Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-10-06

claims to honor and character, he could be-
come the traducer Of woman, seek the
ruin OF family which had never harmed
him. and shrink from responsibility. II must
be SO! Base men are not brave A guilty
concience is bad panoply on the field of
honorable combat The conscious wrong
doer anticipates the worst. and calculates
to suffer, from knowledge that he deserves
It IL IS not surprising, therefore, that Mr..
Berrien's conscience did not permit him to
trust himself il with one, whom, SO wanion
ly and periinaciously, he had wronged and
sought 10 lnjure T"
Mr. Bcrriens rejoh,der-Mr. Berrien has
deemed IT necessary TO publish some correc-
tons of the statements made by major Eaton
in his appeal to the public. The following
extracts and accompanying remarks we CO.
Ply from the last Winchester Republican -
The Republican say, THE only important
part of Mr. BIS remarks, so far as the Mai.
Is concerned, refers to the fact that he mir
s. did not decline but merely postponed ac-
cephng the challenge sent to him by maior
+ on the goth July, until he had put the
public In full possession of the merits of the
controversy between himself and paper act
ing "under the avowed authority Of the chief
magistrate" We had no room in our co.
lumns for major Eaton's voluminous appeal,
nor have we space enough for Mr. Berrien's
reJoinder. This war of words is becoming
exceedingly tiresome;every man in the nation,
we presume, made up his mind some time
ago as TO the true cause Of The dissolution of
the cabinet or if there be any one who still
doubts, he must be paragon of ..thck-
medicines The main question being set
tied, the belligerents might as well drop their
weapons and rest on their laurels.
There are, however. some remarks made
by MIR Berrien as to the state of society 10
Washington, which we feel bound to Law be-
fore our readers Let them consider well the
high and honorable character of this distin.
gushed individual-Iet them remember that
he is as much noted for integrity as for talent,
and that he is one who weighs well bis words
Retiring from responsible station in the
government, unuer the assurance of the con-
tinned confluence of the president, and with
an EXPRESSION OF his regret for the necessity,
which demat ded our separation acquitted
by hum OF all Imputation OF improperly, eli
ther official or individual, here at The seat of
the national government-alter having been
dragged before the public TO maintain an is
.l.f,s, A A
been forced upon me, under The avowed au
thority OF the chief magistrate. have been
illuminated and menaced by those ,cho speak
al his bidding, and are silenced by has nod If
excited by feelings which no man may re
press, have at any TIME been tempted to
indulge them, little reflection has suificed
to convince me, what il is ,hat my duty to
myself and to the public requires al my hands
That duty consists SIMPLY IN maintaining he
Cause of truth before the American peopie:
and, uninauenced by ribaldry, and unawed
by menace, IN exposing to them the real co,s-
dition Of This community, in which The reign
Of terror is emphaticaHy' established am not
indifferent to consequences, but, whatever
they may be, the voice OF warning shall not
be withheld"
Again
That which demands our consideration is,
that the ta,c Of force is openly proclaimed at
the seat OF The national goyel nment--that he
who ventures to repel the groHndess caium
MES of the official press, must speak at the
peril ct his life in the vindicatioh of his ho-
nor and il even In self defence, he shall
dare 10 sag aught ,chich may draw into question
the public conduct Of that high .tustcitona'y,
whose views 1t Processes 10 represent, and by
'cltose alleged authority IL speaks. he must in
stantly prepare himseg for the combat"
What state OF society is here depicted Is
the sketch too highly coiored?- Read the fol-
lowing extract from the Globe Of last Thurs
day:
| .'If- there be any thing, However, in tie
publication of Mai Eaton which Mr.. Berrien
may think wrongs his honor, zee feet at liberty
/ TO assure him. that Maj. Eaton, although he
| has left Washington, tciH not hesitate to re
turn to make all proper amends"
Here we see the eticial paper Of these u.
States openly antunblushngly insulting the
moral sense OF the community, by stirring
up two individuals to mortal combat, under
the very eyes of Andrew Jackson that same
| Andrew Jackson who "struck from he rolf
two young officers of the navy for having
| been concerned in duell Yet his acknow
lodged organ, unreproved, unrestrained, o.
peny aims at bringing about duel between
\ l.