Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-09-15
We find in the London "Indcx" Of July .:
l,t;.3, the following letter:
TIE RICHMOND ENQUIRER"


TIE RICHMOND "rNQulEEE"
T, tie Editor Of tie Lnder.
SIX: The papers in the Federal interest
have f,s some time past hnbirually represent
81 the Richmond Enquirer as the personal
or,an" Of President Davis, for the purpose rt
making the latter responsible for certain vio-
,ent expressions and extreme views that have
arreared in the columns Of the EnYuIer.
Wiki characteristic audacity they have ven
,ared upon this deception, although the very
articles they quote were assaults upon the Adj
ministration and the most careless reader
perceive the abSurdity of the Confederate Pre-
sIlenr abusing himself and hi, ministers.
Dutas impudent assertion is apt to impose upon
many persons who do not take the trouble tn
INQUIRE for themselves, and as the Enquirer
formerly had the credit-whethcr rightly or
ro cannot say-of expressing the policy Of
Mr.. pavis's Administration, it may bcproper TO
,;;.;e briefly the facts. Some months since the
Enquirer underwent a radical change in
al excep, It's name: its staff and a portion Of
;:.e goodwill including the public advertising,
ws-e transferred to new paper, the Senti-
mel :" and the cditorship Of the Enquirer >
went into the hands of John Mitchell, of
Irish rebellion SS,toriety. Since that period
tie "Enquirc.'| has distinguished itself by
repeated violent onslaughts on the Govern
ment and more especially its foreign policy,
or which i, is an avowed enemy. So far then
from the sentiments which the Anglo-Ameri.
cln press quotes with so much. gusto, being
tie sentiments of the President OF the Con-
federate States, they are those of a political
c2ponent foreigner by birth, and, eompara-
lively Speaking, new convert to Southern
iews OF Southern Institutions. The impu-
,!-nce nr PARTISAN malgnity has seldom gone
further than in this hold-faced attempt at ma
king the one responsible for the philippcs Of
the other. Yours, &c,
4 CONFEDERATE.
NJ. Benjamin has an "organ' in London,
IND through said organ, as we'll as lutcly
through Spence, has defined our position.
The State Department has unofiicially, but
no, less authoritatively, denied all organship
administrative as we'll as "pewonaP' to the
President--of the Enquirer VIC re-
joiee to know that this tmportam matter is
nnw placed beyond misunderstanding. Put
reinstatement rs TO the radical change in all
except its name" amounts, in truth, to simply
his: Mr. Smith was former y employed On Il
weekly salary 10 write for the "Enquircr;" he
ceased To write for the Enquirer" and re-
'vsTed the "Virginia Sentinel, ''formerly Of
Alexandria, in Richmond, und became its edi-
r2r. Never having owned any property in the
good will, including the public ADVERTISE
ments," Of The Enquirer" he could not, and
d'! not, transfer any portion ot either to the
newspaper" The only 'public Advertising
the Enquirer" ever had was the publication
"i the General Orders" Of the Adjutant and
Inspector Generals Office, which remains with
the Enquirer" and the "Whig." The publica-
iya OF the laws ut one time made in the& En-
l'"rer," was declined by the paper before Mr..
smith left the "staf," because the price WAS
h,t sufficiently renunerative. The averment
Ay'he State Department of repeated violent
ohs'aughtS on the government" is well known
70 cur readers to be utterly unfoundcd; but
We have, to MIR. Benjamin's So called
foreign policy" his "consuls," his "com-
missoners" and his Abolitionist agent,
Spence declared ourselves an "avowed
enemy" The Congress which condemn
3D. hy resolution of an investigating com
mI,tee, Mr.. Benjamin's Encouragement so
. The War Department, will, it is hoped, at it:
hezt session take into consideration his aboli
'on pamphletcer, Spence, and place its con-
9emnation also upon Mr.. Benjamin's "forcign
policy" The expressions "political opro-
Hent," foreigner by birth" and ''new convert,
:" Southern views of Southern institutions"
We're designed to apply to Mr.. Mitchell; but
tie editor of the Enquirer" is the same per-
'pn who, since 1853, has controlled its edito'
fl!l columns, and who adopted and is rcspon.
Hfi'e Tor all the paper contains. Mr.. Mitchels
''nnectoa with it is a matter on which no
person out Of this Office has any right to in
4mre. As the editor is Virginiau born, po-
'''lcal associate of the President, and has al
lays held Southern views Of Southern in.
"''n''ons,' this last subterfuge of misreprc-
>""'''S''on will fail to serve the State Depart
Eeat
he Enquirer has published its want Of
'oa'laence in Mr.. Benjamin, and we are not
singular IN this opinion. OF the four political
:apers OF Richmond but one, the 'new paper, "
'ne sentinel" sussains the State Department
among the press of the Confederate States he
,"9. ,"9'ogs the same proportion of bad repute-
LUIS Is the opinion of native born Virginiau
"O.'n Is shared by nine-tenths of our fellow
"itizens
me fresldent retains Mr.. Benjamin in his
,a'aes' doubtless, for reasons good and sufh
,,'' srn 10 the Executive; but We do not approve
:" mat appointment, and cannot fail to avow
o"' asapproval. When he sacrificed New
ofieans, Fort Donelson aud Roanoke Island
"e"ought it high time to get rid Of him, ant
'A''e'ssd that opinion in an article on the