Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-07-25

u.
wn, in thr service III lSli, for the li; uf June at
ibat year. we find hr received his pay for the tour
ucrinrmedy We only mention 1t rs another proof thnt
he wl. every ready TO vindcutc with his sword the
cause Of his country ana whether with the sword or
p., that he threw his whole soul into the service and
was never disposed 10 urge others To Ito that which he
would not Willingly perform himself
WE venture to atirm without the fear of contradc-
ton tim; no man did more than he durim. this event
p n.r;nd to arouse the vaor of his cuun.rvcn 10 x-
cite their d.nntiun against the enemy, to encourage
our sn1irrs under difficulties and danger, to nerve
nnd stimulntr them noble achievements. or Ia luud
am, chronicle their deeds with greater cxultarou.
None dealt heavier blows upon the ahuniuablr ma
ruudius cNpc,Itiurrs of the British, and consigned
them { deeper ninmy and degradation. They wcrc
in his ungr,igr "stript of every prctcsun tv military
rrnown lint covered with the curses of the widow
the orphan and the poor, they sknlk from point to
point and from village 10 village, the scorn OF every
soldier and the hptrstaon of every honest man."
His conduct during the embargo, which preceded
the declaration Of war, deserves passing cOmncndn
ton. He eagerly entered into the feeling which then
prevailed and cndcavorcd by prcccpt and example 10
stimuat, the Introduction ot manufactures among u.s.
not bv governmental MD interference but by de-
termination To the use of all British manutuc
lures anl by wearing homcopun cloth and cGcourag-
ing the usc of everything nude NJ home.
On several occas 5Is Mr. Ritchic elected BY his
fellow citizens member "i The Council ol the ry
and performed with alacliy the important dutc. at
tarhrd to that position.
Al nearly every successive election of President
and Vice President Of the United States, from his re-
mnvn 10 this city Ia his removal from H. lie was a-
nninted n member ot the Democratic State Central
Committee and by his Jealous cu-upcraon in their
labors hv his sound counsel and advice and 10y the
energy displayed in scconding in his paper the views
expressed by the committees much u the success al
tending the Democratic party in Virginia il mainly ~
be attributed All the addresses 10 the party were
submitted to his scru!inzins eye, and unless they
squared with his refining standard, they were certain
TO be Modified until they received his sanction.
On the 18th of November, 1911, Mr. Ritchic was
elected by the General Assembly Of this State, public
printer his term OF service 10 commence oil the 18th OF
December following. The only cn,lnciation of his
election, continued in his paper, was made on the
ldtlI and is short and pithy "Lrgislativc appoint
mont, Thomas Ritchic, printer TO the Commonwealth.
No cnmmcndation, no promises, he entered upon his
u;ie. prepared To discharge them faithfully and To
permit his acts tu be tie commentators "i the man
iier in which the duties were performed. He wis
elected 10 the saine post annually and with great
nimi:y for twenty years during all that period giving
entire satisfaction, the work which he was called upon
To perform having been executed with nea;ncss cor
rrctncss and expedition. Mr.. Ritcc made Il pnin:
of conscience, notwithstanding all his avocatolIs, tu
examine the pr"oshccts Of the work for the public,
10 ensure It's accuracy.
But in 1874, in consequence Of the removal nf the
public dcposItes from the Bank of the United States
hy General Jackson. nnd the disapprova OF tl,n act
bv many ot the Old Republicans uf Virginia, who re-
fused to 20 the polls vote the Sprm elections,
and i'll many instances actually voted against the par
" nominees, and from the fact that several demo
crn.s CaI'datcs III strong democratic cuUnti's,
which bv such splits were lost, the Wings obtain
cd decided majority in the Legislature of the Satc.
Among their ir-t acts. they determined that Thomas
Ritchic, whom they looked upon the cause "f all
their woes, -hnud be sacrificed and should feel their
Christening rod. Tot correspondent at thHt time he
wrote -" SUPPOSED shall have the honor of being the
first martyr, bat am prepared for il md do ot cover
beneath the stroke. Our party feel TINT they arc on
rising ground, but the" unbrokrn and uu,:rrlcd.
lie snd boldly that the fear of the loss Of u should
not INDUCE him Ia wavrr or ::tcr in his oii;ic; opin
ions for mn instant TIC los- Of ul.:c rnn be well
borne hy man who kn"ws :" hat Is due t" hiinscii.-
"The which calls Inc for the slightest sac
riiicc Of my Independence, shall part us forever
Tie election came "n and on the 3i "i December.
1894 Mr.. Rtrhir wis rctcl, urd Samuel Shepherd
put in Lis .'incr. Ga the mex; day, ih- enpi" and
cnuncat"n 9" tie event was chronicrd
in the Enquirer
.Hra,is off, but heads up. nr:hwh Standing.
This ever il" manner he after d.t-at.
