Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-02-26
: 10 TiIE PUBLIC.

l ME Il. EDiTOR:--ln controversy have
AVE- no fondness for either the cutgeI,'
or the quill. but II appears necessary that
! should now answer for myself;" and
would therefore beg your indulgence 10
presenting TO the public some thoughts ia
reply to the publication Of Messrs. Burk.
bart y Doll. 10 Jour paper Of tho lath Of
February.
Those Gentlemen assert, that have ri.
ven " naisrcprescntcd defcnce"--that
have stated uat,lfhs.n And assign as =
reason why they refused 10 .wipe away
the stain" given by them to the character
Of MIR. Clayton. because"I approached
them 10 j" manner and tone Of resentment
unbecoming the character of Rev. Cen
tleman." have often lamented that my
conduct did not better correspond With
my profsssisn /. and when called on Mr..
Doll. may havemanifcstcd semo warmth
OF feeling. but il 40 am uncencious OF is
at thus time am SURE that | went to
MIR. doll, without any improper feelings
whatever, fully expecting he would !" be as
ready to do justice 10 others, as 10 expect
il itom thcm,n but in this was mi.taEen
and now exceedingly regret 10 find those
gentlemen placing their sin at ma door
hope however. they win bear in mind.
that a want Of proper decorum in ne.
cannot atone for an act Of injustice in
them. With regard 10 the - uniruths. hid
to my charge. have only to say /" was
informed that MIR. Clayton came 10 this
town 10 make arrangements with Mr.. ID.
and when necessary can find my ,nfor mcr.
And as it respects MIR. Dolls knotsicdga Of
money having RENTED by Mr.. CLAYTON TO
other creditors. gave him that iniorma.
t'on myself IN tho counting room adjoining
his store ! would not charge Mr.. Dali
with ialsehood. no! he may have forgot.
ten sLis,--hut !" he was even told this be-
fore be Published" his last piece. Il would
indeed seem that the memories OF thosc
gentlemen are quite treacherous, and, from
other mistakes they have made, we can
readily account for the one Just noticed,
for, II they could become 40 forgetful, as
10 place 10 MIR. Ciaytons account, what is
not coniained IN his ictters, they could AZ
easily forget what had stated 10 them.
when il was connected with
the same circumstances. | will notice
some Of the remarks made by those gen.
tlemea. which are calculated 10 make
wrong Impressions, aud wherein think
their recollec,ions must have failed them.
" We sought him out, and urged the nav.
meut Of our claim" Now the fact is thew
have never seen Mr. Clayton since he leit
the county. and up 10 the date OF his last
letter 10 which the money was enclosed,
he had not resolved the scrapo Of a pen
from them. How then was this claim
urged.n /" We received from him u writ
ten promise TO pay US at the camp meet
promise was that after the camp
meeting, MIR. Webster would hand them
ibe money. He however did nos fulfil
his promise" This is true, he did not,
but ask those gentlemen If he did not i'm.
write to them and give satisfac.
tory reasons why the money Was not sent ?
--hc certainly did And when sutss-
qucnny tcrittea 10, and plainly told that IN.
less our claim was discharged by a certain
time we would advertise him. When
WAS this subsequent letter written gentle
men please 20 inform US. And how was
he plainly told he would be advertised I'M
lees the money was forth coming by a a.
en- time? You had not tcrittc,a to him.
and am sure he could not hear your
voice upwards Of 200 miles " plainlu tell.
ing" him those things, how then MIR. Clay.
ton could know this is quite mystery 10
me. But "he replied" TO wEat did no
. reply" gentlemen 2 lie had never receiy-
cd any communication frem you. "And
will give him cHEcK on the broken
BAER OF MARrLaND. Here those gentle
men have raised the curtain 60 high. that
we can have a peep behind the stage. Il
is well known that MIR. Clayton had no
money in Bank, and consequently could
not check for any, and therefore they wish
the public TO believe he treated their
8 claim with contempt and defision. ~
Compare the latter part OF thsir pubiica.
ton with the former, and how viii they
agree together. We KNOW that we hate
been too strong in our denunciations oil
this man." How do you "know this.
gentlemen We would hardly suppose
Il from what you have written above
Surely it could not have been his "treat-
ing your claims with coatsmpt and derision
by Offering "check on the broken bank
Of Maryland" that convinced you Of this.
This controversy may be closed at once.
BY those gentlemen publishing the letters
Of Mr.. Clayton and hereby giye them
an opportunity. Gf in their power) ito show
that have misvepresentsd facts, for now
state unequivocaliy that. il they will pub
lish these letters, the public will then see
they have not only forgotten MIR. CIayton's
tsords, with bis letter in their hands; but
they have also misrepresentcd his mean ing.
II isvery evident that Messrs. Burkhart
and Doll, aim at justification OF their con-
duct, and therefore ask the question, "un-
der such circumstances were we not justi-
fable in publishing him ? | would say no
for, If were to obtain a credit Of those
gentlemen for given sum, and then leave
the county even il they did believe ne
yer intended payment, they certainly would
not be justifiable in seeking redress by
breaking open nsy house and robbing me
Of all the properly possessed /; and just
in so far as good character over balan-
ces the trifling sum of sI2. in the same pro-