Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-04-28
TO THE PUBIIC.

A man who is receiving support from
the Public should be ready on any proper
occasion to satisfy that public of the hon.
esty of his purpose and character; ms well
as his ability to discharge faithfully those
duties for the performance of which he
receives such support. To decline doing
which augers nothing favorable. Topre.
dicate his refusal on the ground that his
chaFacter is above suspicion is presumptu-
ovscycnd to base this position on pretext
oAzn-,sacy, nigh be construed into af
lection; from these considerations the un.
designed will avoid no scrutiny into his
character, on the contrary, he solicits il.
Thus submitting to any fair and honorable
process of investigation, if it does not a.
mount to demonstration of innocence, is
at varience, certainly, with consciousness
of guilt.
1t is generally known--almost every
one knows how awkwardly man is situa-
ted who is compelled to speak of himself:
in this position we find ourself at present,
though our able friend and associate, Dr.
Hall, has said more than enough to satisfy
the public, that "the Advocate of SANDER"
Of this place used the lowest falsehoods
for the meanest purposes, still there are a
few points that we feel It our imperative
duty to allude to. The Advocate shall be
at liberty to advance whatever it pleases
against our person, but we would remind
that print, and others, that truth is immu-
table, that it deserves respect for its own
sake, without regard to the source from
whence it comes, personal abuse, names
low epithets, are not arguments, and de-
serve contempt but not reply.
The Advocate told one truth, in all, it
has been so goo as to tell the public about
us: to one of the counts we plead guilty,
that is that of being foreigner by birth.
We would ask the Advocates tools, to tell
us who were Generals Lafayette, Lee,
Gates, Stewart, Montgomery, Pulaski,
Count de Estaing, Mr.. Ternay, Count Ro-
chambeau, Count de Grasse, Kosciusko,
De Kalb, Mcpherson, st. Clair,
Robert Morris, Charles Thomp-
son, Judge Wilson, Baron de Claubec,
Thomas Paine, Thomas Fitz Simmons,
William Finley. History tells us they
we're not Americans by birth, but their
acts and love of liberty prove them to be
30 in feeling-in sentiment. If the edi-
ors of the Advocate would make them
Ielves better acquainted with the histori-
al facts apertaining to their own and
'ther countries, it would, in great mea-
ure, cure, even them, of that narrow pre-
udice which is SO evidently peculiar to
hem, and their narrow and contracted
Jews of men and things, might be en-
arged by an excursion into the different
arts of their own happy country. In
uch an excursion they would see men of
lifferent countries, nations and opinions;
md they would also see that there is good
md bad men of all nations. They would
earn that no individuals are as despica-
de, as the liar and traducer of private
;haracter-against such characters there
$ no defence-hell has no fouler imps, nor
las man teller foes. The Tigar, says
Goldsmith, never desist, whom il once
astes human blood, from pursuing such
,rey--it is thus with the snoted ]. J.
iraves," of Icing and scandal notoriety,
Who glories in in nothing SO much as in |
he slaughter Of character--it is sweet to
lis taste, and he pursues it with the vo-
acity of the tigar. IfJ.J. Graves could
ucceed in destroying the character of
theirs, could it make his own fairer? III
e could take ours away, would it make
i'm richerg No--if he robs us of our
haracter, he "robs us of that which not
nriches him, but makes us poor indeed"
would crafty the malice of his heart,
, make another wretched--it would be a
scret source Of satisfaction, and he would
0 doubt, glory in his triumph.
We look on such man as the worst
lemy of Manufacturers than he who
Ould meet us on the public road and rob |
much morse than he who comes