The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-21
r,,o prass T-hen and Now.

The venerable eX-GoFefhol ,,-uor-
publishes in an extra sheet OF tue ""'.
tom T,.ue Inder fve-column coliilioio"
ton to the public which hao neeh ie'ssso
by the Richmond press. IN mus silins ~
n the world the venerable eN-ooseinof
,rs,,es ten strike at the press OF tn's day'
His ball is directed chiefly at the Enquirer,
the Wing, and the Dispatch, and we 'eei
aecrieyed at the conduct of the Enquirer,
which provoked this raking fire upon the
WHO and us, and the whole unlor-
tauate press of these times. the eN
Governor had been for some time adj
mitted to the columns Of the Enquirer,
and his thoughts and reflections were famli-
lar TO the readers of that paper. SO that he
became in some sort planted at the Enquirer
freside. and there smoked occasionally his
morning pipe. We cannot see how the
ENQUIRER could reconcile itself 10 he idea OF
shutting the door to so yivacious and genial
n puest as we know the Governor to be,
and then to bring him down upon us--that
Is the unkindest cnt Of all; tor our mouse
ueIng already full we are forced into the
paintul attitude of being compelled to close
orr door to one whom we have a sort Of in
trinity for, and to be roundly lectured on
that account.
But 10 return: The Enquirer's hospital
ity seems to have had limit, and it took
the alarm when 1t saw its honored guest adj
vancing at the head Of an army drawn up
in fine columns. That seemed to be more
than its hospitality could stand, and 1t In
cloriously fed and sheltered itself behind
the very lame excuse las the Governor IN
derstands it, of arant Of room! What a
wretch the Enquirer is, to be sure! 1t Is
not surprising that the Governor, who did
not hear of such paltry apology forty
tsce years since, should be altogether
unsatisfed with it no,c! So the Governor,
who, although weighed down by years, the
number of which we fear to conjecture, is
as Young and full of fire as man of thirty
five. turned with disgust from the Enquirer,
and tried the Wing and the Dispatch.
We can only speak for ourselves. We
really thought the Enquirer should take
care of its own heroes. Yet we vertured
to say that although entertaining great
respect for the author) zee had not room for
this long communication unless it were
printed az an advertisement. For this the
Governor cal. hauls us. He deplores the
departure of the glory of the press and the
death OF the eagle who once presided over
its management.
We unite with the Governor in dcplorlng
the departed light Of other days. We would,
If we could, abolish steam, and railroads, and
telegraphs, and return to the simpler anc
more vrtuous days Of our boyhood. But
we cau't, and we accommodate ourselves
to these times, and are quite up to the
high-water mark of that miserable slang
phrase "progress."
But the Governor cannot get out OF his
brooding over those other days lie knows
when Mr.. RITCuIE's Enquirer was the organ
of all the Romans, and when GALES & SEA-
roS's IntelliGencer was employed for many
months OF the "recess" in printing
speeches delivered in the winter session of
Congress. What paper could do such things
now? People won't tolerate them, and the
paper that would undertake these things
now would die of tubercular consumption.
Then few prominent men, who were able
and honest, were respected, and read and
followed. Nou the public men are in thou
sands where they we've then in hundreds.
The Romans now are in legions, and no
paper could accommodate them ii it would.
So the imitation of the old press Of Cover
nor SMITHS admiration is impossible.
But in truth, what editor in those days
made any money? They all died poor.
Their papers were occupied by the "Ro-
mans" and they had neither commissary
nor quartermaster' stores for the poor
editor.
Inasmuch as we offered to publish our
old friends article as an advertisement, and
IS he declined to pay the small sum which
its publication would have cost, it is evil
dent that his desire to instruct his country
men does not overbalance his love Of, say,
fifty.dolar bill. He is very willing to in
ssruct them if zee will pay the printer, but
entirely unwilling to do SO ut his own en-
pense Surely we do our part if we sur
render our columns. The writer who is
not willing to take them and ill them up at
his own charges is hard to please. We will
lend him our gun, but he must furnish his
own ammunition.
Isn't this fair! Look ut the change that
has taken place in the world. Mr.. RIrcHIE
had SPENCER RoAEE, John TAYLOR, JOHN
RANDOLPH. and q few others who used the
Roman names Of AGRICoLA, CATO, BRUTus,
etc. He could accommodate them. But Mr.
RITcHIE, before his death sadly felt the rev.
olution In politics and men. AS he swept
on further and further from the revolution
airy period, respect for the really great di-
minished, and the number of conceited
persons who thought they were as well
qualified to teach as MADISON and JEFFER-
SON, and JOIN TAYLOR, and SPENCER RoANE,
80 multiplied that he was greatly perplexed
ss to where to bestow them, and what to
do with them. Privately he felt and
cogitated and "cussed." He plainly
deplored the departure from the "better
days Of the Republic "-he thought that the
Cloths and Vandals had entered the capital,
and the glory Of the Republic been serious.
ly assailed. That unlimited license to dis,
quisitionists which had been accorded under
al enthusiastic idea Of the liberty of the
press" with that gallant and generous bird
the eagle presiding over its economy, be.
came great trouble. He felt incapable Of
meeting the demands authorized under
that "highfalutin definition Of Journalistic
liberty. He knew not what to do. Like
the old woman who lived in shoe, he had
SO many children he did not know
t.y.