Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-12-08
NEWPORT, Nov. 90, 1880.
Benj. +. HaHeH, esq.

Benz. f. HalleH, esq.
Dear Sir-Your letter of the 92d inst
has been received, and from the candid
and friendly manner in which you ex-
pressed yourself relative to the motives
by which was influenced ingiving evil
dence as a witness i'll the masonic case +,
| was satisfied that you did not intend to
do me injustice in the matter TO which
your attention was called by my letter to
you of the 22d inst, and consequently
came to the conclusion, that it was unne-
cessary to trouble you with an answer.
But having this morning read in your pa
per of yesterday, which you had the po-
litcness to send me, Communication
from Geo. Turner, esq. accompanied by
what is styled "the strong and unimpeach-
able confirmation of the correctness of
my testimony as furnished YOU by him."
| have deemed it an act ofpropriety due
to you personally, and of justice to my
self, that | should make few passing
remarks upon some of this confirmatory
evidence. Let me obscrTe, however, in
the first place, and once for all, that |
am aware how totally undressing, ifnot
disgusting, paper warfare upon this
subject must be to the public, notwith-
standing George Turner, esq. is engag-
ed in the battle on one side, when 50
humble an individual as myself is Oh the
other:--And that such is my respect for
public opinion, and such is my own sense
of what is due to myself Oh this occasion,
that nothing of a trifing nature shall pro-
woke me to depart from that course which
is so clearly pointed out to me by every
consideration Of finess and propricty.
The charge thrown out against me, ifnot
intended to injure ny character and busi-
ness, might ultimately produce that ei-
feet, if permitted pass wholly unnotic-
ed. The affected of-hand manner of
smartncss upon me, and the peculiarly
tartish style in which MIR. Il has seen fit
to exhibit hmsef to the public in this af-
fair, bctray spirit Of bitterness, which,
taken together, admonish me most strong
ly, to avoid the example he has set in
these particulars. Let me further say,
that it has always been considered indls-
Greet and improper to take from the APP
propriatc jurisdiction, the Court, any
question which may still be pending there,
and make it matter of public disputation
in the newspapers. l never could have
viewed it to be proper for newspaper uses
to solicit the certificates Of individual
Judges of Court, as to what particu-
lar witness might have sworn to on the
trial of cause that took place number
of days previously, and which cause was
still pending before higher Court: Yet
all this may be expedient and proper,
and may possibly subservc the purposes
ofpublic justice-but it strikes me other
wise.
Mr.. II. admits that the report was
made several days after the trial, and
from recollection entirely, and he more than
admits that his mind was busily engaged
every day ofthe term, for he says "When
IL is remembered that This trial occurred
early IN the reek of our Court, that Mr..
Pearce and TIE REPOR TER mere
engaged in EVERYjmy trial during the
! ScSStOH, SC. hiS hipoitdht iu,t ouih'
is correctly stated, for there were but TWO
Jury trials during "the session." and MIR.
! Pearce and The REPORTER were GER
tainly concerned in erery one Of them
and in one of the cases, Patten vs.. Simp-
son, The REPORTER was not only cngag-
cd as Counsel, but was sworn and exam
incd as witness for the defendant, al
though he had, indirectly at least, an in
tcrcst in that very case; nor was he sum-
moned or compelled to swear, any more
than was in the other case. Is II to be
presumed then, that being thus engaged
in "EvERy jury trial during the session,
and making no claim, as he says, tc
"grcat perfection of memory" and with
out the aid of notes, he could enfireh
from recollection, have correctly report,
cd in half a column of a paper, and near.
ly word for word, ''every thing material
that was said in cause that occupied
nearly two whole days in the trial, and
in which Mr.. Pcurcc and THE REroRT.
Err were conccrned,-to say nothing o
MIR. Hazard and myself'-l think not
most decidedly; yet he roundly ailirm'
that his report contains "every thing ma
teriaP that was said in the trial. Now
il may be so in one point Of view, and
presume the report does contain all tha
| L. 900 as,Javad v,at,.,aI 40 ~. our an "A 10