Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-03-26

!
10 in Mr.. Raves, who docs claim be friend .!
the Adminstra on-aud running Conservative canGi-
date, Which, whatever ht May ptr!ehi, seems In thdai
ger the election ni Wing il such Of gross mdr
crelion OF silly jusiicalons OF buesJue consu';aoas7
about the meaning Of private letter Of MI Rves, with
men, wlIo made him their laughing stnck-ii his nsdi
getting up of Conservative candidate; if hIs idle
gussppiHE The streets, aud his boring ut the press
not calculated To change opinion OF Mr. F0n
tame, what in tie name Of wonders could operate
change:
If these Developments not sufficient 10 shnwAhat
we had overraed the une standing the prlnclp anp
Mr.. F., what could With all his former prole
friendship for The Administration, he had shown hIn
determined to Cooperate with The Wings in behalf of
opponent lie had been gully OF the grnsscsl Weakness
in coming to this remarkable result, and now he com
plains OF MS that We had changed the good opinion
which we had formed of him. We bad tested The poii
tIcian in the mace, but he had not come out thrice
pure from lis fires. 1t had Exhibited all lis weakness
and all lis mpurIlies and yet we were expected TO re
tain the opinion uf him, as we were IN more nal
cyun days induced to express towards him. This was
impossbie-yel because speak of such pc.
litican as Wunt-because we Cannot speak as
highly as we we're observation-disclosures we thought IL
duty strip Oft the lnSldnns scheme lie had got up
Of running The Republican Delegate OF Hanover ny
the aid OF his Conservative pTOlege, IN short squio
which had sent 10 the press, are 10 be visited with
every species Of epLcl, which the liberal genius o lie
Senator conjure up from The classical kennels ci
John @ Adams.
We confess it, then, that we have changed our opt;
mons of this honorable Senator. We deemed him
man of undersiundlng-of some frmness and dlscre
ton Polcian-aud of an honesty of purpose, which
obtained our conference.-the fact is, there time
when we felt warmly for Mr.. Fontaine; when perhaps
mistook the uniformity Of our views for confidence
in his understandings when thought him not only viii
ling, but capable OF serving the Stale. Ii was at time
like this (June 2Sh 1888 that wrote him the letter,
which he has fit TO publish We then thought. that
events at Washington had swept on 10 such point that
Of good sense aud wiling to speak The truth,
ngh in,epos pour the oil ntolhe wounds our bleed
ing friends We had deeply at heart the compromise Of
The vexCd question, and The reunion OF our party. How
much we have attempted 10 contribute this
nation by every MEANS public and private, 1t does not
become us TO say. We had been requested by two
able and distinguished nen at Washington TO GO on and
assist in using our exerUns to reconcile TIE Repnbl.
can party We thought the crisis had arrived, when
some such effort calculated 10 do good Now
is the time Tor compromise Ur never; but my letters
on both sides of Washington friends, state that
they do not confer, and understand each olher-Gar
land writes me that lie Is wiling 10 90 Tor the Spe
cia Deposte rather than do nothing, but says the Sub
Treasury side will moi, while they Uie SrhTreasury par
IVY complain that the Conservatives will not compromise
that they 60 for pulling down The Administration al
all events which cannot believe. In this state OF the
uame il strikes me that if frank and honest were
there who could talk to both sides that he might know
how lar each could go-whether there was any chance
Of their agreeing at oil. and if so what Of bringing
them loqether and talk aIiy and plainly to each other
j, mjuhl do some gouG. Such the strain in hici
we WI ote Mr.. F-and foriunaisl for boil! Of us, he
commended the ci!ult desired TO make, but declined
account OF bis private engagements. ii was lucky
for both Of us, that this enthusiasm of the moment 20
soon eraporatsd and that the contemplated tour was
never undertaken. The e rl would have failed Non
tate 0uI.t,O! could such,a measure have been
pshed Indeed, we caEmnt but smile al The hlsty sug
geston threw ou-and shall never to wonder
how should ever have dreamt Of such excursion
and such associate Senator FOn.ane. We should
ony have discovered eight months sooner, how much
we had orerraled the qualifications Of suck p0iici1a
! for any grave responsible commission.
We MIR. Fualaine for publishing private let
ter. He is perfectly welcome heap up his BUDGET
and publish every love billet which he has received from
us. We are never ashamed 10 write think
We have cause 10 blush for the spirit Of The lie
| has pubished though cannot help smiling at the
! folly Of selecting such associate. pretty Peter
the Hermit INDEED we had selected for crusade
! The events Of this winter have at least somewhat
larged experience. and will TO be lille
chary OF confidence, well as o! praise
We will henceforh Improve upon the maxim OF Sir Pc
ter 1eazle, and say 1T is Id wicked would; and the
fewer praise in H. and The more cautiously trust,
/ the better.
He complains Ct our speaking ola private conversation.
The Senator had set example worse than this,
| in charging US with the meauest motives, which can
operate upon the mind of Editor. He had charged us
with changing course. IN consequence OF the oPpo
| son which threatened by Mr. Fisk. The contempt
which Tel, for the author actun,ed US in making our
reply and we did not hesitate TO arow how much our
opinion of Mr.. Foniaine had been changed by his
declarations MIR. f. has repaid in still
coin; and hope that his resentmenls satisfied -
He has published private letter, Of which have
other be ashamed, than trusting such p"'i;i
clan adviser, aud such man our Correspond
emit We shall scarcely Tore him in this way ngain and
as for ourselves juice that the Enquirer will
cape the garruy Of his pen Our worthy contemporary
! is welcome to all the honors Of his Correspondence. II
he does not fad him "a bill o! BORE, then we have
made another mistake in the character oil this honorable
Senator.
His recurrence to the paragraphs Of Mr. Fisk
! ally too little for ccDIcmpt Ills conclusions are as
gratutous, they Illibera-but we are willing
| 10 abide the verdict Gf the Public. We have been
long before the county TO very little purpose If
such insnuaons from such n source can be worthy of
reluiaton. But if Mr. Fontane possessed of
a liberal mind, Christian heart, he would have
seen in all the Of December and January; in the
Developments at Washington and at Richmond sufi
Gent to explain course, instead Of resong
to the fouest nsnuations MIR Fonlaine may reccu-
cic if he the attachment which he has avowed for
| The Administrations with lis support of gentleman,
in the Opposition. He may justify his utilization With
! the Whps-Iie may vinGicaie his getting Up Corr
seryaliye candidate 10 drft at Republican canddae-
! But we cannot understand such Inconsistencies. He
may make The Suh-Treasury question, now laid upon
the shelf, scIt OF Aaron s rod 10 swallow up more
important and pressing GuestIons-but neither the I'M
derslanding nor principles Of Senator F reconcile
US TO such a ridiculous sornerSet-We commend hi'n,
therefore not only the columns Of The Wing, but 10
the ranks Of the higs-Il we may improve upon very
good pun Of one Of the imPraclcable Wings Passing
over many Of the crude illusions U Mr. F. we mist dis
miss this fiat stale and Improbable Subjective have
besides no ambition ourselves Of being "a bit Of bore
and further the DcPo"eni saith not
Tie Editor of The Enquirer will confer favor by pub
fishing the enclosed in his paper al an early day
ESTATES kIGuTs."
Extract Of entr 10 Ehig Delegate in Me present &c
neral 7ssemhy. MARCH 10