The recorder, or, Lady's and gentleman's miscellany. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1801-1802, 1802-04-24
MR.. SHELTON JONES

WE had got this far, when the Examiner
ct the aft current came TO hand. 1t contains
a violent attack upon one of the Editors of
this paper. Before proceeding TO notice this
piece, it mutt be obieryed that Mr. Meriwether
Jones has been, for ioIne time, at Charlottes-
vile. He has, therefore, no concern whatever
with the contents of the article in qusfion
Had he been in Richmond, his difcrction, his
eandour, and his good ienfe would have pro-
duced iornethi:.g very unlike the performance
before US. We can appeal to every nanwho
reads the Recorder, as witnefs, that il has
never contained one line, which tended to re-
Acct upon the literary character of the Ex-
aminer as newspaper. We are as certain
that this paper never conveyed the remoteh
irfinuatipn of diGeipe61 either for Mr.. Tones,
or any other editor in the city. We have
once an:madvcreed on an article in the V;r-
ginia Gazette. The original author told US
nnafked who had wrote il; and iniled at the
circuinRance of finding chat we were upon
oppofitc fdes. In funner, 1903, when wri-
ting Tor the Examiner, it came in our way TO
/. anlmadvert upon the contents OF the Virginia
Gazette. This was done with ten times
more freedom chan any thing that has occur
red in lait Saturdays Recorder concerning
the Examiner. Yet fueh fparring never in
terupted an intercourfe of civility between
Mr.. Davis and his critic. The Virginia
Gazette reforted thefe attacks; and VIC never
felt one moment OF irritation about the mat
Ter We do not coniider il as perfonal at
front upon any man 10 tell the world that he
IS miitaken, OF even that he writes abfurdly.
1t is irnpoAible 10 get forward in the duties
of an editor, if liberties of this kind are pro-
hibited. Is not every human being in the
ha5it of committing errors! Is not ev cry
man who writes for the. prefs very apt to be
in the wrong And how fhall truth ever be
truck out but by the colliGon OF oppoiine
minds 7 Hir. Meriwether oa.1s has both re-
ceived aiId inflicted a multitude OF centuries
much more levere than that IN lah Saturdays
Recorder when, at the fame time, he never
gave, nor felt the fnsalleft wound, as TO what
are properly called priQate and periSnai con-
Germs. With this previous explanation, we
proceed TO our defence.
In the Recorder oflaf Saturday, there was
inherited an article entitled & The Examiner
" examined" The Examiner of Taft Wed
neiday attacks this piece. T'hofe who vii,
read the two papers, at the fame time, are en-
tirely welcome 10 form an opinion upon the
comparison OF their contents. We do not
think it you'd be difficult 70 prove that the
Writer of laft Wednesday wifhes partly
to rstraes bis feps; but minute difcumon
OF tiIch queition is not worth while
The Examiner is offended with our RiIe.
Here follow fome fpecimens of his own.
e The pen of the far famed Scots Corytlbon-
(" aent.---We this day publih, asfoltfitSd,
6 the letters of Mr.. Rind and Mr.. liher."
We do not believe that Mr.. Rind ever TO-
ficited any editor TO publifh thcie letters. He
had them printed ard dilpcrled at his own ex-
pence. They have fnce been republifhed
in the Virginia Gazette, and the Recorder.
Iheie two papers have between them much
greater circulation in Richmond, and Man
cheiter, collectively, than the Examiner itftlf
kdence the favor comes too late to deferve that
name. We return to the Examiners file. !
] he neutral, and hitherto fneGably cupid
6 paees of the Recorder. ---Perhaps thcfe
-sseather-coek lucubrations bring in federal
@idDfcribers. We believe indeed j9me editors
q mould GNrr LITTLE 6ribf: bot twelve or
fifteen federal iublcrbers, that give federal
" dollars, are not to be defpiGed." rive can
appeal with fafety the candour Of Mr.. Meri-
wether Jones, when he returns to town, whe-
ther the Recorder delerYed fuch afperfions
from the Examiner; and whetherlelf defence
does not COMPEL fome notice of them. & In
mercyto poor icribblers, do not be fuch
g ear1norant ct fame. LET US pluck leaf
" from the brow of the renowned author Of
The Pr9ips7 betore Us. He can well fare
IT." There IS much more Of this COM
modify; but We pats it over.
And now let us ak this writer for what
reaf0n he calls the pieces in the Recorder
f9eGt5er-coeE kcgb1af;OD5 we sail upon