Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-12-03

his letter 10 MIR. Forquer, (spparently 10
the spirit of fearful anticipation) and Ii
teraly abandoning his Justice" seems
TO torture his ingenuity in illustrating
every part of my last letter to him; but
unfortunately for his Excellency, before
he gels through, he solemnly contradicts
his Justice" aad himself, and among
other things, denies the proposition,
which it is now proved was made TO him
by Capt. Buckmaster.
This letter Of his TO Mr.. Fnrqner, |
never saw Till received the In,elligen-
Ger of the l9lh of August, III which il
was printed. AT the time it was receiv-
ed was confined to bed with bilious
fever. Upon hearing it read by friend
who brought me the letter, confess |
was satisfied (although over bis own sig
nature, +" Edward Coles" addressed 10
"George Forqoer, Esp" and purpor'ing
to be written with all the soumnity OF
one of his messages to the Leglslature)
that it bore no more relation 10 truth,
Than his piece signed Justice"
was partic ularly struck with that part
endeayors to make the public believe
that he had moi attacked me, bu, that
had made the attack on him And
again, where he says, that while admit
judgment was not entered, assert II
was on record! Again. where he SO
admirably plays Oft contradiction on
himself in his attempt TO repeat the fear
ful tale OF my mis- quoting the cons!iu.
ton Again, where he asserts that my
opinion was published in other papers
than the Spectator, before his Justice"
got adoat in the newspapers, by which
OF May, hreeede the 10th OF April And
again, where he asserts that | had not
heard of his intended attack npon me
before l directed the opinion to be re-
printed. AL these had relation to my
letter only, but not his attack upon me.
l expressed to the gentleman who
read the letter, tina, all these statements
were untrue; and a. once saw in his
Excellency's labored strstsgem to again
misrepresent, in matters of fact perfectly
known to himself, the object he had in
view.
But when the reader came to his Ex-
celleucy's hositiue denial that Captain
Buckmaster epen told him that the
Commissi ners Of Madison were willing
TO dismiss the suit upon his paying the
attorneys lee "a proposition which !
knew could be proved, not only by Capt.
Buckmasier, who made it, but by seye
raj gentlemen to whom Gov. Coles him
self had stated that the offer had been
made, and that he had refused it'll say
when | heard this denial, made appa-
rent'y without any compunc,ion of co.,
science, | was satisfied that saw his
Exceliency in his true character.
Do not these expedents to which Gov.
Coles resorts, and the contradiction OF
which he convcts himself, afford the
most unanswerable proof that he had no
honest explanation to give for his attack
upon me Do they not shew. tina, who.
Their he writes over his own name, or
anonymously, he manifesls the selfsame
inhexible disregard for truth Why OIL
fer to correct his statements over fcti-
tious name, instead of over his real name
The truth needs no covering to shield
the author from the light, either in attack
ing the reputation Of an individual, or in
explaining for unjust attacks.
How much more honorable for him
would i, have been, in the eyes Of his
country, in the opinion OF all honorable
men, TO have retracted at once, over his
own name, his publication which he
knew to be untrue, instead Of attempting
to sustain it by resort to those misera-
BILE pre,ences, which, in justice to my
sell, have been compelled TO expose
to the public.
A few more words and l have done.
Gov. Coles says, that while he claims
the right OF the citizen to animadvert up
on the official conduc, public men, he
censures and disapprovcs OF any thing
like indecorum to any tribunal OF the 60
vernment, and also of offensive and abu-
sive epithets in the exercise Of this pri-
viegc secured to US all, sc. As 10 the
first part Of this sentence, give him full
libertyto exercise this right with decorum
and truth, IS it respects myself, and real
ly wish him all the benefits he can derive
from it. Upon the second part, where
be condemns indecorum and abusive
epihe,s" in the exercise Of this right, !
entirely agree with him; and had bis
acts correspondent with his professions,
/ should not now be under the necessity
OF defending myself from his abuse. Up
on his remarks, when he goes on to say