Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-03-05

l., !. n,s ana nat tic .to.na o.. wp:a yeu Se..sa
,, J,cliuioY 10 receive Tho nols was dsi,nnty ti'S
hst yo could not 10 get yourself INTO personal
3;cn,ies with conductors Of public journals tor what
YOU might think proper to say IN debate upon hs ,o"''
IN discharge OF your duties as Representative Oh Tue
People, and that you did not rest your o'fcto ~ W.
interview, upon any PelSohai ooJe'"o " o'
as gentleman
Very respectfully,
lour obedient servant,
WILLIAM J. GRAVES.
Hon Jonathan Ciley.
.,ir Ciity to Mr.. GrGres.
IlutsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February 2lst, 1888.
The note which you just placed in my hands has been
received. In reply, have TO state that III your hs'
view with me this morning, when you proposed TO de
liver n communication from Col. Webb of the New
York Courier 4 Enquirer, declined 10 receive u be
cause chose to be drawn into no controversy WIN MN
neither affirmed nor denied any thing IN regard to '
character hut when you remarked that ths course on
an nv mart might place you in unpleasant situation
stated 10 YOU, and do repeat, that intended by
the refusal no dsrespect to you.
Very respectfully,
Your obedlent servant,
JONA. ClLLEY
Hon w. J. Graves.
facts and circumstances had transpred in the nterya
after our first interview, without any participation
knowledge, or information on my part
You SAID that neither you your friends consider
ed this note of Mr. Clley satisfactory; that as appre
bended at first it denied what you alleged he had saio
n vou verbally that il seemed 10 separate Col. Webl
from his class conductors Of public Journals and Il
decline controversy with Shin whose note you had
borne and 10 express respect for you only 10 relieve
you from ar sun pleasant suation, or TO say, in effect
that whilst it condemned the character OF COL Webb
il would recognise accountability 10 yon gentleman
You asked my opinion oft, and could not but adm
that IL certainly capable OF TINS construction, but
advised you address him again upon The SUBJECT it
his letter unsatisfactory, wherein u was SO
and enquire for his specific grounds oil decning te
receive Col Webbs note. This you consented'to do
and heard no more of the matter until late in the
evening of at day, Thursday, the a2d, about the time
of the adjournment OF the House.
After had seen you in the morning of the 22nd you
had advised with other friends, whom know not and
had sen, by your colleague, Mr. Meneicc, about or
o'clock, r. NJ. 10 Mr.. Cilley, you and he both alter
wards informed me, the following letter, to wit:
Mr.. Grares 10 Mr.. CWsy
HOUSE, OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February -, 1888.
SIR Your note Of yesterday, in reply To mine OF thai
date, is nexplicit, unsatisfactory and insufficient
among other things in this: that, your declining &c
receive Col. Webb's communication, IT does not aiS
claim any exception to him personally as gentleman
have, therefore, to inquire whether you declined &c
receive his communication on the ground OF any per
sonal exception to him gentleman or man OF no
nor A categorical answer is expected.
Hon. ]. CLlrY WIN J. GRAVES.
knew nothing the delivery of this note, and no
thing of the answer 10 H. until you 10 me with
both and with challenge already drawn for me to de
liver Mr.. Clley in the evening. The answer was n
these words:
Mr.. Cdtey TO Mr.. Grarcs
HuusE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February -, 1888.
Sir Your note Of this date has been placed IN my
hands regret that mine Of yesterday was not sats
iactory to you but cannot admit the right on you
part PROFOUND the question to winch you ask cate
goricul answer and therefore decline any further re
Spouse to il. Very respectfully,
Hon. w. J. GRAVES JONA ClLLEY.
When you came 10 me with this last note, you came
asking no advice but with your mind decided 10 send
challenge, and with challenge already drawn before
YOU saw NE. As you afterwards testified, you salt
there was no alternative left; you had consulted witt
no one and requested to bear the challenge lmme
dialely This was during the sitting OF the House
about half past o'clock, Z. NJ. begged you 10 wal
until the House adjourned
After the adjournment walked down the Avenue
together, aud demonstrated against bearing the cha
lenre and prevailed you at last TO deliberate tor one
night, 10 afford time to whether something nigh
not occur or might be done, 10 relieve you from The
necessity Of challenging Mr. Cley a, all. You con
senled to this took the challenge with you; parted
for the night and had further communication will
each other until the next morning.
About 10 o'clock the next morning, Of Friday, The
odd YOU called al my boarding house. Miss Queen s.
Pennsylvania avenue, and again brought with you
challenge already drawn and requested me TO bear It
You said that nothing had occurred to change your de
termination, and you could see no alternative. iot
submitted to me the form Of the challenge which yor
hojd Xan cd hat lyare flrO nom
of controversy with Mr.. Cilley, TO wit
Isl. The point of reracify: Whether he did not say
to YOU what you alleged he said your verbal interview
with him. This he had denied in his first note, aite
requesting You TO ask for II in writing.
I'd. The point OF honor: In refusing to give you II
writing satisfactory for declining TO receive a
your hands q note from Col. Webb.
The first the point which seemed TO weigh mos
in your mind, and concluded with gcu that was
the ground which you could be Unsuitable in calling
Mr.. Clley to the field Your challenge, at that time
was drawn coniormably 10 this view. II was, you
know afterwards destroyed, and have no copy Of il
now but, speaking from recollection lis substance
a call upon Mr.. Ciey for denying yonr statement d
chat he had said, after admitting to you, and request
ing you to call on him for it IN acriting.
admitted that this was yonr true canse OF quarrel
but demurred to bearing the challenge, and still urged
that something might be done 10 avoid H. thought
that Webb ought not to allow you 10 fight Me. Ciley
or TO be involved in n challenge on his account, and
that he might demand to take your place. You seemed
think that it was no longer Webbs, but your own at
fair that your word disputed and denied we'll
his character doubted. We discussed this question
some timc and you at last insisted that should accom-
pany you to Mr.. Clay's room, and be guided by his
counsel in the matter You boarded at the same house
with him-at Mrs Hills, few doors from Miss Queen $
went with you TO his about IL o'clock, a. NJ
on Friday, the 23d, and we found him alone. You sub
mltIed TO him, in my presence, whether there any
alternative then for you but TO challenge Mr. Clley
lie promptly responded that you had other course
left. You then submitted to him the form of the cha
lenge you had drawn. He read il, and did not ap
prove it, and said that your true point of challenge
that Mr. CilIey had refused to receive the note of Col
Webb, which you had borne and had refused also To
assign such reasons would exonerate you from
sponsIbility | Immediately debated this point with
hun, as TO the true cause of dispute but he persisted
in his opinion took the challenge you had drawn, threw
il aside and with his hand and pen the fol-
lowing, to wit:
r.