The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-16

From the Nep York Express.
THOMAS RITCHIE OF THE ENQUIRER

met this man, whom have long considered
one OF the most extraordinary men in Virginia
for the second or third time in my life; but now
for the first time in the social circle, with de-
termination, however, to avoid personal intro
duction, though often solicited BY my friends,
because wanted TO be no " untrammelled in
what consider just sketch of him as public
character. When one knows men, one often
cannot speak what one thinks. consider then,
Mr. Richie one Of the ablest Editors in this or
any other country. He has vivacity, tact, the
power Of commanding attention, something Of
seaf-resPect, much Of dignity and above all, per-
severing, unremitting industry. He is but boy
with his pen, though over go, probably 65, years
of age "There is old Tom,n is the remark,
whenever he appears in public sold Tom,
pho r" says |. sold Tom Ritchie--Don't you
know old Tom Richie % "Old Tom" then,
as they call him, is a relic Of old Virginia 'sOld
Tom" has mingled for fifty years in the best cir
Giles Of Virginia, among her ablest men, and old
Tom is an ssOld Mortality" the spare lean, lank,
embodiment of fifty-years-ago, Virginia. .Old
Tom"is gaunt, hungry looking gentleman, his
teeth gone, his nose prominent, his eye bright,
of quick, frisky, tremulous gait, nervous some,
but nerves of cat-gut though that will never
wear out-a man that won't die, but that will
blow off in some windy day-who don't belong
now, and has not belonged for half century, to
this earth of ours, but whom Heaven, for some
unknown purpose has, as it were kept as spec
tire, fitting over other peoples graves-the bone
and muscle mark of what things and men were
in 1890. "Old Tom" has no blood in his veins.
dare say, though have not asked, he is never
ill. His soul-and bright soul il is---d does what
motion is in him. His bones and muscles car.
ry that about | doubt whether pin would
prick him more than Salem Witch. In Short
"Old Tom" died fifty years ago, all except his
spirit, in which he differs from all other men
ever saw for other peoples spirits go off first,
and then their body dies afterwards.
To be understood though, in this drawing Of
the bones and muscles of sold Tom,n must
follow it out with some sketches of his charac
ter. He works like dog yet. don't believe
he ever sweats-( perspires | might say)--even
under a hot Virginia sun. He frisks about in
society with his white six gloves on, hiding his
long fingers dare say, as spirited, as lively as
a girl of sixteen. He takes seat at the Clerks
desk in the Capitol, writes little, and chatters
much, clearly the observed Of all Observers
There he gives orders to his partisans, consults
and is consulted, but animates and directs the
spirits of all. Indeed, no Representative is
needed from his political companions but him
He is their Executive, their Senate, their
House, their every thing. He is old Virginia
too Set the Old Virginny never tire" If there
be trouble in the camp:-f the Philistines ga
to know the future from the past, some witch Of
Endor rouses this "Old Mortality up. His
family is large all highly educated his daugh-
tiers married in the richest, and among The most
respectable families in Virginia. He lives in
style. it is said, a man of the ton He is Editor
President and Secretary of Conventions, Cor
responding Committee, Orator, Writer, a man
Of all work and on politics Of all tongue. The
last summer he would work all day, and at " the
I ~. Hal IN, II.n
of his party, harangue, and read to his friends
half the night The probability is, he never
sleeps. Did any body ever see him eat?
should like to know. Once he discovered there
was North, that People breathed and walked
on the Eastern side of the Potomac river, and
he went on voyage of discovery there He
visited Quincy, the residence of John c. Adams,
and held his horse out Of doors, while his family
gratified their curiosity within. Van Buren,
found him out at Albany, and wooed and won
the spirit, with all the coquetry that he would
court maiden in her teens. But did he ever
hear of the West2 The Ohio, | dare say, he
knows,-loyes the shores of Western Virginia,
but does he know that People live and breathe on
the Wabash, the Miami and the Illinois ? The
real fact though is, he knows no world but what
sketches from the base Of the Blue Ridge to the
Lower James River The Ocean is all Poetry
to him. His eye, his mind, his spirit are left
on this earth, only or condition that il forgets
all other creation but the Lowlands of Virginia
His geography is not four hundred miles inclu-
sve The world, if he were to write book,
would be bounded on the East by the Potomac
on the South by the Dismal Swamp, on the
West by the Roanoke, and on the North by the
Blue Ridge. He was an Usher once he began
life thus in Richmond. In his day, il is probable,
geography was only learnt by travelling over'it
and the early impression, that Richmond was
the Capitol Of Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well
as of America, he never has probably got over.
speak of Mr.. Richie thus in no dsrespect
of Richmond, or the lowlands of Virgnia--but
because believe him to be bigot and a fanatic
OF the most mschievous class, --palsying, BY his
pen and tongue the energies and resources OF
that great Commonwealth, whose history, (of so
years standing) who's great men, whose fame
Gall past thought love, cherish as the best
and brightest of this, or any other country. be-
lieve this man, Richie, TO have been the DIR.
Francis, who has made sort of Paraguay of
old Virginia. Controlling powerfulpress, with
great talent too, among an agricultural People,
in sparse population, he has been able for thirty
years, as il seems 10 me, 10 exercise as much
power over Virginia as ever Washington, or Jef-
ferson, or Madison had, the master spirits Of
Virginia-and, alas, it has been power all for
i'll! He is a bgot, for he learns nothing, and is
no wiser now than he was half century ago.
He is fanatic, for he has no liberality, no char
ty, no enlarged and national comprehension Of
the movements and doIngs of the world. Never
was there an instance of the more triumphant
dominion of the Press than in his case. For
thirty years he has kept Tirginia standing
still. of late, the most powerful minds Of Vir-
gina, Leigh, Rives, and so on, have traversed
hill and dale, mountain and valley, TO break him
down, Illuminating by their eloquence the ten
ants of the Log Cabin of the Alleghanies, as
well as the stately Mansions of Eastern Vir-
ginia,-but Ritchie's Enquirer was after them,
week after week, smoothing over what they said,
parrying their blows, extingushing their logic,
and making at last the minds of all his hearers
darker than ever. In the cavern of the noun
tains, on the island of the swamp on the peaks
4 Z. r ,Lor