Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-11-30
ORGANIZATIONS
no TIL: PUBLIC.

J To a man of scns,b,li,y, it is exceedingly painful te
T be compelled To expose to the public gaze The arrogance
4 and malignity of any one; yet the course which The no
norntle John Minor Bolts has thought proper TO pur-
sue towards me, and his refusal to give me satisfaction,
compels me to lay before the public the following Cor
: responsiveness:
The shallowness of Mr.. Bolts attempt to make oui
his "Coffee. House Letter a "private letter, is only
equnlled b. the weakness of his effort TO transfer III
Mr.. Lynch the condemnation which must be visited
' upon his conduct, after the public has been made fully
acquainted with all the facts of the case.
A letter from a public man, about public men ond
measures, addressed TO a public Reading Room, for
public Information and inspection, cannot be called a
private letter; and no more hssitated to copy il, than
should have hesitated TO copy a paragraph from a
newspaper laying on the Cofiee-House table. Besides
{ this, MIR. Lynch said an Editor, (Mr. Davis Of the
/. Whig) had copied it, and il would be published. !
r asked Mr.. Lynch Tor the original letter, that ! nigh,
: lay before my personal and political friend, this astonish.
ing production, in tho handwriting OF lis modest au.
= thor. Mr.. Lynch. exercising his right n the posses
sion Of il, refused il 10 me. 1t excited much conves.
. sation, md u strong feeling Of resentment, against Mr.
Tyler. | took a copy in the presence Of seyera! gen
lilemen. did not do it secretly, or by stealth ! dd il
openly. | sent it 10 my friend. My only motive was
tn place in his hands a paper which, contained charges
that affected his reputation, and which he had a righ'
i 10 expect that any one whom lie honored with his
friendship, should furnish him with. consider il to
be almos, as criminal 10 hear a friend traduced without
informing him Of it, as to be the author Of The calumny
itself.
Mr.. Bolts says, in his address The letter was
intended 10 be . private letter, but that inadvertently
directed il TO the Coffee House, instead OF James ii.
Lynch, Coffee House, Richmond, which IS my usuil
mode oil directing documents or other papers to him.
| must take the liberty of using the honorable MIR.
Bolts himself, as my witness to contradict this asser.
ton
lie says: rSec his Address TO the Public. My ex
rec.alion aud design was, that il should be read by
those Of my friends and constituents, whn we're IN the
it-t. r. ..,. II. .-.I' xIa. Do. ,L.tt H..
might not only know The posture Of GiIairs here, bu,
ny opinion Of the causes that had brought rs INTO This
sddden aud unexpected difficulty" THIS IS his own
language. by his admission, then, it = was written 10 be
publicly exhibited in the Cotfee-House or Rrsding
Room, for they are one and the same, that II might be
read, by " HON? Did he designate them by name, or
could he have doue go: Were they Wings or Locofo-
cos: Gentlemen belonging TO both poll zeal PARTIES
we're among the subscribers and visitors there. Can il
BE- believed that Locoiocos, even if Wings had, would
have consid -red I a private letter; Did Mr.. Lynch,
Mr.. Bolts confidential friend and correspondent, con-
sidtr il a private letter: In his letter 10 me, [sce do
cunent No. q he says: '.lfthe letter had been address,
cd 10 me individually, as the keeper of the Coffee.
House, | should have laid it on The table, 10 be read BY
any one" Again: Mr.. Gregory, in his letter, [see do
cumrnt No. i says: "l asked him (Mr. Lynch) If Mr..
& ITS letter was a public or private letter. lie said I
was puhl,c-ihat II was On the tab e IN the C1are-
House, and asked me 10 walk in and read it,"
Mr.. Bolts says that | recognized IT as private and not
public property, because, he is informed by Nr Lynch,
asked hun Tor a copy, which he refused. What is
MIR. Lynch's language [See his letter, document No.
~ "iour latter addressed TO the Coffee House, has
found its way in The papers. How this happened, ! do
not know. The impression is that Mr.. Richard Adams
forwarded it for publication. He asked me for il and |
refused" Is the word copy once mentioned By MIR.
