we believe, can be, it is matter Of deep
interest how these young fellow-citizens Of
ours shall take care Of their regulations.
They are to participate in the direction Of
public affairs. They are to assist in
A.