Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-01
Enl. LIE EnnMirEr.
fVI tHo L"I"''
Anal hIfeFaI,a lbprfenl.

Audi Aiteram l'nrfem.
scssrs. Edi,ors:--A city %journai recently
devoted an elaborate leading article I" Il Si"?rn'
attack on the subordinate officials OF the Con.
tolerate Government. as a body. That paper
has, however, refused to publish n reply. am
consequently compelled to solicit, from your
courtesy, the privilege OF presenting "tha other
side Of the question, since that facility has
becr denied where it nigh! b. c'iimed as =
customary right.
AM not conscious o! any special llnenablllty
10 the heavy charccs preferred, on the part ni
the Office, bursatl, Or department III which |
have the honor to h. employed: tat The charges
are in themselves not only o: n grave character,
but universal in tcrms; and | ask attention TO
the failure OF the accuser to subStantiatc them.
trust that his compliments to the State oili
GERS ut the expense Of those under Confederate
authority. !Gav L.: h:itrr Observed shan hi'
aliua.lre.a!oiIa uI,A ti,c Iatt,i. Il Is ~t>s:ft:":
tha, "iic hIifc.Uv 81 Inc Federal au'l Grm!c'l".
rats Governments a:c the most dilalory Gn the
warldJ in the performance Of duty, and offensive
in the manners Of their under officers" Nus
it may he that the writer in question has e.
ioyrd peculiar personal opportunities Of cuMi-
parison, but his opinion is opposed by the COLI
slant testimony, both in print and c,'llvcrSa'
ton, Of travelled Americans in general. 1t Is
true that the observation Of fr1 can have cX-
tended beyond the custom houses, the police
and passport Offices, ia;o IL" 5rAetJaHa Of Ed
rorean official intercourse. wt;ch is naturally,
except when diplomatic, confined u the Sub
iect o. citizen; hui so lar as experienced, d
comparisons has always been drawn in favor "f
America. Moreover, Englislnnrn and o,hrr
Europeans, well acquainted with their own
hnms machinery uf decentralization, have
| frequently expressed their agreeable surprise
a! the accessibility and habitual urhanily ni
our officials, il contrast To the restrictions to
which they had been accustomed.
Our disalvantsgrols comparison. will. the
rest If "tlIe world" However, ii less in;pnr.
tant thon The alleged fact, that "tle Southern
people iinH 81: m.rrcrs :Gn rcprll:iyG ipr en-
~luranrc. y ruil citation Of the languas" here
abridged, would ba found 10 present the obnoS
inni iI:a with even greater force. And this
charge is expressly made against 1.-The major
ity otthc subordinate officers" &c. The writer
admits that there may be u few accidental gen.
tlemcn ~cntanglcd among uc, but is quite explicit
in his rcitcrations oC condemnation Of us, as
a class. Now IS u class, when did we Cease IL
he part and parcel Of this same "Snuthcrn
prnple?' Did We not come 10 our desks in
Was!l;ngton or Richmond, from the very same
State, rites, loves, villages and plantations,
that n:r fellow ~citiZtra CnrNa from, daily, 10
our Offices, Tor the llaTsacti0n Of business: II
The Southern people" havca special catechrs;n
Of good manners, We arc fall as likely to have
learned it in infancy. az their sclfconstitu,cd
attorney. One might fancy, from his express
s;ons, that we lrui all just been imported from
abroad, as the Normms into England.
The instances uf dissatisfaction 4lducGl arc
most lnGicrously lisproporlionel 10 the sweep
in5 allegations which llIey seem intended To
sustain. a very r7thclic appeal Ia sympathy
is made i'll one cnSc, wll.rc:n i appears, on The
face cf the statement, that claimant for mnnrr
returned disappointed. from his failure To- p2u.
ducc 4 legal voucher, SITTER i~nrictinE his ur.
cencr upon no fever than seven distinct Offices
Ii is 10 h@ hoped tina! tha courtesy Of State of
t~icials, which IS h-I; ~. Is il model Epr Our IT.
proacil, d"rs nu; innm:c those gentlemen tn
disbnrsn public funds nfnn imperfect vonch:r..
The assertion that i grc:1omina;It sent
m.,nt Of in.rA;a I;!sI$, AMI Indignation IN:
BEEN excited il thn rD".luIniIy, is not nniy
utterly unsupported a. l;ia!12e, but T~irtasi'l
! 'l':Irnvc'! by IT,. -. ! FL? H. r.1nrrHt::
h".n all 7er-r:c 80: Higl. ~uiii:ar7 Of t:Gvcru
mrnt."
= Nv, wiis an" $50" ."a'irr -: persuaded that
L would ir possible Il: H' 10 apiduct a system
Of intercourse With ~: i:ltD 8. citizens, SO UNI
vcr$nllg offensive. u!r!"r the immediate eve ri
oar u]yeri"t", w.liIcu; their notice, rml. there
! fnr.. i:,cit cnaniH.icrH Bat they ~" acqu!l.
led; therefor. oar driri:ttiras mu.t IL, lmagi
nary.
Tic allac;a:irn at calling Ua '>"I.,atS 81
servants" Scarcely deserves noti,:... in one
and the same sense every soldier, "f wi.!.eTer
rank, il Il 'srrrani." Ever: man, tie Prcsi.
dent inclusive, VII, i: md. obligation u pr
inrtL i:fuo dr.T acr"",!iGG constructions. i: ,
servants" Ia it.. r>'eni "f hi" express - im
pi.,i contract - far. and n1 f1rihci, We arr
'.arrvIais". liui, let me- enquire. ~hr r'aSii
tu;c iir master class vi s',cin;Y , lkc !.:.ppg
cxctup, from acrei'nd+? i an rGrlnycd writer
frcr ihsn An rrr;.I,frI clerk. Wherein lIcs
! tic salary" uI u INK render his prr.,ion
especially s%rrrile, Nhnse livery" dn; l."
wear. cSr.pt thu: vi lic sovereign people,. tr-
equal: individually, anu his $1Ipcriors oily il.
their collective capacity ? Socially. H. IKE
every other, must take rank according ~ lis
personal qualifications.
Not to waste Lire and space IN firli".r rifu
talion Of such abSurditv, let me rom,n'I lha
public that Cur 2ttrntons arr diIe Ii l!;eIn al,
impartialiY, and thai thny ar amidst IL lLsn
selves a. We'll as to u;, wh"A they occupy ~:
unnecessarily, or intraTiTciy, al iinpr"r9r
hours, 10 the letriMrni 81 he rG.ull T despatch
II business.
Respectfully. their cLclient servant,
CLERK.