Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-12-27
TO THE PUBLIC.

To prevent misrepresentation. it is proper that
I should give a statement OF the circumstances
attending the ASSAULT made upon me Yesterday by
General Blair, a member of Congress from South
Carolina General Blair is perhaps the largest
man in the United States. IN the vigor OF NE;
was passing him on the pavement, and without
any nreyiou. warning, he struck me a severe
blGw with large CLUB I'm the head. The blows
were followed up until was brought 10 the
earth, nv left arm broken. and INV left !es dis
ab,ed and severely wounded. Al this crisis. the
by ISLANDERS interposed aud separated w. In re-
Div TO an inquiry tram bystander. Gen. b.
said The prnvoca,ion eas that / had called the
Union PARTY of South Carolina Tories. Gen Is.
was in the habr OF meeting me on terms OF passing
,iyi'i,y-I VAS not conscious that had gwen him
offenre-I was unarmed-and taken entirely by
surprise; | presume that the remark TO which he
has aiken exception is contained in our comment
of Saturday last, upon the proposition made IN
the Union Convention at Columbia. BY Mr. Hunt
Of Char es'on. with the appreciation. a. it Is said,
Of the Unnn Party Of Charleston, to organize IN
military manner, fur the purpose at resisting
tie laws Of the State. We denounced the lac
20 y t. co.d adopt such resolutions to be tories,
AMI that they had proianed the molly came u
Union.
In our paper Of Yesterday, without know.
article in the New York Gazette, we said. in
explanation of 'nE ,nean;ag, =. We use this word
not in the invIdious sense IN "hch it vas used in
the United = ates during the Req luton. but AZ
il is used in England; meaning that the tory par
" are the advocates Of strong Government. and
hence are always on the side OF power" When
we assumed the editorial controI of this paper,
we took our life 10 our hands. We staked all
that was dear to man and citizen upon the
principles which. as an editor, il i, our duty to
maintain. 1t will be useless for Grneral B. to
pretend that our utftn,e consists in the use of
the term Of which b. complajns-lhs assault is
a practical illustration Of the doctrines promulqa
ted in the proclamttion-itis an attempt 10 sup.
press tie voce Of ruth, and To silence the press
by brute )orce-anlattempt as impotent as it is
outrageous,
| return thanks to that kind Providence, to
whose lnterposiIbn alone am indebted Tor my
life. that. although avn now PROSTATE, and am
compelled TO dttare these remarks to friend
who prepares lhsp for the press, am .ble to
dictate. and resolved to discharge my duty with
renewed spirit ai increased activity.
Washington, leeen,bs, Is D''' '"AAN'
p ). Slnre III ab"ve was written. we under
stanu Ua' wen ia" hhs s'a'eu' as t"e cause OF
his ASSAULT, tina, hi had acc osed me 10 the street,
in ms usual way, snfentered ato conversation,
in the course of which | took oce,slon to say that
that the Union party of South C.solina was a
tor, faction: thatkr, said to me, "yos~ language
is too harsh; tina, repeated it, a. it in <fiance,
and that he, therefore, had resort to his Cue to
resent the ,mputation. To this statement 1--WE
an unqualified denial. have not. at any TIE
since his return to this city. hcIda conversatiqs
with Gem B and. therefore, stamp this state
ment as fal.. D. G.