Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-01-07
.'GE TIE i:NarlRER.
NEk III ~ 2 F'Ns''
CAUTION TO Law YERS.

CAUTION TO Law lEES.
Messrs. Editors. liz The steat Northern cities
some persons have established Offices for The pur
pose Of acquiring aud imnarIiHg &c LIE city mer
chants nloi mdiiCn Is 10 The Characters, properly,
solyency, g., OF the country merchant, nd Others,
who hpy Ihejr goods in those ';--.>'r. sr '""
,aaf,ly trust and 10 what extent. 81 lar II IS very
we'll. Not Only is il a usl and prudent caution
for The civ dealers 10 ascertain il they can VINO oi
their country GU .lome,s are worthy OF credii, and
who moi: but the latter TOO, ii they are WISE, Wouu
wish to stand exactly as high as they oushl' ana
no higher in The estimation Vi their wholesale
merchants.
But those intelligence Offices have adopted one
very Objectionable means G' seems 10 mel OF 90
tanning lie iniorma ion which Is obviously 81 &C.
sirsble. They engage lawyers, resident III va
riuus paris OF The County,, as correspondents, "Eo
undertake 10 report haIlyeafly, OF al o'nef s;a'eo
petiods, The pecuniarY condition, Inc capha, ousi'
ness habits, amount of property ard OF aeD's, &C,
&c. of The merchants, hotel keepers, &C, ~ ,he
counties which the correspondents have under
Their surveillance; in return TOR which they are 10
have all The collecting business which The Office
keener. and The city merchants who subscribe 10
his nj Ian. can dispose OF. The correspondent
is expected to keep a book, in which he
mus, note down all the particulars he can
learn. tending TO throw light on The trader 5
nresen, or future solvency, all OF which he is duly
10 report TO his employers in line city. size! Sc,
cresv is pledged TO him; and he VII! be secret, OF
course for tear OF The detcstation whica ne "ou'u
incur By being known as such "a CHIEF amcps
'em takin' notes"
A scheme very similar TO this was exp'oaeu
some years ago by Mr. Joseph Mayo VINO was
invited 10 become correspondent" oil such
city intelligencer. Il,
Doubtless, neither the oflce-keepeTs nor 'nt
civ merchants have perceived The mischieis thei
man is likely 10 work. Quite naturally: they see
only The benefits to both city and country deale':
of safely trusting, and of being SAFELY irnseo
| But il is hard to conceive project more Pres
| nant with evil TO The moral character oil lawyers
Frank, open bearing, is not only s'Sn, oI
apreserver OF integrity; Tor no man is so nh'Ne')
| to do mean thing, as ne who cnefishcs PEI
pelual consciousness and steady resolve w"
every serious action must and shall OUT oeioit wv
wcrld-excepl, Of course, those acs when au'y
in some form or other, requires HIM 10 cohceal
With this frank bearing, The Office oil lawyer
respondent to those city inelliseacers Is uAel
war. Think of lawyers attending. ever
month the courts Of three counties -IcceiVia:
courtesies, and kindness from The ~ or 81 tladei
in each county uIlivaIing january VIII
,hem-and using il only 10 worm Gu! The value u
heir stock 10 trade, The amount oil 'heif dco'S
their modes OF doing business &C. IN or
der II reporl il all 10 his aster'1cne
raj in Philadelphia or New York! and the
,av if frank. open Gcmeanor in such a ma
could be any Thing but rank hypocrisy
What confidence could be feposed IN ms in'esr'
| ly? lfhonest in the beginning, be eOn'd ho' ioh
remain honest He could no! prosecute 'ne %
merous inquiries that his shame-laced employ
ment would require, without frequeh. s'"'u'd
lions, frequent ialsehoods, as 10 MS mou't' ""o
whoever lies. wili-do any thing that he ia
the courage 10 do.
ders affecting The credit Of mercantile men sup
nosine The first who accept The Office oil CORES
nondenln 10 he incapable Of wiliul misrepfeseh
,a,;on We, how sure il wonld be, al lens'n, II
fail into hands that would use il 10 prop the ere
dir NJ a tsyoriie villaiu-a confederate, perhaps
N.Y. IN hIast that of an honest and thrifty riVal,
orer,vI Snch things have been heard oil, as
Iawver's falsely reporting Virginia merchants !
he In a ,oerine condition. in order that ne mig
have their bonds committed 10 him Tor sun. In
nresen, scheme tends 10 multiply such oasenes'
nv multiplying the temptations 10 II and opPor'
mites for il. - mo n HI
come one OF these correspondents. ~ h p' hse
sai mac declined. Recently, like one mas pee
ro.de and also declined. am By no means 70
nniu ,ecusapi: and trust that, when The na, u
OF the Office comes TO be understood .netT b m' r.
No LAWYER found willing 10 accept IT. ne ~
inunp letter was, in substance, my answer
h,,h psonosals. Ii any one should see IN "na'
49, 49, s.;d any OF "ihe outrageous virtue ..
arSs y he NAV at leas, observe that, by heeP,n
bact al, names, both Of persons and places, u
,n avoid alike selfdisplay and personalities
w.rds others. I, is the rrang act, not Inc cru
actor. that wish TO expose.
, ae'0'' Yours, respectfully. ,,,
!. A COUNTRY LAW 1EK.