Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-06-01
Fellow Citizens of Bond County !:


FELLOW Citizens Of Bond County
WITHOUT taking to myself Gre
w dit Tor any uncommon excellence
OF character, | may without inpropriety
dec lare, that it has ever been my earnest
and invariable intention TO obtain and pre-
serve the respect and good will of the
virtuous, by such a course as seemed to
me consonant with the. precepts of rei-
gion, the principles of morality, and the
demands of social virtue; and | consi-
der it my imperative duty to repel with
promptness any attempt to despoil me OF
the highest and only treasure l possess.
There is in some an invincible propeDsi-
tyto feast with cannibal appetite upon the
reputation of others. AT this festival the
enyious and malicious are always eager
TO distinguish themselves, and Harpy-
like, what they cannot consume they me-
yer fail to poiiute. To one who has ne
yer been moved by mercenary considera-
tons in preserving the integrity OF hie
character, it must be in the highest de-
gree painful to witness any attempt TO
sully ii.
Such an attempt has been made, in the
fabrication and circulation OF false and
groundless report in relation to the pur-
chase by me, oil certain quarter section
of land, near the residence Of the late
Rha,io Durley, at the public sales in Ed
wardsville in August, 1879. By this re-
port it is alleged "t that Mr.. Durley, 10
the confidence of friendship, entrusted
me with the numbers of certain quarters
OF land, which he intended to purchase,
accompanied with request that | would
not coun,eract his intentions by becom-
ing the purchaser myself. Yet, that at
forwards, in his absence, purchased one
OF the lots Of which he bad given me the
numbers, not with desire to keep the
land, but with view ofspecnlatins upon
l'm; thereby violating every duty Of
friendship, and every principle of honor. :"
This report am compelled in yindi-
cation of my character, to pronounce an
infamous aud slanderous falsehood. Mr..
Durley never Showed to me any number
OF land whatever, nor did ever have any
conversation with him on the subject oil
his intended purchase of lands !; nor did
I from himself, or by any other means
whatever, know that he had i, in contem-
plalion to pnrohase the quarter section
alluded to, until bis subsequent appllcs-
ton 10 me for that purpose. In the last
week in July, in company with Mr.. Joan
Leeper, | look the humber OF the lot
spoken oil (on which there was no i'm
proyemcnO among others, from the SUR
yeyor's IE.rhs. He was also at Mr..
Durley's win me during the same even
ing and night, and to him | appeal for
| the truth Of this relation. had been
but five weeks resident in the state when
The sale came on at Edwardsville. The
land was offered, and there being no
other bidder, | became the purchaser at
the government price. Sometime alter
his, Mr.. Durley applied to me for the
purchase OF this land, and appeared ex-
tremely solicitous on the sublect--said
he neglected.to attend when il was Offer
ed; that he wanted it for his son james,
who had sold horse 10 procure munev
for that purpose; that he intended 10 es-
tablish tan yard and mill, and that he
was ruined it he should be Unsuccessful
in his attempts to obtain it, and offered
me $40 in advance for my purchase. /
refused at that time TO dispose OF 1t. Al
forwards, at the instance OF some gentle
men, whose certificates are annexed,
was prevailed upon to sell the land 10
Mr.. Durley a, an advance Of twenty-five
dollars, although at that time good en-
,ries would readily sell at an advance Of
$50. l sold it more With view to pre-
serve friendly and neighborly relations
with Mr.. Durley, than from any other
cause; and by this consideration was
likewise Influenced when l covenanted
to take his due-bill instead OF exac,ing
the specie. But when the due-bill be-
came due, Mr.. DurIey refused to pay
il, and was therefore compelled 10 sus
it. After had obtained judgement be-
fore Hubbard Short, Esq. offcrsd IN inc
presence of several people to return him
all he had paid, cancel the Judgement,
and advance him S25 for The land, ma
king in all $3.50, as is shewn BY the an
nexed certificates of H. Short, Esq. and
Wyatt S,ubblehcld. These are facts,
and fthe report they are intended to con,
trovert was true, would he not have made
ouch a representation 10 Mr., MsChord