Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-10-19
Gen. g.. w. Terrell and the Editor of
this Paper,

Gen. G.. w. Terrell and the Editor of
this Paper.
We have noticed communication over the
signature OF g. w. Terrell, published in the
Southern Sun of the 9th inst, in which be
abuses c. e. ShackiefoTd, Esq, the Editor oil
this paper, in no very mild terms The reason
he assigns for doing is, that ,he Editor oil
this paper charged him, in late number Of the
Advocate, with being the author of commu-
nicaron published in the Vicksburg Sentinel,
in which over-wrorgli and fulsome account
was given Of Gen. Terrell's reply to NJ r
Davis, in Canton, last summer; tina, this reply
20 DIR. Davis s'was made up OF quotations
from 9Th January speeches, &c.;" that he had
written q letter TO the Editor OF the Advocate,
accompanied by statement made By w. G
IIaun, with the view of exculpatng himself
from the charge; and that the Editor of this
paper refused to him ''the privilege of wildcat
ing himself through the same channel,n -
meaning the Wing Advocate. With this let
ter the author caused 10 be published, also, the
he says he addressed to the Editor of the
Advocate, the refusal to publish which was his
ground Of complaint.
We had not, before we saw this iast letter
in the Sun, seen or read il; and could not,
therefore, decide whether Mr.. Shachleford was
right not in saying it not sufficiently
respectful and courteous,' and in refusing for
this reason 10 publish it. But now, after we
have carefully read it n the Sun, we hesitate
not 10 express our decided opinion that he
acted as became gentleman, in refusing to
publish it; and that even Gen. Terrell himself
has no good reason TO complain of the refusal.
And il order that all who peruse this article
may judge whether our opinion is correct, we
will here make ex tract from the letteritself
He said thar the ''press'' of the present day
has, to use his own words, "degenerated into
a mere conduit of rifle Islander and personal
abuse-the abandoned rehiete Of Joua defanr ztion,
splitting IT'S ressou1 the fairest characters IN
our country. From his general character, r
hare been IA The habit Of considering the paper
you conduct exempt, end hare frequently 80 err
pressed myself but, SIR your remarks accompany
fng my letter, Of character illiberai AMI
injurious TO nae, personally 10 force to alter
that opiniorl,'' &c.
Now ie- tircsr wffv knows any Thing o e
the English language, and who has ever look
ed into dictionary for the meaning Of the
terms "respectfhd and eourteous," that will ven-
ture TO say that the language used by Gen.
Terrell, in the above extract, "a respectful and
colreeo,sf If there be, he deserves to be cha
racterised as a ''liliputian inteilec',n indeed.
The only meaning attach 10 this ex
tract is, that Gen. Terrell tells the Editor of
the dvocate that his paper is ''conduit of
vile SANDER" ssthe abandoned vehicle of foul
defamation," &C.; and, then asks the Editor
to publish in his own paper this grossly insult
ing language. Well, what said the Editor
abou, it, and what did hel He did not, in his
notice of the letter, vent his spleen, for he har
bored none, we think, agains; Gen. Terrell.
No. But in language, mild and gen,lemanly,
and in a spirit and temper that would do honor
the most benevolent professor of our holy
religion, said that Gen. Terrel's letter was not
sufficiently ssrespectful and courteous'' to be
admitted into his paper; leaving the General
to infer, that if its tone should be altered, il
would be allowed place in his columns to
indicate him from the charge which the Editor
had made--a charge in the making Of which,
according TO his previous declaration, he was
.sactua;ed BY no unkind or malignant feeling
10 Gen. Terrell.n We leave i, TO the reader
then-nay, we would be willing to leave it to
Gen. Terrell himself in his calm, disPassiona,e
moments, to say whether the Editor has been
guilty of DENYING ssto the individual thus in
jured, the privilege of ri,adieating himself
through the same channel.n This privilege,
ere Eink, Gen. Terrell is mistaken in supposing
denied 10 him but the privilege of abus-
ing the Editor, and this too in his own paper,
we admit was denied him. and every jus, man
must say, justly denied. And Gen. Terrell
must so regard 1t when he reflects calmly and |
dispassionateiy upon the subject.
It
no; confiDe himself 10 the ostensible object of
his communication, to wit: the exculpation of |
himself from the charges which he said the |
Editor of the Advocate had made and ssinsidi- |
ously, and by inuendo'' reiterated. He has |
ventured 70 give the public biography of |
"this redo,s5ta6ie and dignifed Edtor,- as he |
sneeringly styles him. He asks rho is this /
Ediiorl And thus answers his own question:
"a Three wears ago he was little whiting cosa,-
T. court i.wyer, uithosi business or prospects. |
until he was taken up by Col Fulton, of this
county, who gare him partnership, and short
ly afterwards retired, leariag him good prac-
tee, and now the ripper nas- turned upon his
b-nefaetor, and clenched HE poisonous fangsl
into the bosom that warmed him into life.
Scarcely one of his papers comes out that does
not contain come a5as< and even Islander against
Col. Fulton.
We have taken shs liberty a. we did in the
Gssi extract we mode, 70 put come Of the
words Of this Quotation in italics in order that
the mind of the reader may mark such az are
considere3 obiectionable. And ~e here take
occasion, once for al, 10 assure Gen. TerrsIlf
haf IL is not orr purpose 10 resorss for the alb
sens Editor Of THE psper- the unnecessary
I'D 70 .soss vss kso~ the Esissr isralsss