Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-04

the bond he was unwilling that his sure
ties should pay II. and he therefore would
not accept 20 fight at once. but he would
accept II II was renewed after the
year for which he was bound had
expired. Some publication on the sub
Ject WAS made afterwards. but no FUR
ther challenge was given and the
matter was closed. Nobody who knew
them ever doubted the courage Of either
OF the gentlemen; and indeed afterwards
johnson, o. captain of artillery, exempliiied
ms bravery III many a hotlY-contested
battle. and Daniel by his GOODNESS in the
duel with Elmorc, of South Carolina, in
which be was badly wounded. land he was
also shot ia the arm while acting as AID TO
General a. +. Hill IN the battle OF Mechan-
icsyillc.
The Richmond Eramiaey. was power in
It's day and John ~. Daniel was one OF Viz
ginia's most distinguished editors. His
name Will 20 down in history alongside OF
those Of joseph Gales. Of the National In
'ett4noer. John Hampden Pleasants, OF the
hdtg aud Thomas Ritchie. Of the ER3utr1'
a. among the greatest Of Americas Jour
nalistS. He welded trenchant pen, DASH
ing on STROKES OF sarcasm or ridlculc against
ms opponents whose influence lac desired TO
weaken or destroy: and oftcntimes be
would photograph them by single apt
epithet that would stick 10 them through
life. He selected rs colaborers on his paper
men OF cultivated minds, able, versatile
writers. who could express IN their edito-
mas striking ideas in concise, eloquent
language That would instruct and please
the public and make them think. Some OF
his contributors were Robert W Hughes.
Patrick Henry Aylett, William Old, Dr. A..
y. Pcticolas, Edward A Pollard. l.. q
Washington, Professor Basil Gildersleevc,
John IL. Thompson. DR.. George W. Bagby,
n. A. Sturdiyant, and John Mitchell, the
mere mention Of whose names VIII
indicate 20 those who knew them
the excellency Of the paper in which their
contributions were contained. DIR. Bagoy
says; Some Of these gentlemen had the
paper entirely in their charge FOR months
a. time, but 1t il no disparagement TO
them % say that the paper IN their hands
was never what IL was in the hands OF John
NJ. Daniel. lie had in him an intensity of
bitterness which they did not possess and
would not have displayed if they had pos
sesscd. He ha6 strength OF Orlgl-
naiity, an art Of attracting contrbu-
tons and Of shaping them INTO his
own siDilitudc. and what is most
10 the point, a painstakipg attention
to the minutI@ of the paper, which. COM
bined made him an editor whose equal IN
all respects has never been seen in this
country" Mir. Daniel had very exalted
idea OF what newspaper should be. His
model WAS the London Times, and II he had
lived his desire was TO make the Examiner
approach as near as possible TO that Won
dcrful paper IN the influence and control
which IL would exert upon the popular
| mind by the excellence and strength of Its
editorial matter as well ~ by its beng
vehicle b. disseminate the current news
of the dav. II had reached permanent sue
| cess. 10 paid HIM yearly a large income.
! His idea was, and / think it is q cor
rect one, that one or two well written, able,
interesting, brany editorials of column or
more IN length should appear IN each paper
! upon some current popular topics which
would attract public attention. and which
the people would love to read not only be
| cause OF the incisive, striking, elegant
manner of their composition, but also be
cause they contained thoughts and ideas
which were made TO appear so palpably
true that It would be the director of public
sentiment In some measure the ErdWHG'
! had tins influence, and doubtless IT would
| have been more potent had Mr.. Daniel
! lived lie loved the paper rs father loves
| his child. lie had created II, and all his
aspirations and hopes were cOncentred IN
1t. He would have fostered l, with all ms
euerCv-all his talent and editorial tact.
! lie would have had around him a
CORDS OF assetants Of unquestiOned ability,
learning. and Versatility, and the Er7aHor
would have become, what aforetlme the
! Richmond WIN and EaqvT0' had been III
| Virginia. the directors Of popular scnti-
ment and the controllers of their respective
parties. But. alas, 1t was motto be-. Pneu-
monia took him in January, 1860, and on
! the Both of March, 1865, just few DAYS be-
/ tore the downfall of Richmond, John NJ.
| Daniel. the great editor. was dead. He
! wilied his paper TO his friond and manager,
| Richard +. Walker. as a testimonial of his
| regard for his faithfulness 10 him. Its value
may be coniectured by the tact that few
days after the execution Of Ilchmond
Thomas II. Wvnne, OF Richmond, offered
Mr. Walker $4,000 for one-hait interest
in il. but before the bargain was con-
Guided the military authorizes issued an
order that the paper should be continued
no longer. and thus the Eyamlny died. But
John NJ. Daniels memory still lives and
some time somebody VIII make very IN
teresiing book by collecting and publish
inc the editorials OF the Richmond IL
na,j,ey. Il. d. ".
I'VE were a witness 20 the fight between
Mr.. Daniel and Mr.. Johnson and can testify
to the correctness of the story Gs above
narrated. Mr.. Daniel drew small but
dangerous-looking derringer pistol, but as
he said, the weight of his antagonist pm
toned his right arIn.l