Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-15

bs Tue his office on him And it be the
yery first act of this Legislature, to give Some colour 10
this accusa,on-to place IN ihe hanus OF .s
nm office the duties Of which lie is not expected TO per-
form, Will they give him this very advantage which
he has discaimedand affirm the truth of those mputn-
,ions which, had higher course been taken would have
passed for the aspersons of enmity The ebuilons OF
| i'll nature'
The Press, we know, exercises commanding influ
ence the opinions and movements OF the people,
and the deslines of the State: And nothing can pro-
Guce fatal effect upon institutions IMAM "
bring upon that powerful instrument the ln>put"'i"
being the mere agent of party, under the slI'eI
pay, the prospect of reward-a mere poll'ic |
which throws out opinions to serve 'c"'PoI"'. ,r
Nothing is more to be avoided, by every means III o
power. than such perveEson Of ue Pfrss: Il" 49,, Cav
40 longer operate for the public dement, ptt mr. ~.
the benefit of the person VINO 'Ssey ,iI; mind While
as the disnteresed instructor OF the Pnhilc h'lhu:
his actions are dictated solely by mercenary coHs'oei
tons. -, ,c, &c r-o,.
no - scn, rate q, all times, the public press from
the sinister iupuation of vena and Ecrcchary views
Is the public confidence TO be attracted 10 '!,e
of press by making it vcnai, by making 1t t'e'tc!
Give the offices which you have to oest1w' 10 u,
r. vnu viii hnt keep the sources Of pubic lnoraon
and instruction clear from the danger OF this corruption
LET The pnblc moui,orsor such they ought to be-De
placed beyond repoac Oh OBJ Inc pF the nominee ofhc
gentleman from Prince George, whether Gs mere point
Of policy thev should aaord ground 1or Deilel III M
truth of the accusaon that the efforts OF tier 1a'o'
! organ merely tlc HltiSSA"it oSt''NN'
The Gentleman whom Mr. S. had nominated, had given
to the public printing, by thu faithful manner IN ws m
had performed the duties, the very characlef f lie
gentleman from Prince George claims in favor OF MS
nominee Mr. Shepherd having in fact PcFiottneu Tue
duties that praise then, ought TO he bestowed on t
and not on the other candidate. his qacsllch' "he,,
The Office should be bestowed on the man " TO nctu'S
performed its duties had not lis origin IN inc
which now existed in political parties "nen MT, -
was first offered to the House Candidate lie was M
L. I,o SI1Sf
PRINCIPLES of right and proprety, by some OF ihc mos.
faithful adhercn,s of the former incumbent flehce, II
was evident, that it was not party question % .h
rs an original question, could or did C"uDt Tue
,,oDrietv of comforting the Office on Mr. Shepleru ana
that was prevented from being the result, only 0y inc
| supposon that il might be considered Stigma cast
! ON the former incumbent. Such was the grouna
m which this question was considered before the pre-
sent incumbent elccted-simply the ground OF lit
ness for the Office and capacity to perform the duties
But even if he then advocated political grounds,
the House is called upon to fill this office unbiased
BY such considcrations-he only considerations winch
should be regarded those which belong to the ela
tive fitness OF the two individuals, and the alive JUS
tice and propety of placing in the Office an Individual
whose education has fitted him for The performance Of Its
dnes or who is not-and who therefore must hold
The situation to great extent as Il sinccure.
MIR. StaGard had endeavorcd to enforce the desirable
ness of separating the press. the channel Of sound
and wholesome information to the public, as far pos
sibe from the temptations Of Office, which have direct
tendency 10 make it, longer the faithful instrument OF
public instruction, D0l the swiss OF OOAiDn
for reward.-Tbcre was one other view in conncxon
with this which he would lludc. In like this,
when the services of political incumbent were of far
higher Importance TO the party than the duties oh Office
they would probably bias the opinions Of the Legisa
ture as the manner in which those duties per
formed and their clumsy unskilful performance
to be overlooked. No partizan would be disposed to
scrunize with severity, or even to form very correct
opinion, whether the duties of the Office had been per-
formed faithfully not by the hvorite organ Of his
party.
Mr.. BROWN merely rose TO explain the vote which
he should give. When he had formerly been a member
of this House, the Editor of the Enquirer was and had
been for years, the Public Printer lie was at each
session brought forward and Mr. B. voted for hIuThc
work had been we'll done, and he knew of Of
dissatisfaction with the then ncumbent.-Two years
since another candidate, Mr. Shepherd was presented
the House candidate and it then stated that,
although the Editor Of the Enquirer had held the Office of
Public Printer the work had Tor many years been done
by the hands Of Mr. Shepherd and under his direct if
not entire superincndancc-nut only The printing, but
the reading Of proof sheets, revising, &c. 1t then
ed tsMr. that if Mr. s. elected, the House would
be that the work would lie well done; for the same
and fidelity which had excited the appreciation Of the
House when MIR. S. acting subordinate part might
! be expected from him when acting for himself. But
there was with Mr. B. greater consideration Tor favor
ing the claim Of Mr. S. 1t offered opportunity for
effectne Oh object which had always appeared to him Of
high separation ofthe press from public
offices. 1t presented an opportunity Of giving al Office
requiring merely the labor CT an insllgen: printer, TO
practical priner-a who understood and performed
the duties oil the Office. On the side gentle
man wto the Editor Of highly influential political
newspaper, and vino knew nothing practically Of the du
ties Of the oilce-on the other printer, iype-srtter
who for wears had pacsed the trade and who possessed
skill and experience Mr. B. could not but perceive that
it was favorable occasion for separating the patronage
Of government and the press.
The political agtations of few years previous arc
well recoected At the time when the Jackson party
was struggling for the ascendancy-lhc party TO which
Mr.. B. then acknowledgement complaints were made that
the party in power was supported by pcnsioned and
hireing press. We, said Mr. b., then complained that
such the case, and thought with coed reason-
That party finally successful; General Jackson
elected to the Presidency; and among his rst acts
the bestowal Of offices the Editors of newspapers who
had espoused his These received
with great dlscontcntby many of his friends ami ii Mir
BE recollection correct the Editor of the Enquirer
expressed his dissatisfaction at those appointments,
departure from the principles by which the party had
been governed. MIR. Brown had changed his OPT
nion that The press should be kept apart ifrn govern
nent patronage. and when MIR. Shepherd nominated
for the Office OF Pnul!c Printer--that considerations
blended with others, had its effect his mind He
thought highly proper that the House should elect the
nun who did the work, and not unacquained
with it, who would employ printer and delegate the
duty 10 subordinate. On these grounds MIR. Brown
voted two years ago for Mr. Shepherd. lie failed
that occasion-and again nominated last year, when
Mr.. B. again roled for nI-and he succeeded Mr. b.
said, there many gentlemen here who had the
public printing for s"nc years past-and it well
known that there was no falling off in the in
which 1t was performed during the last year Indeed,
it said by soe that ii had been better done during
thnt pcriodand perhaps the was, that Mr. Shop
herd was the printer in his own name Mr. b. had lrc.
tqueny been old that there not better printer
than Samuel Shepherd in the Union. But aside from
the business qualifications of Mr. S, there much to
entitle him to favor in his character and conduct as
man. Does any one know Samuel Shepherd; Has he
made hmselfknown to The members OF this Legislature
soliciting their votes: No lie is found following
members 10 obain their favor. He is his office attend
ing TO his business He is modes! man, and man of
talent for Tdr b. considered good the best descrip
ton of tuent Why then, should he be driven from this