The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-20
A MoMENToUs QUESTION SETTLED.


The world, and all the inhabitants thereof,
have from the days o; Adam and Eve, taken
special pride in investigating mysteries oil e'-
aery description. There has scarcely oeeh SH
age. that has not been az itated by the attempts
of bold and sklful casuisis, 10 settle ce''a''
questions, over which time and circumstance
had cast A cloud as black as the shado" Vi
m;dn;sb,. The age of Louis XIV, with all us
ingenuity, could not penetrate Inc mystery VI
,be Iron Mask Many volumes nave peen
xr,,en TO identify the author OF unlus' YET ne
rera;ns "a far from exposure as ever. WON
H., ,oved greatly 10 his own satisfaction,
,ba, the poems OF Homer were not written
and Heyne taking up the subject where Wolf
had laid il down, has demonstrated that there
never was such man as Homer.
Our own country, and our own time, nave
not wanted the, mysteries, nor have they been
AT all deficient in enquiring spirits eager TO
bring all the resources Of their minds TO their
solution. The entire American public wa
long agitated by the momentous question,
"who hit Billy Patterson p And an abb
having been established in the case OF the
Country VS.. "the Man in the White Hat" and
the "Man in the Claret. Colored Coat having
been discharged for want of evidence, tits pro-
bable that it never will be decided. In our
own city, in ourown day, celebrated Divine
raised question which agitated society TO the
very foundation. "Where is Milly Macpher-
son qr asked that learned gentleman, with all
the confidence OF a man who felt that he had
proposed a puzzle, which would throw into in
extricable confusion the most acute intellects
of the day.
We do not profess to be readers of riddles.
"Davus, non Gdpus, sum- we invariably
reply, when an enigma, the solution OF which
does not lie on the very surface, is proposed to
us. Yet fate, as If in pity to an obtuseness.
which we owe not to any fault of our own, but
to Nature herself, has thrown into our way the
exclamation of riddle far more difficult of
solution than any of those above alluded to-a
riddle. which not only Gdpus, but the
Sphinx herself would have recoiled ffom-a
riddle more sublime than that which Samson
solved when he went counting among the Phi
listines-more intricate than that which is said
10 have cost old Homer his life-more curious
than that involved in those terrible words,
EW MIL, MsphersCn Our readers
will anticipate us. We have at last arrived at
the truth with regard to that mystery which
has so profoundly agitated this community,
since the Sth day of May, in the year OF our
Lord one thousand, eight hundred and fifty
two, being the anniversary of the glorious VIC
tory of Palo Alto. In a word, we have found
out who kicked Delegate Mcdonald i! !! The
discovery is worthy ofthe six notes OF admlra-
ton which we have affixed to the portentous
announcement. We claim TO be reckoned
among the benefactors ofour country. We are
the first TO elucidate dark and important point
in history We shall be handed down TO poster
ity, in company with other great explorers in
the mine of historical truth, and Mr.. MELON
aid will 60 along with u.s. Hereafter, we shall
feel an inch or two taller than we ever were
before. When we die, we shall direct our ex-
ecutors to inscribe upon our tombstone, "here
lies the man that found out who kicked Mr..
Mcdonald" What disgrace it would have
been to the nineteenth century had it slipped
away bearing such a secret in its BOSOM But
it shall be secret no longer. We know the
danger of delay. We know that Lord Shell
bune intended. if he had recovered from fit of
the govt which had Frustrated him, to tell all
about Junius but the fit killed him and he
made no disclosure. Warned by this great
example, though we are not wealthy or gen.
teel enough TO have the govt, we will make
clean breast at once! We may be inaccessi-
BILE to fashionable complaints, but we feel, by
no means, secure against the intrusion of 9th
ers, OF more plebeian caste. We do not
mean to be caught mapping so here goes.
During the sitting Of the Medical Conven-
ton, the houses of our physicians were thrown
open, from night TO night, and from day to day.
for the entertainment Of the numerous stran-
gers who had assembled. The last night,
which fell upon the Sth, was particularly
season Of merriment 1t happened that par
~ of young doctors from the North, who "had
gone the rounds" were conveying home one
OF their number, whose head being weaker
than theirs, had delivered him over to the
spoiler. In other words, he had gotten so blue
that he could not keep his feet and his friends
were obliged 10 carry him, by taking hold of
him under the arms. In this situation, his
feet were completely at liberty, and he could
kick like a supple sawney. Being a little
belligerent with his liquor, he not only "tongue
basted," but kicked at, everybody he met
Among others whom he served in that way,
was the hero the mystery we are unravelling.
Ii was as dark as midnght-the kicker had
never seen the kiekee. or heard of his speech,
and unless he had had the same sort of instinct
which enabled Falstaff, upon.a similar night.
to detect Prince Henry in the disguise of a
highwayman, could not possibly have known
the enormiiy of his offence. He did, however.
kick Dir. Mcdonald. That may be set down
as q part of the truth of history. His compan.
ions were seriously concerned thereat, not be.
causa thew knew the impOrtaDce of the suf