The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-24 00:00:00

2HE HOMBURG QUARREL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TOMS.
Sir,—l trust that your sense of justice will cause
you to insert this letter in your columns. lam not
about to reply to or to discuss the article you have
deemed it proper to write in relation to my conduct.
I am anxious only to place some facts before your
readers ; the inferences from them 1
must leave to
be drawn by those who read them.
While walking on the Kursaal-terrac3 in this
watering-place I saw an Italian, named Farina,
sitting at the same table, and apparently in conver-
sation with three American ladies, who were fre-
quently together. One of them was well known to
me. When she left the group and, with her hus-
band, approached me , I knowing Farina to be an
unfit associate for honest men or virtuous women,
felt it to be my duty to warn her against him. This
caution was communicated by the lady to her friends.
,
The natural effect of it soon became apparent to
Farina. He appealed first personally to the lady's
husband, and then by letter. The only reply which
he received from this
gentleman was that he was
ready to accept the responsibility of anything that
1 his wife had said. So soon as I heard what had taken
place I told my friend that by no code of honour
could a gentleman meet Farina, and that, as I has
made the accusation, I
•
felt that I alone ought to
maintain it, and alone take upon myself the respon.
sibility of my opinion respecting the impossibility
of a duel. In the evening I saw Farina, and told
him that his application
for redress ought to be to
me. I was met by loud words and a menacing
attitude. As I had no wish to be a party to a per-
sonal altercation, I contented myself with prevent-
ing his menace being carried into execution. The
whole affair did not last a minute, for the spectators,
as was natural, interfered. He says he horse-
whipped me. It is simply
witnesses, Count Rocourt and Count Miraglia. The
former has left; the latter has addressed to me a—
letter, in which he says : untrue. He cites two

" I have the honour to inform you that I never
authorised Farina to make the use he did of my
name, and I have written to him to complain of
this proceeding."
Here my part in the affair ends. I made no
appeal to the police. They appealed to mc. A
promise was sought from me
that I would not
molest Farina ; I gave it, and have kept it. There
were others, however, Englishmen and foreigners,
who of their own motion did communicate to the
police their views of Farina's character. It was
upon this information, since confirmed, as they in-
formed me to-day, by communications from the
police of France and Belgium, that the authorities
here acted. It was no act of mine that caused
Farina to be excluded from the Rursaal. I did not
' l
or
dI haveknowledgeappliedthat the power of
to the police, for
l apply,
phad
y , n noro
thought
o
a
exclusion was exeteised by them. Indeed, when I
heard that be had been excluded I told the Commis-
sary that I trusted this was not done on my account,
as I could take care of myself, when he replied that
the measure had been taken on other grounds.
Such being the case, am I not right in saying that
there are only three matters in relation to which I
have to be judged by my constituents and the rest
of my countrymen ? Did Ido well in warning a
lady with whom I was acquainted in relation to
Farina's character? Secondly, was the warning
made on sufficient grounds? And, thirdly, have I
shown myself deficient in personal courage ?
We are all liable to form erroneous judgments,
and mine possibly might have been wrong. I acted
in giving the warning I did from the sense of duty
incumbent on a gentleman. If to-day I had to act
in this matter again, I should do as I have done.
Doubtless I am wrong if I cannot prove the charge j
I made, which was (it was not rightly translated iu