The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-12-31
EAQUIRER-OFFICE,
RICHMOND. [VA.] DECEMBER 81, 1914
Mr.. RANDoLPH'S LETTER.

1t is from no idle ambition of proving orr
selves SUPERIOR to MIR. Randolphs attack up
on the Presses of Virginia, that we lay MS
letter before the public So far as zye can
come in for any p art of his censure, we pass
it by like. the idle wind which we regard not.
Who cares for CensuIes which is eiS en- with
cut Discrimination He must be weak in
deed who regards the opinion of a man, who
can scatter his venom around Aim without
measure or distinction Is it a DISGRACE to be
abused by gentleman, who literally abuses
his own understanding ifs it a dishonor to
provoke the spleen OF a man, who has so lit
tie justice i'll his resentmentS rs to bind even
Jefferson and Madison to the block?
But Mr.. x. does not state the fact---He
knows that there is no virtual :" tp,trir7atuT''
upon the press of Xirginia-and that there
are few Editors at least, who would be proud
to associate their labours with his. Whv
should he travel all the way to PhiladelDh,a
ia search OF federal Printer, when there IS
more than one of this description in our State,
who would be pleased to pour his virulent eff
customs upon the PUBLIC ear ??
If there are other presses that treat him
with GOODNESS, whose fault is it II there be
papers, cl sed against the illusions of pre-
JUDGE or spleen, is that orr fault or his !? If
there are presses who will lrst "sufcs him to
Ind tiaIIattres for the conduct of the enemy"
or tear in pieces the character of men to
whom our State and our Country owe honor
---gnen who will go down to our children,
with an ages thanks upon them, while he has
scarce left one work behind him, to mark his
grave, whose fault is it--ourS or his !? Ifqye
still so much respect the hand that inscribed
the Declaration OF Independence, and the
hand that LAID the corner stone of our Consti-
tition, as to shield Them from madman's at
tack, is it for him to raise the yeip of oensure
and complaint Let Mr.. r. but Cleanse his
temper, If he can :---let him purge his heart
oi the vanity which eats it up let hun but
do some sort ofJustice even to a political en-
e:ny Jet him possess but half Of the patri-
otism which he processes and an ,nattr1na
t'g Will no longer be refused to his pro-
auctions. Until then, he msy take his annu-
al pilgrimage TO the North. & put up his cur
scs AT other mems shrines.
Far be it from us, however to refuse our
readers now and then, a sight Of his curious
0n1,osifions--Composition they are, to the
very letter-the strangcst comhound of affect
Cd argument and personal abuse, that ever
flowed from the lips OF nlan-It is then To
grGffy the curiosity of those who seek after
nov things, after every strange sight
ar rsre 6easf thar comes TO our to1vn, that
we now bring MIR. Randolph before the pub
lie. To say that this iottcr is a new and e1-
kraOTdin0Ty cOWho8ifio7i, is unnecessary for
every thing which comes from SO ertraordin-
airy Gentleman must be out Of the usual
track OF things. He has so great an itch to be
angular, q misunderstanding is 50 complete
ly bewltched by his passions, that it would
be wonderful fine were to enjoy iunalic
internal for more than one moment
The child just born docs not yield to any
oil the many ricketty ones which went before
r--Strange composition Of good and vi, of
sense and passion, of manly advice, & of con
temptible vanity which would disgrace a
child To gtUe the DeUH his due, as the
good old proverb tells us, we see some truths
scattered here and there; some few illusions
OF mpessioned eioquence but they are like
the green spots of the sandy Desert. They
please the eye and open the heart. only to
sicken as the NOR with the hot and barren
expanse which rcigns around them.
~ l. IN the eulog:un, which he prcnounces
upon me character If Vfrgt,ija, our heart goes
with niia- IL IS mr. own, our native Stat,-
AMI much as she has been abused by the jan