Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-08-02
TO THE PUBLIC.

u
nj. McCue, So far (and so far only) as that card
affects me personally. The biilingsgate of that per
sonage aimed against myself, pardon, as 1t is the
only revenge he has seen Tit to take upon me, fol
what doubtless has stirred his bile; only suggesting
that among gentlemen il Is not considered decent
and therefore will not be initiated by me. Nor dc
fear the public will concur with him, in Consider
ing my assault upon him cowardly which was
openly made and in 'front.' with fair notice that il
would be made, for which he was prepared with
the same sort Of weapon that used and which he
had been expecting all the morning, as was proven
by MIR. VIM Is. Kayser, on oath before NIaois
tra:e, unless it should be thought cowardly.for me
to have assaulted him at all ON account of his size
or age.
My justification for that assault is now fully an
parent from Mr..McCue's own admission in the
4th column Of his card. where he falsel, saws al
will here mcretyrepeat what stated in a mart Of
the correspondence" viz: with Col. Baldwin.
that the charges made against Col Baldwin's
friends, Messrs. Hartman and Sterre,t, ue,e al no
time entirely ctfhdrd,cn by me. hut only so far as
'here was want of legal evidence TO sustain
them" say falsely, because no where in that
correspondence is such statement 10 he found. as
the one quoted above. On the contrary all that is
to be found in that correspondence on that subject.
Is IN Mr. McCue'S two letters Of the Sd of Nav.
IN neither OF which is there a sentence bearino
The least resemblance TO the above quotations. 1t
now appears, though, by the latest confessions.
that was right In putting the offensive construc
ton on those very, and Unjust he allowed TO say.
PurpoSeiy ambiguous letters, which produced first
an eiiJrt at explanation with, and then an assault
upon MIR. N.cCue. A false and calumnious CHARGE
aiectihS my reputation rs man and an officer,
lad oeen made by my adversary. who now admits,
that In spite OF the failure of evidence to sustain
1t, he insisted upon and sat no time entirely with
drew" And yet the popularity loving John
Marshall hlcCue. stands SO high that he dares TO
appeal to the people of Augusta, to sustain him.
y hold him unframed while he trampes upon the
rights and feelings of an humble individual like
myself know nothing of that generous people.
II they will entertain such an appeal. from any
body, and appeal to them with confidence TO
say, whether my naughty and s,ilted adversary,
tells the truth, when he aflirms that during nv
brief and unpretending career among them have
"by course Of Rowdyisn or Bullyism brought
down upon myseithe strong dsappruba,ion of our
peaceable and order loving community" knew
that from mIsaprrehenson of the causes which led
to my attack on McCue, or perhaps from misrep-
reservations, temporary excitement pervaded
The community against me, but not "io pitch
such as had never been witnessed within the re-
membIance" of tagged gentlemen of the town
and county 1t has been thought by some there
was mere excitement when it was rumored that
Tarlton and his troop had crossed the Blue Ridre.
and again more recently, when the news came
that the British had burnt and sacked the city Of
Washington. These, however. are mere opionons.
But when explanation was made of the ago awaited
insult given. and persisted Indy Mr. McCue, who
has contrlved most deXtcrously and supply To shift
quarrel between himself and Col Baldwin. all
on my shoulders, because he thought the Colonel
had more powerful friends 20 stand by him than
had say when explanation was made, all with
one accord as far as inquired admitted that Mr.
McCue had not got lick amiss.
Mr.. McCue asserts that my statement is prciu-
dcial and incorrect. bat until he shows wherein it
is incorrect do not feel called upon to notice that
gratult0uS assertion.
have no further quarrel with Mr.. McCme nor
can ever haze. don't know how 10 quarrel in his
style. He. however. with that uncomfortable
rage, which belongs To impotence, still refuses to
withdraw the unjust charges made against me
and 1t now appears has been indusriously mining
for the last two months. without any notice TO me
of the work he was engaged at. for evidence to
patch them up. He finds willing witness in
Mr.. Jared Nj. Hotel n conGenial spirit. who feels
the same sense of injury against me that his more
lordIy master feels, having been called to account
by me for the same SANDER. lithis witness states
in his affidavit what he stated from the first. or if
Is SEEMS MI Rictue
for years past has been in the habit Of doing" for
his father "al" of this ''kind Of writing" and his
father prpports to have put his name and the dale
to this attidaviD then it is strange, if Mr.. Hotel
is a trust worthy witness, that the charges were
Withdrawn, in the correspondence with Colonel
Baldwin as founded on common fame" and with
out legal evidence to sustain them Mr. McCue's
avowed capability of"fxing days" to see wit
nesses first. his entertained belief that some wit
nesSes may be induced by the first party who takes
hold of them, especially, suppose. if that party
is Major and Magistrate and member Of the
Legislature. 10 make crank and candid avowal
of The whole matter" His avowed attempt TO
see, and to get ga friend" to see one Of the wit
nesses in this case, and his intention after seeing
him and procuring from him an affidavit of his
own lnfamy. which he sin common with many
other persons" thought could he done, TO use that
affidavit for the destruction of The characters Of two
young men heretofore unimpeached, these things
place the Majors moral principles on high and
envlable ground, and must induce at least ques-
ton from every one whether The notable Mr.. j. NJ
Hotel has not been induced to make his crank
and candid" disclosures, by force of having been
first seen by the puissant Major. After this com
mentary ! will dismiss Mr.. Hotel with the afTir-
nation that know nothing of anything to drink
being kept on the day of the election by any Of the
friends of Col. Baldwin in the barn-that | said
nothing nor heard Sterrett say anything to Lieut..
Meyers, either before OF after the election. abou,
the sale or purchase of horse, or trade Of horse
or horses-lhat |. especially, did moi speak or hear
the words attributed to me or Sterrett by Hotel
after the election, viz: All is right now-cUme
up with your horse or horses on Monday, & here,
positively deny, that attempted in any way, di-
recty or indirectly, 10 influence the vote of Lieu
tenant Meyers, except openly and aboveboard at
the polls, calling on him aloud 10 vote for Bald
win, and at the same time, 10 give force 10 iheap-
peal, putting my hand on his shouder-not my
arm around his neck-which is. however, of small
moment. ] openly favored Baldwin's election,
and am, for the first time, to learn. that an open
and fair effort at the polls to persuade man to
vote for ones friend, is at all reprehensible.
Lieut.. Lamb errs in saying that | stood and
talked with Movers If he means ANYTHING moro