Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-12-23
TO THE public.

III" CndrSeu ny tle PeterSOurg papers
with causing "the late arrangement of the
Northern Mails ;" which they alledge has
failed to reach them regularly for consi-
derable time past. The failure they do
not hesitate to ascribc to the Richmond
Post Office, for reasons which will be ex-
amined, and the g Intelligencer" more than
insinuates, that am governed by the good
OF Richmond alone, and wish to keep back
information from the citizens of Petersburg.
The first enquiry is, to ascertain in what
the arrangement complained of, consists.
and how far the assertions of these Editors
are Supported by facts.
The Petersburg INTEL gencer of the 5th
inst. states, ON the authority, rs it is alledg-
ed, Of MIR. Shore, that "thcre had not been
regular Northern Mail received there
for the last fortnight" and it adds, that
after having waited perhaps three tedious
days, how trying it is to be told there is no
mail north Of Richmond. rs was the case
the "Wednesday before he wrote. THE
Republican Of the 18th, docs not contin-
the irregniarity to the last fortnight, but
the Editor assures his readers, that he
does not " remember the day" when he
had received regular one.
Here, then. are two distinct facts placed
before the public:
1st That for a. fortnight previous to the
5th inst. there had not been regular mail
received at Petersburg from the North.
2dly. That sometimes s' for three tedious
days" this mail had not arrived, which was
particularly the case en- "Wednesday the
29h of November.
To ascertain how far the first assertion
correspondent with the truch, ] sent to Pc
tersburg by a Gentleman of the first res
probability, an account of four of the most
important mails received here from the
North, between the ooh of November and
4th of December, viz - Those from
Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and
New York, noting the dates of the Bills
received, and the time of their arrival in
Richmond; and requesting him to COM
pare this account with Mr.. Shores Books,
and transmit to me the resu t. II very
obigingly did so. and / cannot do better
than to give the public in his own words
the information he obtained, which is sup
ported by the Transcript sent to Peters
burg, and whereon is noted by Mr.. Shore
himself the time of the arrival of the mails
in that place.--This Transcript is left at
the Enquirer Office, and may be seen by
any one disposed to examine it.
The following is an extract from tn
Gentleman's Letter -" l examined the
transcripts, and the most perfect reliance
may be placed on their accuracy.--You
VIII ind that from the Goth of November
mp to the 28th, the Northern Mail was in
due order received and noted at the Office
of Peters5urg.-On the 3Oth, the mail due
from the north of the 9th and 28th from
Washington, and which arrived at Rich
mond on the 2Sth and 29tb, came to hand
at Petersburg. The mail from Washing
ton of the 29th ult. which arrived at Rich
mond on the 30th, did not arrive on the 1st
December, but on the ID December, that
mail and the mail of the 3Oth, regularly
| arrived, which you will find noted in the
| sheet enclosed.-A reference to- that will
explain what have stated, and will fur
| nsh the particulars you required up to the
period of the 5th, which concludes the sheet.
Thus it is established, that from the Goth
| ult. to the 18th inst inclusive, more than
| two mails have never arrived at this Office"
The sheet alluded to, shews, moreover,
| what this gentleman does not state, that
the mail which arrived here OH the
| 1st of December, arrived regularly at Pc
tersburg on the ID.
Thus, it is proved by evidence which
| cannot be contradicted, that the Northern
| Mail, which the Editor asserts had not
arrived regularly in Petersburg for
| fortnight previous to the 5th of December,
~ INV y AiCHuShliJ alIlfCd reg HNUty tlidH
| otherwise-That it had arrived regularly
| days out of 14-That it bad arrived req
| ularly, only two days beforehand that his
| fortnight turns out to be only t7vo davS
What credit, let me ask. ought to be at
! tached to his other statements, when in
| this he has shewn so little accuracyl He
| refers, indeed, to the authority of Mr.
| Shore, but l can scarcely persuade myself.
| that Mr.. Shore could have been so far mis-
| taken about a fact of this nature
The Editor of the " Republican" cannot
on the 18th instant remember the time
when" regular mail had arrived.--Now
| it is true that the account sent to Peters
| burg extended only to the 9TH, because
| had then seen the publication of the 5th,
| and had not seen that Of the 18th.
1t is probable, however, that the mails
| between the 5th and the 18th, arrived a.
bout as regularly as before and If they
| did not, and the last regular mail was on
the I'd Of December, one would think that
the Editors memory might have reached
even TO that day. Indeed the other Pc
ters5urg Editor, who since he had enlarged
two days into fortnight, could not be
susceptible of making the time shorter
than it really was, only asserts on the 18th,
that no regular mail had been received
TOR week ; so, that the Editor Of the Re-
publican, It must be Concluded, cannot 're-
member" any fact thai happened farther
back than a week.
This looseness Of expression in the one
| and inaccurScy OF statement IN the other,
! will serve 70 place their assertions in taei,.