The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-21 00:00:00

TO LORD FOLEY.

- 6th April, 1821.
MY Lonn—You are aware of the circutatance which has
prevented my answering your Lordship's letter, received at a
very late, hour on my return home last night, till the present
moment.

With respect to the paragraph, contradicting that which ap-
peared in the Press" of yesterday, to which your Lordship
requests my sanction, I beg to observe, that I can in no way
interfere, without entering at once into a full and particular ex-
planation of the circumstance, which might be equally unsa-
tisfactory to Lord Petersham ; but his Lordship is at liberty to
correct any paragraph which may have appeared, as he thinks
proper, holding himself responsible to me tor the correctness of
his statement.

I am, your Lordship's obedient Servant,
(Signed) J. W. WEDDERBURNE,

Colonel Palmer saw Lord Foley by appointment the follow-
ing day, after which interview, and much discussion with my-
self, as to the impossibility of going the length of Lord Foley's
request on the one hand, and of its Lordship's adherence to
some explanatory measure that might be satisfactory to Lord
Petersham's friends on the other, I determined on placing my
honour entirely in the hands of Colonel Palmer, convinced that
I could not delegate a trust so dear to myself in better; and as
I.gave him a carte blanche to act upon, he did not hesitate to
give me the following letter at my request :

• Albany, Bth. April, 1821.
.DEAR WEDDERBURI•TE—AS you leave your honour entire-
ly in my hands, in the settlement of the affair betwixt Lord
Petersham and yourself I do not hesitate to assure you, that in
whatever way I conclude the business, I take the whole respon-
sibility on myself, and consider your honour as my own.
Faithfully yours,
(Signed) CHARLES PALMER...
J. W. WEDDERBURNE, Esq. Sze. &c.

Upon the receipt of such a document, Colonel Palmer was of
course fully authorised to act as he pleased ; and it would have
been impossible for me to have calkd in question the course he
thought fit to pursue, so long as the above pledge remained
unredeemed.

The following paragraph was that which Colonel Palmer con-
sidered consistent with my honour to sanction, and it must be
presumed agreed-to by Lord Foley, as being satisfactory .to the.
friends of Lord Petersham :
"We have authority to declare upon the subject of a para-
graph respecting an extraordinary Fracas in high life, which
appeared in our Paper of thesth instant, that the fact of one of
the parties having submitted to any, treatment derogatory to his
honour or character as a Gentlenian, is wholly unfounded. We
have the same authority to disavow any other statement which
may have, appeared relative to the affair in question."—(British
Press, 9th April.)
Now, if this measure meant any thing, or if any object was
to beattained by its adoption, I . contend that further demand
on one part, or accession on the other, was rendered impossible.
It was however, with great surprise, • that I saw the matter
brought fully and unnecessarily before the-public, in Colonel
Palmer's letter to myself, in" The Morning Post" and " Bri-
tish Press" of the 10th instant, in which he publicly redeemed
the pledge he had given me in his private letter df the Bth inst.
I determined on replying by the same channel, immediately
to this letter, and had sent one to the' press, on Tuesday the
10th, with as little intimatiofi to Colonel Palmer as lie used in
first addressing me upon .the Subject, almost verbatim to that
which appeared by his insertion on the 12th.

COlonel Palmer was very atiXiomethat my reply (which he
had not then seen) should be postponed, and in compliance with_
his solicitations, I accompanied him mid Mr. Hawkins (who
had come purposely to town from 100 miles distance at the joint
request of Col. Palmer and inysclf) to the offices of the _Morn-
ing Post and Press, where I agreed. to modify anypart which
he could satisfactorily convince me would be ineuedient."—
Without, however, coming to this point-the opposition of Col.
P.'s wishes and My own was immaterial, as the effect of our
discussions was—that the persons conducting the press actually
refused to insert my letter, and- it only remained for me to as-
sure Ccl. P., that, convinced as I was; of the necessi of Some
reply, as public as he • had thought fit to make his address, no
arguments should induce me to change my opinion.
•The next (Wednesday) morning I received the 'following
rote froth Colonel Palmer, Which is the only one of any descrip:
tion I-received from him on -Wednesday

