Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1803-02-12

Simmcs beng alked whether ne thor Ell.-
~ would have ben fofiered to beat Ratlcdee
aniwered donotiney, bur fsid that he would noe
'ehfVs RsfsSge kesrd hins, nil Rs,kde.
P''"yeA nor 70 reTeqD ,be anaek /; fact which -
pretty clearly ihews tha the afidayits did NOT tc.
fbs e0b'ls trHt6 and n'fbne Bx, tie trstb. n -
Another circumfaDe which has not sp-
peared, but which goe, cle&iy 10 mark n. Ave-.
e0neryt and understanding wsch (nbJff,d On mi,
occahon. Elicry Intending ndel;yer Ru,l.dr-
over to an officer of the peace "a me ION, 90.
told that there was not athagiAate within Gr-
teen miles, though il appears no, thar m,or-
trate food in the porch when Ellev en,er-d m.
houfe, and was quiefcent fpeetztoiuf ri,r wh,,s'
tranfaefion from beginning TO end.
Simnes being aiked If Rutledpe,ad nu,l.a
Ellery's noie, iaid he believed RurIetee ,na3-s
the attempt once or twice. and did rr,cb hin
once but no more, and being aRed il. he h,a
pulled his ears, Simnes iaid no, il was in,oE-
fible, for Eery had pinned him 70 completely
againa the wall, that il was out of his power fa,
he found it enough TO defend himfelffrom being
choked. Ii is not neccifaTy TO 90 into further
details ofa tranfatiion. originating in iferace-
ful cauie, and terminating in the more c,fnpietey
fhame ofthe fra ignominy. .al
The conduct of Morris, however, dde,ve.,
few obfervatiqns. Morris j. one of the yer.
mont Representatives., ana ihisis oniy fbe Gi,f
freak of this kind in which he hs, been enea,.a
iince his obtaining feat. Ire duel between
BayaId and Champlin, is fad to have originated
IN the anonymccs rings Of their mutual fried
Ruiledse; and Morris, the mutual friend o,
both, took An equally friendly insersa in thar
affair ALTO.
Morris on this occaiion has ,aeled the part
of Ncapolitan Lasayone, for il ess he v no wenr
to Tuniclife'S TO enquire tosxhieh part of inc
country Mr.. Ellery had code 70 fpend bis
ChrifAss, and thi,heI upon the jecret nfor-
nation of Morris, Rpledge and ne dogged MIR.
Elery and way laid hiIn 'tu5g. 20. ~
Why Purfue this ahaiIin ike courie, why
did Rutledge purfue the philofophy of Saneko
Panza and LEI bs bo.ar take + logg a NAB ?
Why not challenge Ms. Eiiery on the fcene of
original expedition ar Newport, where there vas
neither an inequality in the number Of political
Partizans Why If he was 10 be attacked only.
and not murdered, not inAtt the vengeance
where the Provocsion took place Ii difprsce
alone was intended, it you'd ieem that public
place, place where there where numerous fpec.'
tators could alone be the proper theatre of his
vengeance. To follow rrsn 40 miles into a.
retised part Of the country, where there were.
few inhabitants. looked rather like the enter.
prize OF an Italian bandit, than'the open and
generous courage of pure and manly dignity.
this icaodalous courie alone, fuppofes confcious
guilt, meanneis and cowardice IL is repeated
cowardice tor il is not in fecrct, whefc nan
was alone aud ffranger, that any man OF trre
courage would undertake 10 svenge public in-
jury. a. So .sd.
But il will be faid thar the objca was To
challenge Ellery to the eontef, according TO the
received nfages among gentlemen. IT that
alone was intended, il is repeated, that the
ber0s's bsaoy ihopli not have taken IA bxo n
rap. And thc courie TO be puriucd after Ellery's
declining that rcfort, at thar time, fhould have
been conformable in all reflects 20 ,hofe ufape,.
he fhould have proceeded 20 PsR bin by public
advertisements as coward and ilanderer, and
brought forward his evidence to the public To
ihow the miicondud OF Eliery and his own ir-
noccncc. Av
But having neglected. thi. recourie on TIE
fpot where the cauie of complain, originated.
and for fcyerai months after il had been broueht
before the world ;--atter having learned thar
Eilery had determined 10 lay the whole before
Congrcis-it neither bcfpoke confrious isno.
cencc nor true courage TO reiort 10 the very
means which the grearea villain and the ,noff
abjett coward would employ TO nhia ven
geancc on the man OF honor whom he feared SC
hated. -sa ~ as-
But independent of the attempt to way lay
in this Italian faihion, how ought Mr.. EIlery.
or any man in hmilar circumstances, to conduef
himfelf. #.a
Leaving ont of the confederation all ouef.
tion OF the propriesy or coniaency of rcforts to
duel in private quarrel !-Would any man of
decency think himielf bound to anfwer the chai-
lenge Of a felon confined in irons in goal z
Would any man of moral character coniider him
felt bound to place himfelf in opposition, and.
to take the chances of life and death upon the
fhot OF a piitoI, with ooe whom he had detected
in the meanea aefs offrauil
We leave out of view the faef, whether
Ruiledge was or was not guilty of the forgeries.
IL is enough that MIR. Ellery was fati.fed in his
own confidence. that Rutledge food in thar
difgraceful predicament. He could under fueh ,
belief no more accept challenge according to
the ufuages OF men OF honor, than from the felon
we have alluded to for until Rutledge mould
have gone through the ordeal of the enquiry
propofsd, and eifabihed his innocence, both
honor and juaice forbad any means by which the
guilty ihouId eicape. Rutledge himfelf would
have been moR unfortunate indeed, If Mr.. Ellc-
"a, O,o,ll lsve .rcr,ec>e 80