The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-02


The Richmond Enquirsr eisinns % h. sappostes,
we believe, II the aarniss,sn u Ksnsss maes shs
Lecompou constitution. a. urged iy the sluain.sra
ton We DO not reeollec', hv~svUf, having sesn IN
its columns ioT several weeks paas-~eeA. a crisis
10 the msasure--sny setise sdsoeaey ot support q
the bill before Congress. The Enquirer seems 10
content itself with upfricndly fsptoache. o. as
for the manner In which have seen - % urse the
measure.
And now. the Enquirer. making some hivolons
criticising Of an article ~ ours, asss the oppor
ulnity for descending into thc following course Of
remark
Our present object y b. correct sn sTsoness state
ment which has been bnsily circas'si by utgrsision
newspapcfs--yi1 that ths Union h. ths organ. on
cial unofficial, OF the present administration Indcea
this statement hardly needs positive TcfusasieB No
friend of the President doubt thss he win not condo
scend to communicate dfccy indirectly with bis
party, through the medium u Anonymous organ, a1d
the Washington Union. pubsaed by Cornelius wcndssi,
is now entirely dependent ON Anonymous contributions
for editorial management which aisc6sss neither ihe
authorship the adoption Of responsible editor.
In regard to this matter of orgsnshp we are pc
culiarly unfortunate. One class Of magnanilnous
organ of the administration by bargain aud sale hav
ing no opinions Of our own. but hired 10 advocate
its views aud policy with blind and unquestioning
zeal. The Eoquirer takes the opposite view and
strange to say, reprocehes that we mo, the
gan of powerful public officer Now, the frat
proach if made in manly and honest sincerity, might
not be unbecoming in independent journalistic cs.
pccially of the old Virginia school bai here lie the
Oldest journal of Virginia the State Of the Cavaliers
Il
piece Of power--that we have as a journal sent
ments independently of power.
The Enquirer descends into discussion Of our
business arrangements, and nfers, from the form Of
our business announcement, that we have respon-
sible editorship. Why, our business announcement
is precisely in the form of the Enqurers own Com
pare the two, which we copy respectively from the
two journals The Washington Ua,oa--pabliJ,ef By
Cornelius WendM at tie Unoa Baildmgsn The
Richmond Enquirer published daily, semi-,ceeky, and
ueekiy By Ritchie g. Dun,avant" If the announce
ment of one of the journals argues anonymous
ediorship, also does that of the other. Our an.
nouncemcn is precisely in the form of that Of every
journal published in this city 1t is not the rule TO
publish the editorial of journals in detail.
The very article in the Enquirer upon which we are
commenting, dare say, was written by some
anonymous editor. The Enquirer has made most
conspicuous acknowledgment of anonymous editing
within a twelve-montl II it is true, therefore,
that the President would not condesccnd to com
municate with his party through the medium Of an
anonymous organ then the Enquirer, well as the
Union, is proved not to enjoy what the Enquirer
to esteem the proud and enviabe character of
an organ; and its declaration that we do not must
20 for surTnise
But it does not follow that journal possesses no
responsible editorship from the fact that the
of its writer's not blazoned to the public in capt.
tails; and if any anonyme of the Enquirer or other
person whomsoever, should at any time have curl
osity to crafty purpose to subserve by knowing
the responsible writer's for this journal, they will
have no difficulty in obtaining the desired knowledge
by application at counting-room.
But this line of observation s beneath the dignity
of journalism; and leave il most willingly to the
Enquirer, never expecting to be tempted to return
to it again.