Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-10-30
For the SPECTATOR. =
A Card.
THE RICHMOND sTATE.n

It is enjoined upon US that we shall
not despise any of Gods creatures
The malignity, pure, simple, dense and
patent, that must have inspired the ar
ticle, copied into the SPECTATOR from
the Richmond State, might supply the
temptation to violate the Injunction, if
it did not carry with full excuse.
have no controversy with the State,
of course, and if the article referred to
had not been re-published in the SPEC
TATOR, I would have looked upon it as
being beneath my notice. Any one
Iinquiring after the truth, by referring
to Smollett's history of England, vol. 2,
PIP. 60, 81 and 62, can find the facts sub.
stantially as / have recited them. I
said distinctly in my card, that it would
be presumption in me even to suggest a
scheme of adjustment, and that the
reference to Mr.. Pelham's scheme was
made merely to show what had been
done in the way of adjustment, and not
as foreshadowing any scheme of my
own. OF course there is not a word Of
truth in the statement that L proposed
to initiate England ia anything. 1 re-
cited the naked facts, leaving every one
to draw his own onclusions, without
comment, except to make the point that
there was no howl about reputation in
England. Smellett says: "His (Mr
Pelham's) plan was accordingly COM
municated, canvassed and approved in
the house of commons, and an act pass.
ed for reducing the interest of the funds
which constitute the national debt
In pursuance of this act for the redue-
ton of the interest, the greater part of
the creditors complied with the terms
proposed, and subscribed their respec-
tive annuities, before the end of Febru-
airy but the three great companies
kept aloof, and refused to subscribe any
part of their capital. His opinion (Mr.
.Pelham's) was that they and the uncom-
plying annuitants should be INDUCED
with further time to complete their sub
scription, but in order to preserve the
authority of parliament, and the respect
due to that august assembly, they ought
not to be gratified with such advantage
GUS terms as were allowed to the annui-
tants who at first cheerfully complied
with the proposals offered by the legis-
lature." Smollett says: 1.-THE second
subscription had the desired effect. The
three great companies acquiesced." AS
to the recusant annuitants, if after the
alternative was presented to them of re-
ceiving new bonds or the cash, under
harder terms than were proposed to
those who had cheerfully complied, the
State cannot see that there was some
thing compulsory II had not said that
there was) in the scheme, his power of
discrimination must be admirably adj
justed to the density and obtusity of his
intellect. The State was not aiming at
the truth, and is itself caught talking
with the fippancy, confidence and arro-
gance of dense ignorance. There has
been metropolitan standard of fitness
for office, that the State, if it had been
inclined to honesty, would have been
ashamed of, and that would be secuted
in this latitude. I shall take no further
notice of anything from the Richmond
State, as I have made it dead rule
never to take any notice of fellow after
[ have once discovered that he is total
stranger to the common instincts of
gentleman.
GEO SEAW WRIGHT