DEAR W.—.l am so imwell I cannot leave my bed—So pray
come here as soon as you - can, and if I am unable to satisfy
your mind as to the Dropiiety of my letter (that of Colonel P.'s
published of the 10th), and that your answer is totally unne-
cessary, you must publish. As for any offence meant" to you,
in not showing it to you previously, I think my -Conduct
throughout must convince you to the contrary. The only rea-
son was, • I knew you would not like it,. and therefore, as I
considered it necessary to publish it, it was much less offensive
to. do it without advising with you than against your consent.
Come as early as you can, for if you are determined to write,
the more time you have to consider the better, and I hope
you are convinced, on reflection, that I could not have done j
better than in preventing it last night.
Faithfully your's,
"Will you breakfast here ?

C. P.

By the Bearer of this note; I sent the following reply to Co-
lonel P. little imagining I was writing that, which, a few
hours I was to see in the Public Papers :
DEAA PALUEE.--I only entreat we may have no repetition
of the unpleasant and endless discussions of last night, fur if I
aid not solemnly and firmly believe some reply indispeosible,

IVedncidiy.

There is one word necessary in referemie to the. above sun-
posed fracas, and in reference to Colonel 15.'5 having th n ae-
featd my Wishes, and it is this—tin .t, of whatever. .charactt'e our
future intercourse may be, I' owe it t myself to state,: my firm
belief, that Colonel Palmer's opposition_ on this occasion, and
aria Zeal to promote what he COnsideredthe interest of thoie in
whoSe cause he had so warmly embark&A„ emanated froth the
best motives, and an anticipation of the LT:2,as aU7 in-
tem:ter:trice on my part (that from my statea)f mine,. and excited
fee/Lna, he had every reason to apprehend, might prodtiCe to
the contrary.
AccOeding to appointment, I called on Coloh.el P. on Wed-
n_ forenoon,. and then gave him the letter wh:enh wished
published that 'night, and which differed in he material point
train the one which was withdrawn the preceding.; and I sun-
geSted that it would perhaps as well attain the object iu view, if
he addressed one to me, explaining his reasons •for having at
flrtt done so without my knowledge, and that either mode was
immaterial to myself.
I dined that day with Col. Palmer in the Albany, when he
expressed himself mucil satisfied with my reply, ana nad deter-
mined on publishing it, instead of a letter from himself, and for
Which express purpose he left Me to go to the The Morning Post
"Office after dinner. Under such circumstances "my astonish-
ment " the next morning was certainly equal to Co.. Palmer's
expectationseon seeing the singular, and to myself and friends,
almost inexplicable Corresponetence which anneareal on the 12th
inst. in "which my unfortunate letter is dignitled by a place in
-the rear, arid therefore made to appear as a reply to letters I
had never either seen or received.
• Now in regard to those letters, • and first, in reference to that
in which Colonel Palmer makes a gratuitous decleration " that
no blow Alid-pass between Lord Petersham surd mysn'i," 1 should
certainly not have allowed any "feelings upon this occasion to
betray me into an allusion of that transaction,' further than this—
that although from what has before been stated, and tharesedt
of Colonel P.'s negotiation with Lord Foley, I did edt, and do
not consider either party were justified in a,a-ein xete.
event which occurred three weeks ago, I now hold myself per.
fectly disentangled by the above public declaration, which I am
at a loss to know on whose information Col. Palmer has made,
and upon a transaction to which he was not a witness ;—or that
event, however, I shall not here enter ; but should time and
circumstances require it, I
.shall not shrink from as public a de-
claration on my own personal responsibility as that which has
been made by Colonel Palmer.
Lastly, as far as my own feelinTs may be at issue with the
documents which Colonel F.., as my professed friend, has given
to the world, I have only to obserire, that if he meant to convey
any injurious reflections, I have too good en opinion of his can-
dour to suppose he would have chosen an equivocal, and there-
fore an ungenerous mode of expressing them. If this convic-
tion be erroneous, lam sorry that the course pursued was not
made so plain and intelligible that no doubt could remain as to
the feelings and intentions of either party.
Mr. Burke (I think) said ""a man's situation is the precep-
tor of his duty;"—mine has forced ins (GoD knows how un-
willingly) before the public ; but this) is the last occasion on
which any thing, but the same necessity I have now to lament
shall induce me to obtrtide.

