The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-09
Helper a Resident of Richmond.

| 1t 10 not generally known, we suspect, that
| HINTON Rowan HELPER, who has become SO
notorious within the last two or three mon tbs.
was once resident of this city. Nevertheless,
such is the fact. He lived several mon tbs with
Messrs. HAROLD & MURRAY, at that time
| booksellers on Broad street. as clerk, in he
year 1855, soon after his return from Calfor-
| MIA. While there he endeavored to get his
book, "The Land of Gold" published in the
| Sou IN, processing so strong a repugnance to
the North and its anti-slavery proclivities,
! that he disdainei to trust it even to a New
| York publisher. 1t was eventually published
| by HENRY TAYLOR, Sun Buildings, Baltimore,
and HELPER left the city to see to its crcula-
| ton and sale. Improved we suspect, failure
| not succeeding in the North on account of it's
| ultra pro- larery tendencies, and falling dead
in the Sou tn, IN spite of that ingredient. How
he first conceived the idea of writing the book
which has made him SO notorious we are un-
| able TO say Probably it was prompted by an
empty pocket, probably he received his inspi.
ration al the tribune office. When preparing to
write it, he addressed letter to Mr.. MURRAY,
zone OF his former employers,) requesting him
to send certain statistics with regard to the
negro population Of this city, saying that he
had written similar letter to Mayor MAYO.
but had received noanswer. Mr.. MURRAY took
no hotlce of this letter; yet he received copy
Of tine "Crsis" when 1T was published. The
information asked of Mr.. MURRAY aud the
Mayor he received from another gentleman of
this city, who had no suspicion of the pur-
pose for which it was designed. Mr.. Nj rRRAY
says that no TO the time Of his leaving lin he
thought him the strongest pro-slavery man
lie had ever seen, going a how-shot beyond
any man in these parts, even the most ultra
We We're not aware hat HELPERS book had
attracted attention in Congress before this
session-such, however, we learn was the fact
Il was denounced, GA its first appearance. by
Mr. CRAIGE, Of North Carolina VINO repre-
sented the district III which HELPER had re-
sided, and who charged the author with hay-
lug purloined money from the desk of his en-
pluyer, while clerk in a store. On account of
this ch4ree, HELPER came on to WASHINGTON
aud assaulted Mr. CRAIGE, attacking him
from behind his back. On his return to New
YORK, he published a hand bill, wherein he
undertook 10 ptiIiaie the theft, Of which he
dd MOI deny that lie had o.ef guilty, by plead
ing extreme youth, AID alleging that 1t WAS Il
common thing among young men living in
stores, TO help themselves 10 the money of
their employers. THIS charge against = large
body OF respectable men, is we take It, d san
der too gross 10 call for defence or denial
Such is I. sta tement of the information fur.
nlshed MS with regard to HELPER. There seems
To be little doubt that he wrote the book from
no other motive than 10 make money and
that provided he could make it SELL he cared
nothing either for the truth OF fa!sity of it's
statements, or for the mischief it might occa-
sion. There can be no question that it IS.
sisted very materially to bring the projects OF
Old JOHN BROWN to a head, by persuading
him that both The negroes aud the uon-slaye.
holding whites were ripe for rebellion. and
that he had only to raise his flag in order TO
sec ure the assistance of the lar ge maiority of
these classes. A: the same time ii is perfectly
certain that he knew better himself, and that he
made these statements only to make his hoax