Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-02
PROVIDENCE.
HENRY ESQ.

hhh Puieueu, Us they nave, huNe oecous -
warmest, and most sincere friends.
That Mr.. Eckford has been wronged, and
grossly wronged, there cannot any longer re-
main a doubt, and we contend, that he is en-
titled to the good will and respect of the world,
when his amount of personal and pecuniary
sufierings, are properly and duly considered.
That he has been wronged by men, in per-
son;-by men, who, with a reckless IMMUNITY,
abuse all who come within their reach, is a
fact SO well established, and generally admit
ted, both by his friends and his foes, that ne
with cheerfulness, give place to the following
remarks, furnished us by a New-York cores
pendent, who perfectly understands the SUBJ
jet, which he has undertaken to consider
The remarks were elected from our cores
pondent, by the hustle and ridiculous parade
there has been made about a private letter,
written to Mr.. MAXWELL, the District Attor-
ney, by Mr.. Eckford, and which the former
gentleman was pleased to make a matter of
legal Government construe into a challenge
to personal combat-and make public:
DWELLING,
"The New-Yorkers seem much agitated on
this subject, and, because a reputed challenge
has been sent to a public officer. their moral
sense is shocked to the very centre. Our opposi-
ton 10 duelling, is not based on SO slender a
foundation, as for it to make any difference by
whom a challenge is given, or by whom car
ried. The thing is wrong, radically wrong,
and all those who attempt to lay the least stress
IN fha c.nA ~ AZ. Ma,lIsa ka.n. m ni.tri,t
Attorney, become, unconsciously, the apollo
gists of the dreadful practice. If there is any
sting in being branded a coward, p%oltroon,
puppy, liar and the like, the wax of an Attor-
ney's office affords a miserable salve, and he
who flies to it for rejection, pays the greatest
homage at the shrine Of duelling.
If an inquiry is to be tolerated as to the
cause, motive, provocation, &c. we should hold
public officers to more rigid rules than private
citizens, because armed with authority, they
would otherwise have the power to Cypress
the. private citizen with impunity; and no OPP
preston is so odious as that practlsed under
The semblance Of law and authority.
If tho District Attorney Of New-York did
convert the power Of his Office into an engine
of oppression and perse cution, if he did over
look those whom he believed had been faulty,
and pursued, like a demon, those whom he
knew 10 be f~aultless, then we say he merits
the exocration of every good, honest, and hon
orable citizen. Yet such conduct on the part
of the District Attorney. would not, in any
degree, justify the injured parties in violating.
by seeking a duel, alike the laws Of God and
Of man.
After a careful perusal of the different pub
locations, we agree in opinion with the Editor
Of the National Advocate, that Mr.. Maxwell
" went off half cooked" At the same time,
it appears to us that Mr.. Eckford too willing
ly sanctions the idea attempted to be put forth
by the District Attorney, that he, Mr.. Eek
ford, is n weak, simple man, and easily duped
by others. Whether he is such or not, he GER
tainly seems not TO have been aware Of the
traps Of the District Attorney, who, finding
that the Jury would not convict so large a class
as he had united in the same bill, followed the
example of the boy in the fable, who, when his
bundle of sticks was so large that he could
not break them, divided and attempted to
break them singly or in pairs; and because the
sacrifice of Mr.. Eckford was deferred until
others had been disposed of, he appears to
have been lurcd into neutrality or acquiescence,
in the vain hope that when the District Attor-
ney had glutted his vengeance with other VIC
Tins, he would pacify Mr.. Eckford with his
gra cious certificate.
All that surprises us is, that Mr.. Eckford
oIoulu u nave SOOUCT ulSCONcTCu Tue TIT
and not allowed Mr.. Maxwell 10 have kept
him suspended between earth and heaven so
long.
We have carefully examined the testimony
and speeches on both sides, in the Conspiracy
cases, and we unhesitatingly say, that no
blame is imputable to Mr., Eckford-that his
whole conduct was praiseworthy in the high
est degrce-that in place of misapplying the
funds Of the Companies with which he was
connected, he exposed his whole fortune in
their support, when in trouble, and actually
lost two or three hundred thousand dollars in
endorsing TO save them"
The pccuniary sufferings Of Mr.. Eckford, as
woll as his suflerings in feeling, have been al
most incalculable; = and believing as he did,
that his vexations were produced by the unfair
and overstraincd management of Mr.. Maxwell,
he certainly was justifable, in calling upon
that officer for an explanation Of his conduct,
as well as for a satisfactory recantation and
confession Of his iniqultous proceedings. 1t is
not for us to say, what were the intentions OF
Mr.. Eckford, when he called upon Mr.. Max
well, but we must confess, and repeat again
and again, that we cannot perceive in the
whole of The correspondence, SO far as Mr..
Eckford is concerned, any thing that looks
like " a formal and unoquivocal challenge to
mortal combat"
Mr.. Maxwell, to our mind, has, throughout
the whole transac tion discovered a feeling and
a spirit, which arc far from being commendable,
and which on the contrary have laiG him liable
to public censure. But as VIC have papers
and documents TO examine, which will form the
-. .--.sI- e. IL. annnnnI un