I am, Sir, your very obedient Servant,
J. WEBSTER WEDDERBURN,
Tuesday Evening, April 17, 1821.

LETTER FROM COLONEL PALMER.
April 19, 1021.
Ma. EDlTOR—Having just seen Mr. Webster Wedder-
burne's statement in your Paper of this day, I lose no time in
answering it, and have only to regret the delay which his jour-
ney la° IWiltshire appears to have occasioned.
In the first place, with respect to his communication to me of
the note he had received from Lord Foley, enclosing the para-
graph in contradiction to the statement referred to in- his Lord-
ship's first note, and requesting Mr. Wedderburne's sanction
to the insertion of ihe said paragraph in the Newspapers, I con-
sider it necessary to declare, that Mr. Wedderburne admitted
to meethat the statement,in question had been inserted by him-
self, or by his authority, stating at the same time that it was'
true. I observed, that whether true or false, Mr. W. had only
to chase betwixt contradicting it, or giving iord Petersham the
imenediate.satisfaction which would he demanded on his-tcfmal.
To this Mr. W. answered, that he should do neither e that with
respect to the one, he could not contradict .what he had stated;
land for the other, he was determined at all events not to satisfy
Lord P. until after the issue of a trial at laW, which he meant
to institute against him. Hcreall further discuetion upon the
matter would have ended, had not Mr. W. in the course of his
conversation given me distinctly to understand that he should
not bring his action unless compelled to it by Lord P., and
upon this understanding I undertook the arrangement of an af-
fair, which but for such consideration I should have declined.
With this explanation as to the real ground of my interference,
I beg again to refer the public to my letter which appeared in
your Paper on the 10th inst. leaving to their judgment to deter-
mine how far, under such circumstances, Mr. W. had reason
to complain ofi its publication.
1 how proceed to state my reasons for inserting, the letters
which appeared in your Paper on Thursday last :—Mr. W.
lafter describing what passed on Tuesday night, goes on to say,
that he received a note froM me the next morning, which was
the only are he received on that day. In answer to this I must
observe, that I had no other object at the moment than to bring
him to my chambers, for the purpose of once more remonstrat-.
inr with him upon his conduct, which (in my opinion) could
only tend to his own injury. Upon. the receipt .of his answer,
and finding it was in vain to think of preventing his publishing
the letter in question, it itnmediately occurred to me as the only
means of obviating its tendency, to insert at the same time with
it, his own orn ate letter, as well as mine, wherein I endea-
voured to convince Mr. W. that he hell no real cause to be of-
fended with me ; • hoWever, of that he was the best judges and,
F upon Captain Jones calling upon me the next day, on the part
of W.,. at the.same time that I refused entering into any
explanation, I urged the necessity' of Mr. W. immediately
adopting the only course that was left to put an end to further
discussion of the subject. Having.thus stated all that appears
to me to be necessary or proper, in answer to Mr. Wedder-
burne'l statement,

am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
. CHARLES PALMER.

LETTER FROM MR. WEDDERBURNE.

Ma. Epyr on—Colonel Palmer's letter to you of yesterday,
demands my recurrence to a subject, with which, I fear, the
Public are already sated.
That it maybe, ho Never, for the last time, I shall endeavour
to preSent farts, and to render them concise and intelligible.
Whether the Paragraph, which appeared en the
.6th instant,
(alluding to the rencontre, which took place between .Lord
tersham and myself on the 28th of last .month) -was inserted by
my authority or with my privity, is at present perfectly imma-
terial, and was the more so at the time, as I had never been
called on to answer the question.
I waited after the transaction' (to which that Paragraph re-
fereed) in hourly expectation of :erne communication from
Lord Petersham, as all My 'friends can attest, until the
sth instant, when I received the application from Lord • Foley,
which was stated-in the Correspondence given to the Public in
your Paper of yesterday; thus,
.then, after a lapse of eight
days, during which time, I made no hesitation in speaking of-
the circumstance, and in expressing my sentiments thereon, far
moreuriequivocally than any anonymous Paragraph could do,
and having heard nothing from Lord Petersham I certainly
did remark to Colonel Palmer, but oaly lien *re t of a desultory
and confidential -conversation, by. no,me4is, however, do I
admit in-reply to any overture or proposition whatever, that I
should not,hold myself accountable to his Lordship, were he
then to call upon me, after such a lapse of time, following such
circumstances, until at least, the•result of those legal proceed-
ings was established, which I.rnight consider myself imme-
diately bound to adopt.V
If, however, Lord Petersham ,had ever given me the aterna-
tive of either contradicting the above paragraph, or of giving
him other satisfaetien, from whom would it 'have come ?—from
his friend Lord Foley, or from Colonel Palmer as mine ?—On
the contrary, letit bebut shewn, that Lord Petersham, directly
or indirectly, ever made me such, a communication, and it will
thente time enough for me to discuSs my reception cf
How far, though I should have then availed myself, under such
circumstances, of the right which I believe to be recognised
by every law and principle., of honour, that I am acquainted
with, is a question that my present and future conduct will
best ans:wer,

