Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-03-29

mined TO select as my friends, should
the matter not terminate amicably.
Hence my friend and colleague, Mr..
Southgate, who sat by my side at the
same table when | wrote the cores
pondence, knew not a word Of the az
fair from me until it was over. /
hoped, from the first, that il would be
amicably adjusted, and felt strong So
licitude that it should be known to as
lew persons as possible.
l do not recollect naming the SUBJ
ject TO you until the morning before
the meeting, when / called at your
room, l think in company with Mr..
Wise, and exhibited to you the cor
respondence, and perhaps detailed to
you the circumstances Of the affair l
remember that you suggested TO me
some modification in the phraseology
Of the challenge, which l had written
but had not sent,by which milder Ian
guage was employed, and the door was
not so completely closed against ad-
justment. | recollect well, at the time
you suggested the modification which
l believe was written by yourself on
another peice of paper, but stated that
you thought the matter ought TO be,
and would be amicably adjusted; and
in this | remember Mr.. Wise concur
red with you in opinion. l recolIect
this the better, from a conviction res
ting on my mind at the time, that there
were influences, which l thought l saw
more fully than any Of my friends, that
initiated against this view Of the sub
jeci; some ofwhich | think mentioned
you in reply to your suggestion that
you thought the matter would be adius-
ted without hostile meeting. think
| adopted your form, with but little, if
any modification, and suppose destroy
ed it, and that drawn originally by my
self. | do not think ! alluded to this
subject in your presence again, until
about nine o'clock of the night precee-
ding The meeting, when l had but a
moments conversation with you, in
which l made known TO you my want
Of skill in the use of the weapon selec-
ted by my adversary.
1t is utterly untrue that you ever ex.
hibited to me any wish that the meet.
ing should take place, believe ] haC
no friend in Washington who more re.
GREETED it. recollect, after the affair,
when we met at our clearinghouse
you seemed TO sympathize most deeply
with me in my misfortune. You
wept, and were unable 10 utter a word
1t is also charged in this Boston pa
per, that Mr.. Criuenden was respon.
sible for and was one of the main &C
tors in the preliminaries that brough
ON this melancholy affair. Now, al.
though you, Mr.. Crittenden, Mr.. Me.
nefee, and myself were boarding to-
gether, Mr.. Crittenden knew not a
word of the difficulty until about ten o.
eleven o'clock OF the night before the
meeting-when Mr. Menefee and my
self, and l think Mr.. Wise, went aGte
him at Mr.. Jos eph Gales, where he ant
his family were spending the evening
Mr.. Crittenden was very reluctant t.
be one of the two friends who, unde
the preliminaries upon which Gen
Jones and Mr.. Wise had agreed, wer
to accompany each second; and it wa
not until l made the request in person
for reasons that | think [ gave him 70
my solicitude that he should be pres
emf, that he finally consented. l wa
the more anxious that he should be o
the ground, because in Kentucky. an
wherever else he was we'll known, n
man was more distinguished for h
mildness and humanity. believed h
presence would be the best evidenc
| could offer at home, that | did N
intend to act rash!y, or go beyon
the requirement of those laws und'
which went 10 the field.
AS soon as there had been refus
10 receive the note Of Col. Webb,
called TO my aid the advice Of M
: Menefee and Mr.. Wise, and from tn
time do not recollect that any lhiI
whatever was done either by them
: myself that did not meet the most e
d tire appreciation of all. They act
! as my friends, and represented me
i the affair-and ! only am resPon'
BILE for what they did.-They cou
have had no motive to do any thi
o more than 10 protect my life and 4
u honor.
J, Itwould be much less painful 10 n
q If those who feel themselves called
! to renew the discussion of this mi
l. disagreeabIe subject would spare
J. friends, and let their censure a
e. denunciation fall exclusively on
head.
- Just before leaving the cite for
~ ground, l informed the friends who
=. companied me that l had but one 81
!. gestion to make, and that was, in orr
~ to avoid any inadvertance, growing
I of the haste and excitement incident
=, the adjustment of such affairs on
- ground, that they should confer toge