The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-05-19

l aO"S Ingenious substitute. nc SSfcuISnt
which he to encounter, was the ordinary
method oFengraving on a plate, which it was
commended might be sufficient to initiate the
| impression ofthese cracks. 1t was thus ne
cessary for him to mention every Fact, which
might show. that these Impressions would
be of so peculiar a kind, that no art could
Initiate them. This then is the real question
between us; and on this question he has adj
vanced only one argument. This argument
forms the Secorf reason, which is introduced
into his letter.
Let us consider then what must he done
by an engraver who prepares an initiative
plate. Must he scoop out so much of his
plate as to make its excavated surface ex-
aody similar in all it's irregularities, to the
assure in the cracked plate This is not ne
ccs5ary to the complete comterfeiting of \
note Il is only necessary that so much of
his plate should be taken off, as that the re-
naming excavation should give an impress
sion upon paper exactly or nearly similar TO
that which the assure of the plate will COM
municate. What kind of impression will
this probably be IF the assure be very small.
the impression which it will make will ne
single; its inner portion will be dark. it's
bounding lines will be exactly accommoda-
ted to the exterior edges of the crack, and
ITS bread n WILDE proportioned to the guam
TRY ofpaper, which may be driven into the
crack by the pressure OF the rollers. II the
assure be large, it may not be completely
filled up witt, the colouring matter Hence
the impression which It makes maybe dou.
Bile; the outer edge of each of them will be
determined oy the outer edges OF the fissure .
and the inner by THAI interior portion Of the
crack, which the pressure OF the rollers NAV
force it to touch. Hence It is only necessary
that a counterfeit engraver should take out
Is much of his plate, as may give an in,pres-
sion similar i'll number and in breadth 10
these assures, and whose edges shall be =
actly accommodated TO the impressinp mart
OF the fssure. l. not his art equal to the al
tainment Of this simple object ? Observe
the immense aid which lie receives in the
execution of this process. He is not rcauir-
ed 10 take the original plate before him and
copy all lis impressing lines upon another
plate ofcopper No.-He is simply required
to take a kind OF transcript of these lines
wbic, 6 .Ireadv ad,o...T '"'eS'
hank more aud 60 +r,. 49,, -
nex, p,a+e. ~ hoe ~
the p,i,ro, ,,s Mn t. %
from, ;,salf lint &C.. avg
h. o., -o.1. - ""ich
-s,n,csas , - "''t'
o,resno,Je,+j;n. -, ~ - ''e
able to SCOOP them orr g, .ohas~s
these accidental fssr,es "
ner as it would no .o,-nI ~
person d" 10 ;yoi,a.e ,,.,., -. '
of paaer :. by 4 knife. scis.ors ~
OTHER instrument This e..
but it does NOT s,nn,r- =.
fst. Because it is NOT necess,r, l.nT,",
ready men,ioned) to imit,te ,hauhoIa 49,,
of the pate, but ONLY tnat norton ofi, 100
makes it's impression upon the rota L.
fore il would not. com soy,,i,,. snsaI;H~
necessary to make ] rent in the second o;ecs
entirely similar to that in the first. .odIv, Be-
cause from the texture, and relative thickness
OF the paper g OF TIE excavationin the plate.
it would be mlacb nsorc diHcultt to make even
'"' part Of the necessary representation upon
P'Pef ''@' the piate-uPon a thin, soft and
IOTtlS substance t,l1n uDOu a tiicLar I,rlo.