Lastly, in retard to Colonel Palmer's allusion to the inter-
view w,th Captain Jones, (my sole object in which was, if pos-
sible, to supersede, the necessity of making any elaborate•state-
ment in reply to his,) 1 am so far from disputing the question
of any merit or importance which others may affix to Colonel
Palmer's reply to Captain Jones, that I have no scruple what-
ever in assuming any responsibility that can possibly attach to
the course I have been induced to pursue towards one, who had
acted throughout -as.my professed friend, and • who, in. reference'
to the very correspondence on which. Captain Jones reqUested an
twplination, had previously declared, both publicly' and 'pi- ;

no power o eir4.- could have induced Mc rciake . one: on
must therefore itza',.re "The Post" and "The Pr kts" to iniia,t it
to-day ; I Wild' mc)clify any thing which could rosslhly bt con-
strued p)or Lady Frances, rhos honour ana feel-
ings are, dod knov, s, sacred to me. The fracas of laSt night
(for you redly Ina& it one) will no doubt form matter fiir new
paragrapl:s—nkaing. though, to be serious, can c large niy in-
tention, and as you thwarted it last night, you o Ist prontOte. it
now. I Can't breakfast with you, bUt will call a, ten,
Ever your'g, Wl:merely, •
J. W;

... ~. ..._, _ tS.

rarely,
.that he had no intention of giiing me bite' ate by EN •` proc.eding, and that in conducting the business with Lord P 64 tersham he had considered my honour as his own.
I am, Sir, your very obedient,
d. WEBSTEP. WEDDERBUTtIfr..
Friday Evening, April 20, iB2l.

4.* We are always reluctant to insert any artieleS respecting
p?ivate disputes, but the above Correspondence has excited 83
much attention in the fashionable circles, that we feel it to
bd
our duty to present it to our Readers. The last letter from Col,
PAL ME a. scented to has e explained the matter, as far as U. could
be explained with prudence and delicacy, and the answer from
Arr. WE;;D:,:anuartE, which closes the Correspondence this
.day, does not place the affair in a more satisfactory light. It
seems to be still enVeloped is. mysterious obscurity, which
can only be /(2.cived by a Clear statement of did •facts
that originally gave rise to. the Correspondence. We do
not pretend to 'know more than floating rutnours, which we
understand. are in substance as follow :--Ir. • W. it is said,
conceived that Lord P. had paid too much attention to his
(Mr. W.'s) Lady, and a .verbal controversy, but no personal
violence, ensued. Mr. W. inserted a paragraph in a public
Print,-which Laid P. required him to contradict, or to give his
Lordship the usual satisfaction. Mr. W. refused to do eitner,hut
signified his intention to appeal to the Law. •13cing, hoWeiecre-
quired. flay positively whether. or not he should- resort to legal
proceedings, it is added that he said he should not, unless Lord
P. persevered in (1,2/nanding the usual satisfaction. Such rumour
states to be the outline of the case, and here the raitt2r is lth.•
derstood to rest. We know not Whether or not P kr. KE
means to answer the last letter of Mr.W., dated yesterda_y even-
ing;' but if the facts be as we hare stated, we cont.:ive that tii^
matter is perfectly intelligible, and that he is by no means
called upon for farther explanation.