Daily American telegraph., 1852-01-28
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch.'l
Sudden Death OF am Estimable Man.

From the Richmond Daily DispatclL"]
sudden Death OF am Estimable Man.
The Washington correspondent of the Balti-
more Clipper" under date the 18th inst, com
mi(ni0dt6s'yAe following intelligence: ~
| /" Mr.. Robert Latham, of Virginia, a clerk IN
the Treasurer's Office, was this morning found
dead in his bed. He was taken sick only yes
terday afternoon with pneumonia, and ii was sup
| posed that he was not in dangerous condition.
Thus lin the midst of life we are in DEATH"
| We read this announcement with sorrow, be-
cause we knew Mr.. Latham well, and esteemed
him much for his noble qualities, The Washing
| ton papers also contain notices Of his death but
they are simple and put away in the obituary
department, without word or comment Had u
man Of less merit and more pretension shuffied
off his mortal coil, eulogy after eulogy would have
been uttered over him, and the whole community
would have been made to deplore his loss. Yet
few men in Washington were equals of Robert
Latham in genius, and none could surpass him IN
nobleness of soul.
Mr.. Latham was native of Culpeper and
could not have been far from the middle age Of
life when he died. He commenced life we believe
in Lynchburg, as lawyer. When we first knew
him he edited the g Jeffersonian" there during
the Presidential campaign which ended in the
| first election of General jackson to the Presi-
dency. He then attracted great deal of notice
| by the vigor and point of his editorial essays
They were copied and commended in all direc-
tons, and were among the best of their class Of
| literature of the day. When his connection with
that paper ceased, he seemed rather to shrink
| from than court public notice He withdrew
after time, to the quiet life of q southwestern
! Virginia town. There he practised law, and, for
| a while, edited paper. His retiring disposition
kept him very much out of the world but those
who knew him, knew the power Of his mind.
The senior Mr.. Richie had an exalted opinion Of
his abilities, and paid him one of the highest
compliments we ever saw passed by one editor
upon another. He was finally induced by Mr.
Richie to leave his secluded life and go with him
to Washington in 1914, Us assistant editor of
the " Union" In this capacity he continued for
some time, giving that paper the benefit of his
| abilities. When circumstances led to his retire
ment from it, he took clerkshp in the Treasury
Office, which he held to the time of his death.
Mr.. Latham was proud-hearted man, of an
independent spirit, and most perfect gentleman.
He was man of honor without stain and without
reproach Possessed Of fine and commanding
person, he was fitted by capacity and education
for distinguished career; but his unbending
spirit and his delicate sense of propriety, in a
measure disqualified him for that struggle which
must be encountered for popularity. And thus
it is with the world he passes away as clerk in
puDllC OHCc, WHlic lcn Ho0 having d titnc VI LIS
mental and personal merit fill high posts of
honor and responsibility before the nation. In
him death has noble victim, and the grave
closes over as generous and true-hearted gentle
man as ever lived. May herest IN peace.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT IN RHODE ISLAND
The Senate of Rhode Island has passed bill
for the abolition of Imprisonment for debt and it
only remains for the House to endorse it to be-
come law. 1t is somewhat curious that one of
the most enlightened commonwealth Of the
Union has not before adopted this reform Will
liam Beach Lawrence, the Lieut.. Governor, has
made report on the subject which narrates
several cases of great hardship under the old
law. OF six persons confined in a single cell
in Providence, FIVE were for debt under five
dollars; and they had been immured from two
weeks to four months. poor cripple was
lately arrested in the same city, for debt of
three dollars and twelve cents, just as he was
about to go on board an oyster boat where, by
means of his remaining limbs, he hoped to earn a
scanty livelihood. The worst use a debtor can
be put to is to confne him in Jail, unless indeed,
he is fraudulent; and for persons of this descrip
ton provision is made in all acts abolishing i'm
under ordinary circumstances, is equally useless
and cruel. In the States where the abolition has
taken place the best results have followed. I'll
there is commonwealth left in the Union where
Imprisonment for debt is allowed, the barbarous
law cannot be struck from the statute book too
soon.-Hunfs Merchants Magazine.
RaT Freeman Hunt, the able editor of the