The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-16
A FEW aLAsT WORDS. !

taken and the bitterness Of il argues very little
for the religion or charity Of those engaged in
it. We are sssailed for pursuing the course
adopted by the iaily press in this country, ~
England, and in France-conducted by men,
generally just as pure and humane as any oil
the unchari,able enemies who have directed
their missiles at this paper. Even the members
Of this Typographical Society, if forced to 60
to another city for employment, would have to
work ON Sunday, If they entered daily Office!
The. custom is the law. But the men who
conduct papers here are not practical men. and
unfortunately. they do not appreciate their po-
stion, while those depending upon their papers
for employment are pursuing the very course
to impair their prosperity. The rapid commu-
nication Of the present day tends to the con-
solidaton of commerce, the arts, and newspa'
per power and influence in large towns. Rich
mond is subject, in degree, TO the injurious
tendency of this consolidation; and the dim'
mutton of the energies of her press must facill-
tate its natural operation. Does not any ore
see this-that if Baltimore papers can spread
tie news here before our Richmond papers
send it out, that they will supersede our own
Aye, and those very sanciimonious tradesmen
who denounce the press here for disregarding
the Sabbath will be the first to help on this
substitution. How many of them now are
there who do not take daily papers that con-
tain news, the types for which are set up on
Sunday!
Notwithstanding this, we are to be put down
by this holy army! Notwithstanding the usage
of the civilized world, as relates TO the press
notwithstanding the imperative reasons which
require increased enterprise in the Richmond
press to keep up with the spirit of the age
Notwithstanding that there are thousands who
work on Sunday-that the telegraph Offices,
the pos,-offices the Touring mills, the rolling
mills, the bakeries, the gas-works, the tobac-
co factories, etc. etc., all violate what they set
down as the bumin and divine law-we alone
are the point of attack for them. The press
must send out the news when it reaches here,
or where is the use of bringing it here? 1t
comes as matter of imperative necessity
Sunday by mail and by telegraph, yet it is not
necessary, in their estimation, for its distribu-
ton among the people to enlighten them on the
state of affairs, and on matters affecting, more
or less, always their vital interests. canting
correspondent in Saturdays Times (whose
communication we arc sorry to see cotempo-
raneously with the satutatory of our new bro
Their editors of that paper,) who assumes the
general name of Merchant" to make his
uncharltabeness seem to emanate from that
enlightened and en.erprisng class of the COM
munity, says that the merchants do not de-
pend on the press here, that they get their in.
formation through letters and telegraphic COM
muncations. Exactly! And had he added
Northern papers, he would have been equally
correct. His argument would answer as well
for the entire adjustment of the Richmond
press, except daily local bulletin of the
Mayors Court, and monthly sheet for the
proceedings of the Council! We do not sup
pose, for moment. that this moralist. in the
slightest degree, represents the merchants of
this city, who know how indissolubly connect
ed with the prosperity and enterprise of the
city, is the prosperity and enterprise of the
press.
The REAL EXTENT OF THE SUNDAY SER
viCE.-And what is it after all that has raised
this great excitement, this malignant war on
this paper! Why, that, after tuenty-four
hours Of rest and derotion, or whatever else
seemed good to the printer, he entered the Of
fee and worked from one to three hours on a
postscript condensed for him. This was the
regulation in this office; but it had been
abused, as we suppose it had been in others
1t was not the fault Of the editors, but it was
the choice Of the printers, who preferred Sa.
turday's leisure aud amusements to Sundays
deyotions. Now, it is matter of debate
among christians as to when Sunday begins
and ends and when this twenty -four hours,
under regulations of this Office expired, it en-
braced a period considered by some as the
Sabbath. The day has been altered BY the
christians from that established by the Jews,
as the real day set apart by divine law; and
any division Of time which appropriates the
whole Sunday from the rising of the sun
to the going down thereof, with an entire
night added. might, without any very great
stretch of construction, be considered pretty
fair Sabbath. The offence Of observing such
day, and going to work at its conclusion.
could not be very great in a religious point of
view; and We doubt whether, under the strong
plea OF necessity, any jury could lie found in
this country to punish it.
A NEW ARRANGEMENT IN THIS OrFIcE.-
After this week, in vindcalion of the editors of
this paper, we have TO say, that in compliance
with the wishes of the hands employed in our
office, and out of a desire to relieve them and
somewhat yourselves from the excitement and
evaporation which has been so causelesslv
produced, it has been arranged that Monday
mornings Dispatch shall be kept open for the
latest Jews and telegraph messages until I2
O'Clock, Sunday night, when the composiors
Will convene in the Office and set in types
these brief departments of the paper. We trust
this will satisfy everybody, while itcanics out