Lynch: Is j, not the correct inference, that | forwarded
the original, and th1tI asked for the original, which he
refused: Mr.. Lynch, in his letter to me, [Sre dncu-
~ Tho nrescnHe Or vi. : "nrU .aaoeo, -. ." -" 49,
-, ~. ~ 1 sttt,f ho had never written MT. BulS
YOU had asked for a copy; he wrote him you had
asked him for the letter" l. there not a material di.
ference between asking a proprietor of a pnolc ,,eaa-
inp Room for permission 10 take away from that Read.
ina Room, q paper which is the property OF The pro-
prIrior and subscribers both, and take away even al
newspaper, without the consent OF the proprietor; nut
can il be denied that any one who VISITS that Reading
Room, has not a perfect right to take q copy, oil any
poper, doca;nent or newspaper, which is publicly exit
al,ed there
MIR. Bolts says [see his Address, "Rumor says he
is an appl,can, Tor a foreign appointment, ana ! sup
nose he has now secured it, In reply, VIII observe
only, that The office for which ! vas no'l'ha.n, ama
through his (Nr. Botts) fundamentally rejected was
promised me carly in July, by Mr.. Bell, the late oecre-
,ary of War, with the appreciation OF the President.
The notice ! intended taking of Mr.. Bolts letter
TO me, dated 23d Sc TENDER, IS preciuaed me ny ns
letter 10 Mr.. Selden. Lest, however, erroneous inler'
euces NAV be drawn from the following passage IN that
letter: alt was not the first time you had endeavored
TO create q difference between others ana myseii, W
such communications" ! will state, l know OF but one
| instance in which there is the slightest foundation ior
such q charge, and that is simply this: In octoper'
Iaal. Mr.. Botts, in a public bar-roon, spoke OF my
connection and intimate friend, MIR. Collier II. hiinse,
in so disrespectful 4 manner, that noticed II 10 Mf
Rats q, The time, and afterwards sent hun word that l
would inform Mr.. hllnge Of what he had SAID oil nm.
Mr. Botts. however, relieved me from so dong, oy
seeing MIR. Minge before ! did, and dlsc!aim'ng any IN
,ention in what he had said, OF being disfespecuui 10,
him. If malice is to be inferred from there existing
between us an un~friendly feeling, 1t would seem that
Mr.. Bolts is equally liable to the charge, rom Ut re-
ness Of his recollection Of former differences.
vas unable to procure the assistance of a irienu 70
see me fully .irhted in this most unwarranted assault
upon both nv feelings and character, until tme Slst
S.ntrmber. The letter of my friend, MIR. Dfiscnli,
| w,il eyplain What took place, whist the condGcto OF inns
controversy was in his charge, and why the apparent
delov. rSce document No. IL After his withdrawal,
had 10 find another trend, and II was not until INC
Doth, that | succeeded. go r.
Rv The udyice Of his friend, Samuel Ii. Myers, Esq,
and others of my friends, was induced to give Aif'
po,,s another opportunitv Of rendering me that justice
which was so strictly due from him. ! addressed hIm
n second letter, dated 2Uth October. loee document
NO. lo1 On The 2ls'' it was proposed 10 as y ,u, 4 ,
communication from them could be made TO Mr.. botts.
H,vno The fullest confidence in the justice of my
c,use' and believing it TO be my duty to afford h'm eve
~ reasonable opportunity to place himself IN the f.5n'
again, before ! proceeded TO e5uem'.ies : m. NJ
md il was no, until the 18th, that my friend Mr.. MY
e enu handed him my second letter His reply was
c%ouehed in such a1,ho lans', Me-. INA My = re0' did, d'' The reply
, rss shown to several iriends-some agreed with
WA WAS ,h sI0 I, was !" no, a 1%e,rac'ion, while others thought
,h e - ! should be satisfied with it, inasmucn as The pub
lca,ion Of all the correspondence with The subject
yould NJ once retrieve me in The opinion oil Tue pnonc'
from 's5' al Me- e'l Mysrs 81 .s '%ps?r there was a difference Of Cpl
ZION among nv friends, and knowing tina, q gentle
mans honor should never be detachable, waited 3D.. on = Mr. u
Bolts ogsio on the a.h II H 10. ,eaiy, ' To ,e ;Ssrs should h'% ID &c Sc
uo danb, as to his meaning. Mr.. Bolts stated 10 him,
tsee Mr. n Myers statement, No. 18,) that he did not s
,nsso 10 withdraw the charge of purloining,' and oil
course, tina, MIR. Myers construction OF his LePiy WAS WAS
s[.op Ess ' S"e i sss u 10 So. " 49, which VI was haadsd
My br",her-in-law Mr.. selden, having arrived on The
IT, - u A.axah auinn rni seuipu 10 ll A. MY