The native American., 1838-09-01


That person who had just made an assassin-like
attack upon me in the presence of my family and
of innumerabe women and children, and to whom
had just granted the boon of life as charitable
and earnestly solicited donation, should send such
message TO me, and, that gentleman who had
asked his life for him should be the bearer Of the
message, filled me with feelings to which could
give no adequate expression. My answer was in
these words-'I look upon II. p. Moore as dis
graced coward. | send him no messages. enter
into no negotiations with him. neither know nor
recognise him. | am here on no business connect
cd with him, and shall remain here as long as
please, walking wherever think proper. and if he
cross my path again with menacing look or ges-
ture, it will be at his peril" This was the reply
which at once suggested itself, and, notwithstand-
ing its notoriety, have not heard its proprety
questioned by any one.
During the whole Of Tuesday, Moore did not
make his appearance III the yard, but he sent
handb upon the ground the same that appeared
in the Louisville Advertiser of Saturday, in which
he made pitiful and futile attempt to mitigate the
Indignation and contempt Of hundreds who had
been the witnesses of his infamous atrocty and his
still more infamous cowardice. Feeling, that it
was necessary for him to come again into the yard,
and not daring TO cross my path without some pre-
vious explanation, he sent Major D. Thompson,
highly respectable citizen Of FIarrodsburg, to a
friend of mine, on Tuesday evening, to let me
know that he designed visiting the Hotel, in com
pany with Major II. on the following day, but au
thorsing that gentleman to pledge honor and lie,
and every thing else, that he should come with
perfectly pacific intentions, and, that, however Of
ten he might pass ME, he would scrupulousy abb
stain from offering me either moestaton or insult.
70 this made no reply, for disdained to send
any message to Moore. DR.. Graham, the estima-
Bile proprietor Of the Springs, afterwards came to
me, and said to him for his own satisfaction, that
if Moore came there and deported himself like a
gentleman, should certainly commit no violence
within the yard. subsequently saw NJ several
times, and he seemed to have as little blood-thrsti-
ness as if he were an honorary member of the
Massachusetts Peace Society. | occasionally
heard Of his spies and bullies, stationed at different
points, but although visited the Mineral Spring,
his proposed fighting ground, two or three times
a dav, and went into the town when my business
required it, he thrust on me no second opporuni-
ty of conerring upon him the boon Of his forfeited
life. "
Mr.. G. w. Ward, in note published in Moore's
handbl. alleges, that, on Monday, he was request
ed by M. to say to me, that he would not attack
me in the yard, but, that he would attack me if |
should show myself at any other point. Mr.. w..
however, alleges, that he had no opportunity Of
communicating the message to me before the en-
counter. He forgets the facts. He certainly did
have an opportunity OF communicating the mes
sage. He saw me repeatedly not more than half
an hour before the affray and pointed me out to
Moore And if M. did not contemplate an
attack upon me i'll the yard, why did he make it?
Does he profess to be under any apprehension Of
nv attacking him! Audacious he is, he has
not the audacity to set up any such plea as that
His actual attack upon in the yard is proof that
he intended to attack me there. unless indeed he
was SO badly frightened as to have no idea of what
he was doing
Whether Moore, after firing his first pistol, was
or was not unarmed is to me matter Of doubt
Those who know him are entirely confident that
he had other weapons, but wanted the courage to
use them. One thing is very certan-he habtl-
ally carries other arms than single pisto and, It
he did not have them at that time, he had put them
off expressly for the occasion, intending to make
one shot at me in the midst of large crowd, and,
if he missed, to escape with his life under the abb
iect plea Of defencelessness or through the inter-
ference of the surrounding multitude. lfsuch were
his views, they were we'll worthy of the indivldu-
al, who, after his first escape, made pubic pro
posa for meeting at the mineral spring, intending
that not only the hundreds Of visitors but the whole
town and county should De present SO tnat 'he
fight should either be prevented altogether, or taken
off his hands by an inlurlated mob.
have stated in these few remarks, only what
can prove by some of the most respectable men
in this city and by scores of Witnesses elsewhere.
who have voluntarily proflered me their testimony.
sincerely hope, however, that | shall have no
future occasion to alude to the revolving subject.
/ disdain the reputation of a bully or bravo.
want no mans blood upon my hands. make
no pretensions TO extraordinary courage. My only
boast is that dare to state both in my public and
private capacity, whatever believe to be true,
and that am not to he turned from my course,
either as an editor or a man by all the blusterers
and assassins in Christendom.
GEO. d. PRENTICE.
READ1Ne.-"I 1t ought to be a leading object III
our schools. to teach the art Of reading 1t ought