Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-02
THE RICHMOND Examiner"

presented-comcs back with an open at
tack and several attempts at diversion. We
shall not attempt to force our contemporary to
meet the issues which he has voluntarily ten
dered in the first instance. and which he now
seems so DESTROYS to avoid. We propose to
notice the several features of his last assault
on the Enquirer
The Examiner" while it still refuses to de-
signate the lone or two Democratic ncwspa-
pers," which have INDUCED in '~'unwiSe, unjust,
and groundless assaults on Mr.. Letchcr," finds
some Inconsistency" in our having discovered
that the assault was really aimed at ourselves,
and at the same time demonstrated its unfair
ness and injustice. If there is any amusing
Inconsistency" in this matter, it is certainly to
be attributed to the Examiner itself. Its
own course has certainly been inconsistent
with the fair and open dealing which we had a
right to expect at its hands. To what extent
this may afford a legitimate subject of 'amuse-
ment" we will not attempt to decide.
In the next place, the Examiner assumes
- tuSAlIlNai atllbudS VI oIoSS AuS NV ~
the announcement Of a fact which is apparent
to every man who has inteligently watched the
patent indications of political intrigues in our
midst during the last two years. viz; that diff
ferent newspapers have been subsidized. to
~forestal public opinion in favor of Mr.. Letchcr.
And here the Examiner finds something else
to wonder at. We defy the most captious Of
hair-splitting critics to discover anything at all
irreconcilable in the following two positions
accurately attributed to us by the Examiner"
THE Enquirer Indignantly denies that it
has made unjust, unwise and groundlcsS AS
saults' upon Mr.. Letchcr; get. in the same pa.
per in which it publishes this denial, it charges
bribery and corruption Of the press upon that
gentleman's friends"
This is true, every word Of it. except the
yet" obviously intended to intimate a dis
crepancy between two perfectly reconcilable
facts. The assault pointed ont was not made
on Mr.. Letcher, and it was, moreover, neither
unjust, unwisc, nor groundless. That certain
newspapers have been corruptly and success
fully tempered with by some of the politicians
most Unexpectedly jealous in Mr.. Letcher's
behalf, is a fact of which We are perfectly well
convinced, and we know that we are by no
means isolated in the conviction.
Nevertheless, we at once refuse obedience to
the imperious demand of the Examiner" that
We shall at once play the part Of public prose-
cutor and executioner, by naming the crimi-
nails" This. for several reasons. We conSidcr
our time, labor and space entirely too valuable
to be devoted to q labored collection Of proofs
against the accomplices in a scheme of corrup-
ton which will inevitably work out its own
punishment Moreover, We know that an cX-
posure still more public and pointed than that
which has already resulted, would proves deep
modification to many persons connected with
the criminals and innocent Of the crime
Again, the Examiner knows that the thorough
result in a species Of personal collision which,
at this time, would necessarily involve sacrifices,
which we are obliged to avoid, in duty to our-
selves as well as to others.
The Examiner" may rest assured that had
not considerations like these influenced our
conduct We should not have hesitated to enter
into a full exposure Of names and facts.
We assert that such names and facts have
been furnished to us, in a manner and form
sufficient to convince our OWN mind Of their
authenticity. Our w crcdibility. taken
xonotho. nth c,,cb c,ctc nc ora ,lrc,6y familiar
to our readers, is the only proof which we can
consent, under present circumstances, to place
before the public. Nor do We at all dispute
the right Of the Examiner" to remain incre-
dulous. But we must be permitted to say that
the foundation of such incrcdulity on the sup
position OF the previous immaculate honesty
of the entire press of the State, Of either
party, savors very strongly Of affectation. The
least observant thinker knows that corruption
stalks abroad continually in our midst, here as
elsewhere. And the public press is frequently
its easiest and most available inStrumcnt-inso.
much that it is an absurdity to pretend that
any nation or State on earth maintains a large
and various public press, every portion of which
is preserved from corruption. This a truth SO
universally recognized that an attcinp, to blink
it is merely ludicrouS.
Perhaps the most pitiful attempt on the part
Of the Examiner" is the effort TO distort our
exposure Of Mr.. Letcher's weakness in West
ern Virginia, into an admission of his strength
in the East. 1t happens in this wise, Mr..
Letchers friends having insisted, in the first
instance, that the candidate ought to be
selected by, as well as from, Western Virginia,
we took occasion to point significantly to the
fact, then rendered undeniablc, that the large
majority Of Democrats in the West arc opposed
to Mr.. Letcher's nomination. We then asked
the Letcherites whether they were prepared to
adhere to the principle they had enumerated
but which VIC never did approve. We pre-
dicted that they would fly the track, as they
have done, and take all the chances for the no.
mination Of their ~favorite. This constitutes
the entire matter which the EXAMINER pre-
tends to find irreconcilablc with our subSc
quently expressed conviction that Mr.. Letchel
is neither the first choice, nor the secont
choice, nor the choice at all Of Eastern Fir
GINA" We sincerely trust that the "Exami
ner's" devotion to Mr.. Letcher is not so blinl
As its power Of discrimination has proved il
this instance.
In its attempt to identify Mr.. Lctcher with
the Tenth Legion, the Examiner finds nc
better success. The assertion that Mr.. Letcher's
voice has "cheered that faithful Democracy
(of the Tenth Legion in the dark hour o.
battle" "Jor a quarter Of century" is par
ticularly unfortunate. The darkest hour o.
battle which has yet demanded the devoted
efficiency Of the Tenth Legion, when the Viii