Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-10-12
southern Sun.-Gen. G. w. Terrcll..and
the Editor Of the WING Advocate.

southern sun--Gen. G. w. Tcrrell--and
the Editor Of the whis Advocate.
We noticed in the Southern Sun of the LIST
inst an Editorial, headed IS Gen. G.. w. Ter
rell," in which the Editor of that paper took
the liberty to say that the Editor of the Wing
Advocate, (now.absent) had made s. disgrace-
FIJI charger against the said Gen. Terrell.
We were struck with much surprise OH perusing
this article-astonished that SO gross an injus-
tice shopfd come from such source. If the
Editor of the Sun duly weighed the import of
his hnguage-if he meant what he said when
he penned the article alluded to, he has beer
guilty of an outrage upon Editorial courtesy
10 say the least of it an outrage which the
Editor of this paper will suitably notice, when
he returns. We would fain believe, however
that through inadvertance and the hurry OF
composing the adieetire was misplaced If sol
and the Editor of the Sun is governed as we
hope and believe he is by the same Sc sternes,
rules of honor" which he awards to his friend,
he cannot do otherwise than to correct the
error.
But let Us advert to the circumstances which
gave rise to the charge, which we admit, the
Editor of this paper did make against Gen.
d
tious signature in the yieksburg Sentinel, and
see whether there was any thing 50 dsgraceful''
in the conduct OF the Editor of this paper.
On the 25th of July last, Mr.. R. Davis the
Wing candidate for Congress, addressed the
people in Canton. Gen. Terrell replied to him.
Mr.. Davis rejoined and it was, as think
Gen: Terrell recollects, keenIy satirical and
triumphant. TWAS received by the people with
a burst of applause. A day or two afteru ards
a manuscript was picked up in the Court yard,
in Gen. Terrell's hand uriting, purporting
to be communication to some Editor, giving
an account of this "big speaking'' as it was
therein styled. This manuscript, which the
General has not denied and we think will not
denv was in his own hand writing, contained
what he himself, in his explanatory letter which
the Editor of the Advocate admitted into his
columns act of justice, admitted to be
g fulsome aud exaggerated account of the
speech.'' Soon afterwards the s. highly lauda-
tory'' article, the Editor of the Sun terms it,
appeared in the columns of the Vicksburg Sem
tinel & Expositor. Upon comparing this with
the manuscript above mentioned they were
found to correspond nearly word for word
far as the manuscript went. These circumstan-
ces the Editor of the Advocate thought suffi-
cient to Justify the inference that Gen. Terrell
was the author of the article " highly iaudato-
nv of has orn speech - and he, consequently
stated in his paper that such was his belief, and
at the same time giving these and other cir
cumstances as his reasons for so believing He
further stated that he would not have troubled
his readers with the matter, had not the s' lau-
datory',. article IS boastingiy said - Long
will himself Mr. Davis) and his Wing brethren
remember the eastigatlora they received in the
town Of Canton.o
Gen. Terrell feeling himself injured by this
charge,' applied to the Editor of the Advo-
cate to admit an article into his columns in err
plantation. This was granted, as the Editor in
formed us, most checrfully. In his explanato-
~ letter which was published, even Gen. Ter
rell himself did not say, like the Editor Of
the Sun, that the Editor of the Advocate had
made sdisgraeefs4l charger against him but
said he, if had written the laudatory'' arti-
Gle, 6 am free to admit, should be justly
obnoxious to your structures"
The Editor Of the Advocate in noticing the
Generals letter said g 1t is true we were ac-
tuated BY no unkind or malignant feeling to
General Terrell We never would have made
the charge we did without such testimony as
we felt, ~ouid Dear US out IN tue ahegatioh.'
lie concluded by saying he he left it to the
public to judge whether the Generals letter
sufficiently "exculpated him from the author
ship of the letter"
Such is a succinct history of this matter as
Ear as we are informed, in giving which, we are
actuated by no unkind feeling to any of the
parties concerned Far is it from our inten-
ton to wound the feelings or to do injustice to
either of them. We think it but due to justice
however, that the circumstances should be re-
lated, and that il be left to the candid reader
TO decide, whether she Editor of the Advocate
has done any thing that would justify the Edi-
tor of the Sun in styling /, "disgraeefuL'