The southern press., 1851-07-03
the souabbles of a provincial press, and

the ulscbinations Of street-corner politicians.
We do not throw out these last hints at ram
dom. The facts already before the public make
II but too evident that Spooner and &c. eileen
peebies" "iand Others OF their stamp IN New York,
were not the only parties engaged IN this mall
cious prosecution. II Is presumed thasa private
man may enter city containing h II million
people without the fact beng known III every
corner of Ii, unless those who know his departure
thereto give notice Of the facts. But IN the pre-
sent case, there was a continual telegraphic con
nection kept up between this city and the plain
tiff in this suit No sooner had the arrest been
made than was il known ia the streets Of Rich
mond Part of the evidence produced before
the Judge who tried the motion TO release the
bail, was a private note which We were once
weak enough, under the impression because ne
set himself up iire-eater chat he might be
gentleman, TO send the respectable E w. John-
ston, Of the Richmond Wing. This appeared in
the affidavit OF his equally respectable friend,
&C. Glenn Peebes.p This fact sufficiently points
out the quarter from which comes Spooners
sistance and sets the last seal of infamy upon
the entire transaction.
1t is not an exaegeration of trihes, but
plain matter of fact, which the common obser-
vation of half the community will confirm, that
deliberate, fierce and organized effort is now
in progress TO put down this newspaper. The
legal proceedings in New York, and the rumor-
ed efforts to bring us before the grand jury of
this city, are but small part of the matter.
Never have we been traduced and illuminated
as at the present time. a funny corresr rondent
of city newspaper has it, that the writer
/" bears a load Of public detestaton which might
make a giant reel the translation Of which
fine phrase is, that the small editor Of the huge
bna ao.npcaH bitnuaIf in ufry IN
blaeken us with every species Of miserable and
senseless bilIingsgate; that half dozen lesser
curs of the country press have joined in the cry,
and that in city composed of thirty thousand
Wings and five hundred Democrats, to which
the public tone is given by n majority of emf
grant Yankees great many foolish people
neglect their business to'vilify man who has
never concealed the quiet scorn which he feels
for them aIl-Their disposition and desire is
sufficiently plain, but the sense which they dis
play in the matter is much less evident than the
malignity Lawsuits are annoying, but they
will never put down the Eramiaer. Denuncia-
ton is disaoreeabe where it cannot be resented;
but what harm will it do the Editors of this
newspaper? Richmond is not Virginia The
city is Yankee city, and the State is South
ern State. The characteristics and motives Of
Richmond politicians are long ago perfectly
we'll known to the people of this common
wealth, and no story which originates here to
the injury of Il Southern Democrat whose devo-
ton to his principles and his State has drawn
down on him the open, avowed tearthroat hate
of all Yankee Abolitonists in the place where
he lives, will ever be received, without due at
tention to the other side.
The chief harm which the Holy Alliance of
scroundrels can do us, is the position which it
forces us to assume. For it forces us into per-
sonal warfare, and aids an idea which has been
set aHoat to our disadvantage, that in personali-
ties we delight and chiefly deal, But poor would
have been our success, and little our chance in
the world, had this been true. We have earned
a name and position in public affairs by what
ever augmentation, knowledge, and eloquence
which we possess; and by those only we hope
to maintain it. Despite of all the falsehood
which has been spoken and written, we do af-
firm that we have never dealt in personalities
save when compelled by duty to do SO. If a
man seeks Office on personal merits, or fills an
office on the suppostiou of personal superiority,
it is the duty of journalist to examine his
claims This and this only have we done. We
have never violated the privacy of any mans
life. If we have ever commented on any fact in
the private history of any public man. it has been
after he himself has exhibited il to the public
gaze.
The hatred which is manifested towards us
has never arisen from any such crime rs that
which has been so often imputed to us. No
1t has far different origin. We are hated by
political opponents and Yankee swindlers be-
cause we have discharged our public duties with
determination, with fearlessness, with power,
and more than all, with effect We believe our
political principles to be true, and we never fear
to follow them to the end. AS Southern man
we keenly feel the injuries which have been in
flicted upon our countrymen by the North, and
have bitterly expressed the sentiment. And
when a swindler has got himself in the newspa
pers, or an unworthy man has aspired to office,
we have not hesitated to expose them both.
These are the only personalities in which we
have ever induged, save those of sef-defence.
But our present position has compelled us to
some very severe ones Of the latter class For
an opponent who is gentleman we have ra-
pier of steel but for the canaille with which we
have lately dealt, we have only the bloody knout
with which we have made many BOBBY roar
and many scoundref scream. IL il not our
own fault that we are compelled to use it now
We have but few more words to say. The
writer has many dear friends sensitive gener-
ous, and kind-some at hand, others FAR from
the scenes in which his life is passed,-who may
be panied to see him as he has so often been Of
late, asssied with charges involving truth, honor
decency-invovng all that renders life dear to
them, and all that renders it tolerable to him
But if they perntthemselves to be thus disturbed
they do wrong In the first place, they should
remember this to be condition inevitably at
tendaut on the career he has entered which he
has pursued hitherto, and intends to pursue in
future. He that wages war on every scoundrel,
cheat, knave, and imposter, who crosses the pub
lie highway, of journalism, must expect that the
cheats, knaves and imposters will occasionally
league to war on him that they will pursue his
fame with all the weapons ofcalumny, pull down
his fortunes with the machinery of courts, lurk
for his peace in every ambush of malice, and dog
his footsteps in every disguise of cowardice.-
His actions will be falsely narrated his words
will be garbled; bis motives misinterpreted !;
his private life viii be blackened, and his public
career will be distorted. The low ard the mean
will attack him in wavs he never dreamed of