The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-30
CLARKE COUNTY.
Correspondence Of tte Richino.d n,spa, 80


& We haye had glorious rainsa ut last. Every
thing looks fresh, green, and beaufifui. W.
,,r,t,r, the theory OF spon taneous combustion,
haa aln,ost concluded that we were ABOUT 10
,rtinnsa the accomplishment OF prophecy
{. the he earfi, shall melt With fervent neat.
This n. heweyer, no time Tor gloomy con-
te,nn,ation. AL nature is rejoicing. !ne
ton ,f the woodpccker Is lively. Ihe Jay
hird aiyeti, forth bis most cheerful notes.
The little bull-Erog tumpetb with Joyous ce-
Ierity, and the whang-doodle no longer
monrneth for his first born.
/ There IL soon to be in BerTyvti'e q con-
yention for the nomination OF STATE sena'
tor for the counties OF Clarke, Frederick.
and Warren, and for the nomination OF
member of the House OF Delegates. Judge
Lovel!. OF Warren, seems to be the choice
of all the counties for senatorial honors:
He H., at present, and has been for several
wears, the delegate from Warren county;
He Is also chairman OF the State central
Committee. Clarke, 1t is thought, VIII De
solid for him. Warren Is also unit, ana
Frederick, as far as heard from. says amen
to the choice OF Clarke and Warren. Clarke
and Warren unite in sending a delegate,
and it Is thought: the honor OF naming the
delegate will be conceded to Clarke. Meade,
of Greenway; Nelson, of Chapel, and Pow
ers, OF Battletown district-all good men--
have been spoken Of. I anu not warranted
in stating that any Of them are candidates,
but any or either OF them would doubtless
serve TX elected.
In your controversy with the senior OF
the ReIiqious Herald we fear you have
"caught Tartar" You quote sentence
from DR.. Jeter which you say is incorrect.
GConverted under such circumstances, we
may we'll suppose that the Roman household
became shining Christians" You state I:
cdr, Jeter says that he was converted,
when he meant to say that Cornelius and bis
family were converted" How it is posi-
bic that DIR. Jeter, Of whom you say "no-
body writes better English" can be con-
str,led as saying that the Roman household
became shining Christians because OF his
conversion, is bard to comprehend. Strict
grammatical constructionists not infre-
ouently become involved in strange lncon-
sistencies. 1t is quite clear that by no fair
rule of construction can the pronoun we
he made to refer to the word converted.
Suppose the sentence had been thus: Con-
verified under such circumstances, it may
well be supposed that the Roman household
became shining Christians" Could you
then have claimed that DR.. Jeter said that IT
was converted2 You say: ga rule OF gram
mar requires that in such sentences not only
must a nominatiye case follow the indie
pendent clause, but the nominatiye must be
referred to in the independent clause We
have frequently been impressed with the
=. clearness, conciseness, and purity" OF
DIR. Jeter's style. II he does not always
write in accordance with the rules OF gram
mar then we would respectfully suggest
that the rules might be probably amended
il made TO conform to the Doctors style.
DR.. McGuffey, late professor Of Moral PHI.
losophy at the University of Virginia, used
to say that the writer or speaker who
slavishly adhered to the rules OF grammar
who, If occasioned required, could not be
independent OF them-might make clever
pcdagogue, but could never become a dis.
tinguished orator or author. But we really
had not intended to "measure lances "
with the Dispatch. There is one expires.
sion in your criticism OF DR.. Jeter to which
we timidIy call your attention. 1t is this
eve guess that DR.. Jcter will say that these
sentences are absurd" &c. 1t is great
outrage upon southern dignity that one OF
its leading papers should resort to guessing.
We have not read DR.. Jeter's writings for
the purpose Of ascertaining, but are salts
fed that his yoluminous writings may be
searched, and the obnoxious word guess
will not be found in them.
Now, we feel better that you have been
rebuked for guessing, but do not know that
our condition will be improved after we. in
turn, shall have been subjected to the
searching criticism of the Dispatch. Upon
one thing we agree, and that is upon DIR.
Jeter's excellence as writer. Many per-
sons, who care little for the distinctive
principles Of the Herald, acknowledge its
senior to be writer OF unsurpassed ability.
The Herald without DR.. Jeter would be the
play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out. This
we DO not say to the disparagement Of any
other members of its editorial staff. They,
with us, will acknowledge DR.. Jeter to be
the sun, whilst, as planets, they must be
content to borrow the illumination which
his splendor reflects. G. M. L.
(If so much of the foregoing letter as is
devoted to criticising the Dispatch can mis-
lead anybody, we put too high an estimate
upon the Intelligence of our readers. II
the sentence which be quotes had been
framed as he suggests, it would have been
incorrect-tbatS all.