Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1842-03-12

MS neiahcnoiy event, or me circumstances con-
nec.ed with II, and certain as am that should
this meet The public eve, the relentless spirit Of
party will tear open a:resh wounds but partially
healed by time, YET II weuld be much less afl,c-
'ing TO me than 10 sec you suffer unjlsily on ac>
count OF your involuntary connexion with that az
fair therefore forward YOU my statement, us
nearly as my recollection serves me, after The
lapse of four years. with The privilege Of using il
as circumstances, IN your opinion. require.
From the commencement of the difficulty be.
tween Mr.. Clliey and myself, up 10 the time l
sent him the challenge, | do not recollect that 1
mentioned II 10 YOU or any other colleague or
friend, except MIR. Menefee and MIR. Wise. | know
it was my purpose 10 communicate on The subject
with such persons only as ] had determined to
select as my friends, should the matter not termi.
nate amicably. Hence, my friend and colleague,
Mr.. Southgate, Who sat by my side at the same
table when | wrote tho correspondence, knew not
a word Of The affair from me until il was over. I
hoped from the first that il would be nmicably ad.
justed, and felt a strong solicitudo that il should
be known to us few persons as possible.
! do not recolect naming tho subject TO you
until the morning before The meeting, when I
called at your room, | think in company with Mr..
Wise, aud exhibited 10 you the correspondence,
and perhap. detailed 10 you the circumstances Of
the affair. ] remember that you suggested TO mo
some modIica ton in the phraseology Of the chal-
!enge, which | had written but had not sent, by
which mllder language was employed, and tho
door was not SO completely closed against ad>
%Jus'ment. recollect well, at the time you sug-
gested the notifications; which, | believe, was
written by yourself on another piece of paper,
you stated that the matter ought 10 be and would
be nmicably adjusted; and in this ! remember Mr..
Wise concurred with you in opinion. | rocollect
this the better, form n conviction resting on my
mind at the time that there were Influences,
which | thought | saw more fully than any Of my
friends, that initiated against this view Of tho
subject; some of which ! think mentioned 10 you
IN reply TO your suggestion that you thought the
matter would be adjusted without a hostile mee-
ting. | think l adopted your form, with but litilo
if any, modification, and | suppose DESTROYED il,
and that originally drawn by myself do not
think | alluded TO this subject in your presence a.
gain until abou, nine O'Clock Of the night prece-
ding the meeting, when had but n moments
conversation with you, in which ! made known to
you my want of skill IN the use OF the weapon So
looted by my adversary.
1t is utterly untrue that you ever exhibited 10
me any wish that the meeting should take place.
| believe | had no friend in Washington who
more regretted it. recollect after the affair,
".ea Mo ~-.- :. . hna reino.ho4.s, . ssvnrd
to s. mpathise mos. deeply with me in my mis-
fortune. You wepi, and were unable 10 utter d
word.
1t is also charged in this Boston paper that Mr..
Crittenden was responsible for, and was one Of
the main actors IN the preItninaries tina, brought
on the melancholy affair. Now, although y1u.
Mr.. Criitenden, Mr.. Menefee, and myself were
boarding together, Mr.. Cfi,tenden knew not a
word of the difficulty until about ten or eleven
o'clock OF the night before the neetIng-when
Mr.. Menefee and myself, and ! think Mr.. Wise.
went after him a. Mr.. Joseph GaIes's, where he
and his family were spending the evening. Mr..
Crittenden was very reluctant TO be one Of the
friends who, under the preliminnries upon
which Gen. Jones and Mr.. Wise had agreed, were
to accompany each second; end il was not until
! made the request in person, for reasons that l
think gave him for my solicilude that he should
be present, ,ha, he finally consented. was tho
more anxious that he should be on Tho ground.
because in Kentucky. and wherever else he was
we'll known, no man was more distinguished for
his mildness and humanity. | believed his pres.
ence would be the best evidence | could offer at
home that did not intend to act rashly, or 20 be.
yond the requirement Of those laws under which
| went to the field.
As soon as there had been a refusal to the note Of
Col. Webb, ! called to my aid The advice Of Mr..
Mene!ee and MIR. Wise, and from that time do
not recollect that any thing whatever was done
either by them or myself that did not meet tho
most entire appreciation of all, They acted as
my friends, and represented me in the affair
And | only am responsible for what they did
They could have had no motive to do any thing
more than TO protect my life and my honor.
l, would be much less painful 10 me, if those
who feel themselves called on 10 renew ihs dis
cusslon OF this most is agreeable subject would
spare my friends, and let their censure and denun-
fall exclusively on my head.
just before leaving The city for the ground,
my friends who accompanied me that
had but one suggestion to make, and that was.
in order TO avoid any inadver,ence, growing out
Of The haste and excitement incident, TO the adj
jusfment Of such affairs on the ground, that they
should confer together, and agree among them
selves upon The basis Of an adjustment, and after
doing SO, no, TO be driven from i, by eny consid-
connected with my safety. In pursu-
a nee of this suggestion, they did. as | afterwards
reduce TO writing their views as to the
grounds upon which an ad justment of The affair,
made, ought 10 rest.
| hope you may no, find i, necessary to place
this letter before The public; but If you think II
necessary 10 vindicaiIon.I repeal a9ain Il Ia AT