The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-21
Mr.. NAssEY7s REPLY.


About IL O'Clock last night Mr.. Massey
sent us the following reply:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
OFFICE AUDITOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTS,
RICHMOND, July 20. 1880. }
Mr.. Editor,-I am In receipt OF a note
OF this date from Edward ii. Fisher, Esq,
asking. iu behalf OF the Dispatch, a copy Of
a correspondence between Judge Christian
anG myself relative TO certain allowances to
the Sergeant Of the city for prisoners
clothing, IL in my opinion its publication
be consistent with public interest.
You refer in your note TO "a paragraph
in the State OF this afternoon"
| herewith furnish you copies OF the let
ters referred to. This correspondence
needs no explanation. The letters sufii-
cientIy explain themselves; therefore fur
nish them without note or comment.
NV reasons for not furnishing them to
the State, and then for furnishing them to
the Dispatch, should be given. They are
briefly these:
The case has been placed in the hands Of
the Commonwealth Attorney, Captain
George d. Wise, by Judge Christian for
judicial investigation. &c. Captain Wise
suggested to me that the publication OF the
correspondence might possibly interfere TO
some extent with fair and impartial trial
Of the case in hand. therefore thought 1t
proper not to give it TO any newspaper.
This morning reporter for the State
called upon me IN a gent'emaniy manner
for copy Of the correspondence. stated
to him 10Y reasons for not complying with
his request at present. | thought he saw
the propriety Of my decision, and left salts
fed that was right.
Soon after lie left, however, he returned
accompanied by the editor OF the State.
The editor insisted on my giving him copies
OF "those letters" 1 expressed to him, as
courteously as | could, why | declined
furnishing them for publication at present.
or course these reasons did not satisfy The
editor OF tue State, though | think they
would have satisfied ordinary men.
The editor OF the State talked in his own
peculiar and inimitable manner. He talked
loud, he talked long, and he talked
well. he talked only rs the editor OF the
State can talk, with about the same CO.
herencu that is seen IN his inimtable para
graph to which you refer. His talk would
have been remarkable il it had been the
talk OF any other man than the editor OF the
State. During all this time he smoked as
only the editor Of the State can smoke, and
pufed the lobacco-smoke through his nose
instead OF his mouth, which | should have
regarded as very remarkable IL The
smoke had been emitted from any other
nose than that of the State. Finally the
State left the Office in his own peculiar and
inimitable way. / should have been sur
prised at this conduct OF the State from be-
ginning to the end il It had, been the con.
duet OF any body but the State. Indeed,
although the conduct OF the State was con-
sistent ,oih the State, aud entirely excusa-
bic in the State, and perfectly harmless to
ANYBODY but the State, il it had been The
conduct OF anybody besides the State
should have regarded it as rude, offensive,
and impertlnent. But as it was the State
and as the State is entitled TO peculiar
consideration which relieves it from de-
signing either rudeness, odensiveness, oil
impertlnence, we can only say that it wa'
peculiarly State-like, and cast the veil OF
charity over whatever the State says ol
does. So, without any further notice OF
the remarkable efTusion OF the State. anC
fully excusing it, | must admit that it
sensational article has, in my opinion, ren
dered it proper for me to waive all Obiec
tlons to the publication Of the letters yot
ak. They are therefore placed at YOU
disposal. Very respectfully,