Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-09-29

Liberty Advocate, signed "ZION HILL
We had occasion, more than once before,
to notice this silly, lo1, malicious thing.
We return 10 it with disgust unequalled
by every thing but the contempt we feel
for its authors. For, as our caption indi-
Gates, the extraordinary production was
not the offspring of the redoubtable Col.
Erasmus Caston--that god of battle; bat
iras company concern. We give this on
the authority Of its authors, who say, in
speaking of this article: sit was written
by Jdrrot CASTOR on the information of
ERASMUS CASTOR. Feeling equally CON
cerned in the AUTHORSHIP" &c. So, if
this article sprung from the brain of the
rdlidnt CoL., it was not armed cap pie,
as was Minerra when she sprung from
the head of Jupiter. No, Jarrot, with a
scoldStic elegance and potency, painted
the weapons and armed the falsehoods.
Soft appears that Col. Z. g. ]. CASTOR
have been constituted board of inquiSi-
tors, to investigate the private character
of "Mr Tothill;" whether self constituted
or not, we have not learned to certainty.
From the following, however, it would APP
pear the company was formed to transact
Wing business generally, for they say:
"we acknowledge to you that it (the arti-
Gle Zion HiH,) had It's existence in high
PARTY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT!
We deny the right to attack mans
private character through the public prints
1t is not public property. A man may
have two, public and private. The pub
lie character is public property, but the
other is not. The authors of the article
alluded to, say that it is necessary to scru-
tinize our private character, which lays
the foundation of our political or public
character. We deny the right but solicit
the investigation. We believe that good
private character is indispensably neces-
sary, therefore will hold ourself in readi-
ness to repel attacks made on the one or
The other. They are inseparable or the
same as far as the individual is concern
ed, but not so otherwise. Though the
writer denies the right to investigate pri-
Vate conduct through the press; yet he is
utterly unable to discriminate between
the doctrines, principles and acts, of the
man and those of the politician. Are they
not both the offspring of the same piU and
the conclusions of the very SAME UNDER
Will any one, competent to
Judge, contend that such are the charac-
ter and tone of the moral principles of
man as to entitle him to confidence and
respect, while those of the editor compris-
I'd in the same individual are corrupt and
Can we, with shadow of truth,
'ay, that such is not a dishonest man? No,
out knare as lawyer; as merchant, a
cheat or S'cindler; and an impostor as a
physician.
The Messrs. Castons' and ourself agree
in one thing, and that is, in order to have
a good public character, we must lay its
foundation broad and deep in the private
circles in which we move; in word, we
mus: be acquainted with and practice the
principles of the moral law. Does the
practice and theory of these men agree?I
Do they do as they would have others do
to them? Would they like to have their
prirGte characters assailed in the vilest
manner, and that too in the dark--bv an
onymous scribblers--persons who knew
them not, or knew that what they were
stating was untrue.
1t is very probable that those traducers
of private character--those gentlemen
inqusitors--those GUARDIANSHIP consti-
tuted guardians of the public weaI,' may
not like it so well when we come to anal
Use their private character, which, in gra-
titude we owe them. Indeed, as public
characters, (Mr. Gray has given their no
toriety)-for they are now before the pub
lie, they may not like their position so well.
or finG it so very comfortable. We have
as good right to analize their private
characters as they had ours. But now, as
they are pubic characters--as they have
boldly stepped forward in behalf of their
party-and set themselves up as public
marks, we as public character, can take
l. IL n