p.

Richmond, Dec. 15, 1836.

My Dear Friend,

Money is very scarce here - Times very
hard - and, what is still worse I have a very sick wife -
and "to mend the matter" my Printing is nearly suspended,
in consequence of as ruinous as a foolish strike
of the Journeymen Printers, - a strike that will in
all probability prevent my issuing the 1st No. of my 3d [column?],
earlier than the 1st February.

Your article on copy-right is received,
and shall grace my next No. - I regret, that a pre-
vious arrangement will prevent its taking the lead.

I should like to see the attacks to which
you allude, as well as Bennett's reply. I am very certain
I never gave Mr. Price any cause to be angry with me,
nor yet with my paper. When I had the pleasure
of paying my respects to him in October last he received
and treated me as a gentleman, and I must
say that I was quite pleased with his [deportment?].
It is possible I may have said something in his pre-
sence, which he has misconstrued. Be his motives
what they may, I care not for them. Nothing shall
divert me from my purpose, - and that is to
do justice to all my [?] so far as
I know how to mete it out.

What can he mean by my purchasing
"laudatory phraseology" from you, or your pen. I
would despise myself, as much as I possibly
could you, if such were the facts. I never paid
you a cent for a [?] - nor never will. But
I will pay you still for any thing you may
pen for my [?] - or for any business I
may appoint you to do for me in New York.