Mr. Riicc again put forth all his energy the cour-
age with which he summoned the Drmorutic l:uo.s 10
rally TO their old party principles and standard the
enthusiasm he exhibited when all others were dcsrun-
dent apd, f,.P5s nhe gxuant ,qp.<i Yp pttrifc rTcc-
lions IN Virginia. unL ihc iauhic rit h. displayed
under defeat told powerfully the popular hcart.-
lis skill in healing party dssclsions was never more
exhibited He never rested mill he IN
fused into his party harmony {" icclimG ana UNITY
of purposc that Insured certain victory. According
ly nj the succ .dn. ricction-.:hr Nhig party II NT-
rm. were routed, the Legislature was redeemed ard
Mr. Ri,che at liz next session, nth December l>',
WA trirm,anilv reelected public printer. lie was
thus annually elected ;n Tie same post until the
wear lS!' when he voluntarily give up the office de-"
rlning again to become ranlidnc,and Samuel Shcp-
herd was reelected wiih"at opposition.
The execution al III" public printing was IN" only
Office Mr. Rclic ever received from the stat" ar
Il, t,,te .lt,,..
aud while he lnbcrcd for principle, he never sought
for the honors fame which place and position are
too often supposed 10 confer. lie was willing nid
content TO WELD the great lever OF power that shaped
and gave tone To the political mind oi the Old Dolnll'
ION He not only asked; for n0thim. himself but
rnrclv if ever recommended nnv one, however warm
Is attached and Intimate his friendship, lar any loll-
ticnl office.
Mr.. R,tchic sustained most of the great measures
which characterized the administrations "i Mr. Mad
isun aud Mr. Monroe; but it il impossible I" give his
views upon those topics without lis we said bror"c
tending this sketch int" volumes.
On the third Of March, 1870, Mr. Ritehic nss"cintcl
with him in the Editorial Department "i the EnlnI-
rcr, Claiborne W. Gooch, believing as he sai that
oint councils and joint labor will not fail t" enhance
in every respect the vnlu" "i nlS paper al ''1 .'.'
the ENQUIRER WAS in the zenith ol lts strength II nd
vocntci without variabcncss Or shadow oi turning
tho nruciul,s upon which it set out 1t continued ~"
hold the Union of the Suites rs the bass ot their
pence and happiness; to support the constitution
which is the cement of the Union rs well III lis itn-
finn, M in ts authority respect the rights and al
thorties reserved to the States and to the people, as
equally Incorporated with and essential To the sue
cess OF the general system; and to avon" the slightest
interference with the rights ot c"nsccpce or the nc-
tions of religion so wscly exempted rom cNi Eris
dcou." Ifthere WIS one thing tntwas repeated uli-
I'll every render bccalnc familiar with It's import, it
was the necessity of rigid construction u the tee-
raj constitution and strict adherence to fundamental
principles.
ciu,cJ with Mr. Guoc the agitation OF the question Of
n Convention TO amend the StGtc Constitution WIS the
constant theme. The Enquirer, OF course, became tn
rrcut extent the vehicle o communication ni the nd
vocatcs and opponents Of that measure. The unda-
mental principles of government te Gtchchis "i'ch
shuuld enter into the composition OF all It's various de-
nortmcut. were discussed mt great length nnd with
inuch iu,,cuuv The struggcs between the local in-
tcrcsts of different parts of the state, were maintained
with srir and perseverance. cgh, kandoilhl, stan
ard Johuson Mercer, Cooke, Doddriusc' ana ah"St o
others presented their views un one sle or the other
q; every question. Upon some of the most vital Gus
t,ns uder discusson il was well understood that Mr.
Ritclc and his partner, Mr.. liooch, dliiered. VT.
Ritche being in favor of extending the rlsht oi SUI
fringe and adopting new basis oi rclrcsc.n'l"'i, anu
Mr. ;ooch opposcd to these measures. Thus tram
n.lrd by divided councils, the course o the Enquirer
vns uucrrnin and its editorials unsatisfactory. IN
der such circumstances III might nave Dceh cApcc'ed,
while perfect friendship existed between the editors
il was deemed best that n separation should take
AssSEdS Sn Ssns S M was ssSna SSSSs and M
ILn I Cooke WAS associated with Mr.. Rltchc to at
TEND 70 the mechanical and business arrangements,
while he remained sole editor
AT this time it is understood that the subscription
list of th Enouircr contained upwards 1000 names.
On the change Of its management his editorial gaye
evidence of renewed spirit lie speaks nsnln in the
rt lrrson ..tlat have given some evidence OF indus
tr,. y nv ,.nrntiuu is well known 10 the few who
know me-. 1t is partly shcwn by the extensive cir
"n,n,;an Of h. papcr-us well by the many ha9d-
some things which my political snsmiss 1i l. haye H"sn
m a 70 crafty or to morty the utmost
vanity VI nj Of the editor OF u newspaper" 49,.
..rLa nrinciplcs OF the Enquirer will remain the
.,n,a W, will continue to uphold the constitution OF
onr country according to the good old sch3" Of 10
aud 'ga. 1hc principles OF human liberty, inc mon