Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-24
Richmond, Thursday, Dec. IA.
spEECHEs REnJEIyED.

the .sdsra sAig which rules this House.
to BY S s vein Is cos
rive whs9 Xi':iei. viii ssa stand erect with
'' G %' "s .s''is u pga Dee g. 1884,
The orator was prophetic The panic season of 3 had
passed away. The proscptive policy of 81 contributed
stood erect in the spring of Sand her hail
the triumph OF her ancient ples.-The man. who
traces these hasty lines, had the honor of being the first
martyr TO the reign OF proscrption--Tbc Wing spout
the III. of ID. have course eagerly oppc sed his
restoration. Bat they hare gone fsrsher-1hey have
sorted 10 the shameless subterugcs to disguise their
prescription of last winter and the very asperty their
abuse unnasks the imposure. We par.
~ grounds and the very violence of their cscntmens
points out the fact r. r. prescribed for opinions
SAKE Their own party confessed by their triumphs
'34-Thc people saw through the thin disguses which
were assumed They themselves called for Me dan of
retriJuo and it is than idcit was disingenu.
GUS and unmany, for the late orators, whose speeches
we mean to review, TO resort TO other pretexts
What the facts? AS stated in 1892 when the
Wings made their first blow u.s. the Public Printing
ton of the Commonwealth. Ii had through old
Pudie, Augustine Davis, Meriwethcr Jones' and Samuel
Peasanis down to T. Richie The last had held it for
10 not without interruption, bot he
never before opposed the ground of his being an
Editor The Adams and Clay men had than once
run another Editor against him. lie John Hampdcn
Pleasan,s did not hen think it the odious feature
in the Virginia Legislation TO elect Editor who was
Practical Printer. He at least tried it, until the
grapes sourand then had the egregious folly To
congratulate himself OH his disappointment Yes-he
hrst sought the Office and then reoiced at the thradom
sought the possession Of Office, which he admitted
might have corrupted the Independence of his press
The usage of Virginia had thus nanced The en-
ployinent OF an Editor. The very words of the law,
Tor regulating the Office of Public Printer that was passed
in 81, and revised in 1919, confirms the practice for
expressly says, shat it shall be the duty of the Public
Printer to publish in his Gazette otherwise as he may
be directed, all intelligence, notices of particular Laws
Procamations, &c, &c.-1his practice had also cx-
tended to the other States and the Federal Govern
ment. The Wings had not been 10th employ il them
selves. The immaculate Panic. Senate elected Gales e
W we vent In
read prcof-shee The Wings of n Carolina but few
weeks since attempted to run in Party Edtor-but
failed They have recently succeeded in Tennessee
and IN Pennsylvanialn word it has been the custom
here and else here-and r. the first Editor To be
sacrificed by pToscrp,ve Party fictitious pretcxt
Ayemost of the very men, who raised the cry against
him in 3, and voted linn in a. had for years sup
ported him-unl in 49, the genius of Whiggism was
determined TO sacrifice him for his opinions and looked
around for plausible disguise It's purpose
1t found such pretext in the argument about prac
cal printer.
Had tho duties of the Office been faithfully performed
No one denied The most violent Wings dare not dis
pue it. The voice of the Legislature had pronounced
ITS approval of the manner, which the public work had
been executed In the winter Of 272S the clamors of
rival press had got up enquiry into his conduct
Mr. Whether, who figures in the foreground as the
friend Of practical printers then his political friend
and stood by him during the whole investigation. How
did RESULT In The adoption of resolutions reported by
the select COMMITTEE, That The public printing
ecuted with accuracy, neatncss and despatc and that
the public printer was, in their opinion 'enlcd to the
undiminished confidence of the legislature
In ,ohat manner Me ,cOrk done? There was not
man IN the committee or in the Legislature who was I'M
acquainted with te fact, that II. r. no practical
Printer--yet the objection was made him, till
the violent Wing, panic season of '33. All knew that
the public work was well done. All might have known
and many did know that TO its execution in the
best style, T. r. had taken course which no other pub
lie printer here elsewhere, believed had ever
pursued. Where is the editor in this State who had
ever shared equally the profits of the Office with prac
cal prners for the sake of its being well executed? Do
Gales q Seaton share their profits with the printers who
carry on the work! No one believes it, But such was
the course which Il. r. pursued. He claims no merit
for the move-bu he believes the effect have its
duties better discharged His partner is an admirable
reguar-bred printer lie employs fine foreman and X
ceilent compositoEs under him to assist him When T.
,ehuehcy over 'ne WORK. The Wing orators have done
him much injustice in this respect.
we seize this occasion TO say, in reply query that
wasPut by Mr.. Wcher during the debate Mr. HoIIeman
could not answer IT, for the best in the wodbe
cause l. H. was not candidate for the offce-and had
summed all communications with the members upon the
subject Mr.. i. Brown might with equal Justice have
said ofus what be said of Mr. Shepberd-thS we ncver
solicited their votes followed me mbers to obtain
their favor But we can inform Mr. Wilcher that
IL rs The Office OF Shepherd q Co. which is to do the
work And IT as the fppant MIR. Brown says sit has
been said by some, that had been better done during
assurance, that it will be at least as wedone during The
ensuing yearWe also pledge ourselves TO the red9nbt
able MI Dorman that we shall frequently put our foot
into the Office and read the procshees as often as we
Such was the arrangement under which the public
work done, up to December last II had alyavs
been executed in Virginia, by the Editor of a paper II
had been done elsewhere without murmur or complaint
We too had filed the Office for years The confidence of
the Legislature had been for the most nrat
tying terms Some the very Wings who now eantSbout
the fu0iic Printer, had voted for year after wear
without the slightest conjunction. Where was Vim.
cent Witchers conscience all this time Where was
he who inSiuaates that il was not till 272S he
"asceTlaned that Thomas Richie knew nothing of print
ing (Mr Dorman's proof. sheets even we presume in
cluded and that Shepherd the acting man ?" WHY
did this Wing vote afterwards for T. RI So late as Dec
1892, he e. RI had the honor of receiving an una,i
nous vote IN the Legisatureand among them will the
reader believe II, these Simon Pures Witcber md
Brown! How comes il about, that the smooth tonoued
ORATOR. Brown could reconcile il TO his tender coIsc
look up for Printer in Richmond and Jring him for
,oaTaF why did he say, only the day before S. Shep
herd was run against H. Richie that ho was astonshed
TO near OF any opposition TO Mr.. R.--what objection
could they possibly urge &c. csand vet the very ne x
day. stand up IN the House, and out his isera
Die cant about the practical printer This oily speaker
tells the House, that il only two years since hen
1T offered opportunity for eHecnr an object which
had always appeared to him of imporiance-Ghe separa
ton OF the Press from public Offices" If this were Of
so much Importance, repeat, why did he not himself
years before, present such candidate TO the House
lie was as well acquainted with all the facts i'm 272s
as MS wise colleague Of Pittsylvania yet he sln
pers over his duty oil along expresses his at any
opposition being made to MIR r., and rs late as Dec s
1861 button the next day, be is for the first time whipped
into the ranks.
But there is clue to the mazcs Of Politics. as well as
70 the Labyrinth Of Crete The Of this sudden re-
yolulou towards T. r. is easily explained: On the 7h
Deccmber 1892 he received an the votes-evcn Messrs
Browns and Wcbers But that was the day Of the tr.
umph Of the Republican party Cen Jackson had inst