The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-04-19
ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, APRIL 10, 1905.
HINTS FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL BRETHREN.

HINTS FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL BRETHREN.
The Editor Of the N. England Palladium has
fcarcely expiated by his high eulosiums upon
this paper, the injuitice which he has rendered
to its political fpirit. Was it fair for him to
, repnbHR the eflay on political intolerance, after
he had thorn it of its mott fri.,iug pafIages,
and diluted the whole fprit of the piece Was
it fair for him to republf the ltri6ures of this
paper upon the fyle and temper of Thomas
Paine's letter to MIR. Hubert, without giving at
the fame time our exalted eulogium upon the
merits of that celebrated man. Is it not equal
ly fair for me to conclude, that thefe mutiiated
fragments were merely intended to impress A
belief upon the readers of the Palladium, that
the democratic fpirt of Virginia was already
linking into Plumbers, and that the revolutiona-
ry labours of Mr. Paine were forgotten or I'm
dervalued by his former admirers!
The Editor of the Charlefton Courier, has
furnfhed mott Invaluable recipe to fome of
his Acknowledgements of the prefs, in the art of
competing political efiays.
You are TO .:liume any given theme, for the
fubject of your lucubrations; if you are not in
timate'y verfed in all the local details connect
ed with Your theme, you have the privilege of
whifking over to England or to Pekin; p!ung-
ing down to the centre of the earth, or vauItine
up 70 the fun emitting all the powers of nature,
all the records of hiftory, the abftrufeft difco-
veries ofphilofophy into our fervice no mat
ter how incoherent your illuitrations may ap-
pear, no matter how defultory your fpecuati-
ons. 1t is the attribute of great genius, not
to be bound down by tie ftritt dramatic rules
of time, and place and perfop, and it would
be too plainly acknowledging your want
OF this divine gift, were you TO appear ignorant
of its mott diffinguifhed privilege. Introduce
then as many general obfervations as your me-
n NJ c,in at,O ,
your principal fubjeet amidft thefe incoherent
ePitodes, and you will then Gays the Editor of
the Charelefton Courier) have the licenfe of
writing whole columns, as do, upon fubjecf,
which has not probably fuppled you with ten
original or appetite ideas. You will then roC
fefs the fame talent which has uniformly diain.
suiihed my political lucubrations, of fpnnine
out ten or any number OF effays upon the Pre-,
lident's laft mef1age, without infniing into them
a Jingle trait of energy, appo6tencfs or truth.
Such is the recipe which Mr.. S. Cullen Carpen-
ter has recommended to the ufe of his tvpoera-
phical brethren, and which he 10 well knows
how TO inculcate, by the force of example.
This Mr.. Carpenter is one of thofe emieran,
Editors, who Wifi our country, as If it were on
ly 4" a refting- place for birds of paiIase, and a
banquet for BEATS of prey;" who live in it, with.
| out loving it; who bafk in the bleffings of our
contribution, without feeling for it Jingle fenti-
ment of alteration; who commence their edito-
rial labours, before they have tudied and under
food our political hifory; who write enays
without force who revile or commend without
determination; regardless of the factions which
they may excite, or thefalihoodsthey promulrate
And yet this man is not only the editor of a
very interchangeable and fcurrilous federal print
at Charlefton, but he is to raife himfelf TO the
Office of author of =" Montbiy Regi,1er and Re.
UiezU Of the United States" He is to etabliEb a
literary tribunal, before which all the diftin-
guiihed productions of the country are to re-
ceive their final fentence; he is to afume to
himfeH the ntereitiDg Office of handing down to
our pofterty, the actions and political meaTures
of their fathers, diltorted, & difcoloured bv the
influence of his exotic preiudices.
One ferviCe of inettinabe copfeoueDce there is.
which an impartial, experienced & fenfibIe Ame.
rican might render at this time to his country. II
would be to delineate fuccinf and con1pre.
henfve review of the fpirit of our public Jour
nails. Such talk would be beneficial, and vet
it would be fmpe. A reviewer would have
to examine the different purpofes to which
newspapers might be applied in this country
to determine how far the general tenour of our
papers is conformable to this abftraet aandard :
to defend too particular crticifm upon our
mott diftinguilhed papers and to colet1 cal.
lery of portraits, afIgning to each paper its due
degree and fpecies of excellence. Such re-
view might perhaps difguf, but it would Ger.
tainiy infrud the people