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


These Documents prove generally, that
the Northern Mail failing to arrive in Pc
tersburg on one night, arrives regularly the
next and particularly, that it had arrived
regularly on Tuesday the 2Slh November,
and for a week beforehand that Oh We'd
nesday the 29th, when the Editor ASSERTS
he had waited three tedious days" for
news, he only waited one. He is thus per-
fectly cons slent with himself; out of two
days he makes fortnight, and out of one
day, three.
In another part, indeed, OF the same
| publication, he snlarges the one day to
fonr, because he asserts that the Mer
chants ofPetersburg are left three or four
days behind their more fortunate neigh
bors in the course of correspondence, mere
ly because the POST Master at Richmond
does not choose to sill his fingers with the
mail. should it arrive one second beyond The
bounds prescribed by the law"
These exaggerations remind Us Of Fall
staff s men in Buckram, and deserves the
same reproof which Prince Henry gave to
that unpiincipled wit.
1t is, nevertheless, certain, that about
the latter days of November and for the
first week two in the present month,
some irregularty IN the arrival of the Mail
at Petersburg occurred. The Editor Of
the i" lntelligencer" is pointed to the
fault" by the coasid ration that the Rich.
| mond papers received at Petersburg on the
Thursday morniug, after the unfortunate
Wednesday so often mentioned contained
extracts from the New York papers. that
should have arrived there on that same
Wedne sday, which could not have been
the case, unless those papers reached
Richmond on the Tuesday evening"" Adj
NIT this con fusion, and how is the fault
brought home to me? Is there no possible
case entirely consistent with the one stated
by the " Intelligencer," which would re-
lieve me from every imputaton of negli-
gencee Suppose, as the fact realty was.
that the New York papers which should
have arrived in Petersburg on "Wednesday
morning. did arrive in Richmond
tuesday evening", 6ut after the Petersburg
Mail had started? Would not the Rich
mond papers ofWednesday, reaching Pc
tersouIg the next day, contain extracts
from them! And is this reason for bla-
mirg the Post Master, who has no controul
over the arrival or departure of the Mails
One would think that the Editor, in his
search after the CAUSES of the irregularities
ofthe Mail, might have supposed this to be
a POSSIBLE one, and not jumped so conf
IDENTITY to the conclusion that alone am to
blame.
Ifhe had applied to Mr.. Shore on this
SUBJECT, his mistake, if it was one, wculd
have been corrected; because, by MIR.
Shores Certificate it appears. that he was
fully conscious that "when the Northern
Mail arrives at O'Clock, it cannot be pre-
pared in time for the Southern Stage"
Mr.. Priddy's Certificate places this sub
ject IN still stronger point of view be-
cause he not only speaks of what might, but
what did happen. He says, that to his
knowledge tor month or even longer
covering all the time in dispute there
has not been Diore than q double Mail sent
at any one time to Petersburg; and this
never occurred, only when the late arrival
of the Northern Mail the night before JUS
titled it,
1t also proves, that although the North
ern Mail does not arrive second or more
alter the time prescribed by law, we are
accustomed in this Office to - soil our fing-
ers with it ;" and not only so, but that we
are anxious to get the Stage-Driver 10 car
ny it on to Petersburg.
AS another reason for fixing the blame
here, the Editor of the " Intelligencer"
states that " the papers in Richmond are
| never before those in Petersburg in the
publication OF any news if they do not print
at MIDNIGHT" for, the papers which
arrive at Richmond at o'clock, ought
TO arrive In Petersburg at 2 o'clock the
same evening" The fact as to the neces
sity of this printing at midnight, is Certain
iy not literally correct; because the Rich
mond papers may. * frequently do contain
the news which arrives in Town from the
North at o'clock, by printing between
that time and midnight; but, admitting the
truth of this assertion, and that the Mail
which arrives here at s o'clock. ought to
| arrive in Petersburg at 2-yet, it does not
shew, that there is no other cause why it
! does not, than the negligence of the Post
| Master at Richmond"
The Editor of the Republican" full as
| confident as his Brother I" that the Rich
mond POstOflice is the cause of the failure
| OF the mails" demonstrates it by a differ
| emf argument. 1t is this, and surely such
| an argument never before led to such a
| conclusion. " The \ oYtheyn Papers seldom
or never complainant if they were treat
| ed as we are, they would utter their COM
| plants as loud as we do. Therefore, they
are not so Observation-Disclosures in Rich
mond commences the irregularity." Oh
" lame and impotent conclusion 90 Ii is
neither supported by the terms or the sub
| stance OF the premises-let us endeavOr to
mend the argument--As papers AID letters
from the South pass through Richmond to
! the North as well as from the North to the
| South and, as accord ng to the Editors
| own showing, the silence Of the Northern
! Editors on the subject of tic mail is proof
/ uf mr., iVfa Il r,stfx