Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-10-24

consumes magnanlmiy ana gentle
manly department are so unique and
peculiar, that | do not think strange OF
this. [ hope the Doctor will not get
angry with me for thus endeavoring to
secure to him the privilege I desire for
myself, for when he does become an
cry, he is truly terrific! | fear he was
a little under the influence Of anger,
when he wrote the communication ID
your last paper:-the way he flames
and flashes occasionally, reminds one
Of Comet, playing from its sphere
and rushing widely thrugh unlimited
and trach!eSs Space" indeed his whole
piece may well be compared to one of
those Er<atjc bodies, and he siiniiitude
is rather increased, when we take into
consideration the luminous tail appen-
ded to il in the shape Of certificate
from the Rev. Mr.. Jennings.
The Doctor brings against me the
grave charge of having changed the
phraseology of the letters sent to him
in August last, and publishing a new
and different version of them in the
Sentinel. These alterations, he says,
are almost entirely confined to the first
letter. Now the most effectual way
for him to establish that point, will be
to publish those letters as they read in
the copies he has in his possession; he
has perfect liberty to do so, nay, chal-
Ienge him to do so, that the public may
see these important discrepancies.
But, supposing had changed the
phraseology of the letters: it is the pub
lished copy that am willing to stand
or fall by, that is already before the
public. l affirm however that the gen
eral import Of those letters is the same
in both instances, and say it without
fear Of contradiction, and DR.. Irwin
had the means Of proving it false if it
be so, and I challenge him to bring
them forth;-there are it is true some
sentences added and some phrases
changed, but the general import is the
same, and he knows it.
Bat why make this charge against
me2 he certainly has some reason for
it. | think l am in possession of this
motive. It IS this.-previous to the
publication of my letters in the Senti-
mel he had excused himself from an
swering me by stating that my letters
were OF an ungentIemanIy or insulting
character, bat when they appeared in
print, knowing that the pubic woulI
discover them to be of an entirely diff
ferent character, he is oblige TO make
this assersion, knowing at the same
time it is not sol F!
| believe it is no uncommon thing
for an individual to revise and correct
the style and phraseology Of a produc-
ton, when that production is to go be-
fore the public; this is right; scarcely
any individual bestows the same care
and attention on a production to be
sent in manuscript, as when that pro-
duction is to appear in print;-it was
this consideration which induced me to
dress up the original draft when | sent
the letters to the Sentinel Office.
1t certainly would not have been {
b ad plan for the Doctor to have gone
over his production second time be-
fore he handed it to your compositors
unless he is culpably ignorant of tht
plainest rules of English grammer, hi
might have discovered several glarine
mistakes which ought to have beer
corrected. Such grammati a error:
in an Inaugural Thesis, would pre-
Glade Medical Student from gradu
ating in any respectable Medical Schoe
in the United States.
| Perhaps, however, the Doctor ha:
! Grammatical rules Of his own, as. vel
as rules of Etiquette; if SO, / would ad
wise him to publish Treatise on Eng
lish Grammer, for the benefit Of thu
rising generation; ii would probabl,
take as well as my treatise on Conges-
tive fever, which he advises me to pub
lish.
| / have, in my former letter, char
ged the Doctor with calling in "unask
ed by any proper authority" to see twc
of my patients, sc. This the Doctor de
dominates s'lie aad a slander;;o ant
attempts to prove that | am the autho
Of it by publishing certificate from
the Rev. Henry Jennings. Now in or
| der to ascertain whether my charge i
true or false, it is only necessary to ask
what constitutes s'proper authority" il
such eases, and secondly, whether h,
was asked BY such authority. No on
will deny but that proper authority i
such cases would be, either the at
J tending physician, the parents Of th