The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-07-13
INTERESTING DEvEL0PE1rRNrs.


recent number Of the louisville Journal states ON
information alleged to have been received from Mr. N
r. Willis now IN this city, by Its editor in personal
interview that Mr. Willis had challenged mo to axht
duel with him in Bermuda and also In Baltimore; and
that had eclned This statement Is copied into the
New York Timed and several Of city papers, and &c
comp panied With such suggestions as 70 Mr., Wilhs's
courage and my of It aud the morality or imno
ray Of the practice du,ng to these presses
to y called for ty the occasion The subioinod stter
contain oil the information upon tho subsst ands
you will do the favor TO publish them think they
win prove that such the Louisville
Journal describes took place have sort Of claim
upon your this matter because Mr. Wiss alleged belief
that was about going ts the South, IL founded an
editorial article in the HERALD, which stated that
about quitting my profession and removing TO tho
South If you will repubsh that article, with these
letters it will put the public in possession Of al the In
formation have in regard to changing my residence
or fighting MIR Willis. The prospect Of doing either
pr. sented itself to me. To make Mr. Wa first
letter ineligible ought state that Mr. Forrest fog
ped him in June 1885, that he brought action Of
ssult and battery for this and acted as counsel in
the defence the suit The brought to trial in
May 1861 and after the plaintiff had gone through will,
his testimony aud had opened the Defence the
stocd over for few days when of the plaintiffs
rel desired to go to Europe and the others anw
against the circumstances of the defendant discharged
the jury, and the went OIL The Forrest divorce
in which counsel for defendant, tried in
December and January last Mr. Willis was witness
FOR PLAINTIFF and his own assault and battery
tried again in March and he recovered verdict Of
So 500 the Judgment which has been appealed. bill
of exceptions has also been made by me in The For
rest divorce During all this time Mr.. Willis
and myself lived in the same town, and frequent
IIa alsa
ter the date Of bis letter 10 me- and remark Of
which he especially complains the first trial
Of his about eight nine months before. have
numbered these letters in the order of their dates.
Nos. 3 and T. The manner and circumstances undo
which received M are described by me in the note
rcturnngit No reached by due course Of mai,
from New Orleans: it probably written to pre-
vent my noticing No. A. which handed to
my Law partner in my absence from this city by con-
stable whose name is said to be Willis No. it will be
observed demands written apology which can hardly
b. raid To be- contained in No 2 These were handed to
General Morris the 18th Of March. Although No L
seemed to raise bairere euougn against de,nad Of s
tiact il The ter thoula atte one, vet
No. follows two rs after TO make it cntiroy SAFE,
and to do coptradies the larger part OF No Then
follows No with the Ingenious proposition 10 meet
baltimore and talk alirs'as It the conver-
sniion cf Mr. Wits which 1 admired had been
made attractive by the previous lotiars that
would travel degrees South in July. to en-.
JOY ii But truce to folly exaonioation
with one exception, written by the person,
CAD be called corr spobdeoce) viii sho~ Mr. Will
lis instead OF seeking the satisfaction which h she right
OF gentleman mas oesn eudraVorinS 10
the forfeiture OF this right hy indulgence in scurl
do not need TO be told that onght 10 ohsstise
BIN for this perseserng ii- olence; but 1t costs
twenty five hundred d'iars fog ur. Wallis. HIS
health, be cism-. has been feeble for years. and
his body weak. nnucr such he procured
himself 10 be hcgs,d by Mr. Forrest hca based on
hi, ply scal debi ity claim for enormous damages in
civil tut. On The thai court
that no proyccaon wonla Justify mitigate assault,
unless fIeh hst the aselants blood haa not time 10
cool before the Thus ,cision /, no. nner re-
view he it sranda for lay. Mr. willis can. aught
zee write me in. oen letter, with npun,,y from the
high seas from New Orl.aos. from iiarrodsburg
Springs and the luxury IT furnishing bin foo them
when We m ct Is placed almost beyond the reach Of
my limited n,ans Respectfully yours,
New York. July 18th, 1862. J. VAN BuRRN
n. ?. WILLIS TO JOHN VAN BUREN,.
NEw YoaH, Asrch 1, 1867
Sir1he termination suit In which Won have 40
long acted !, counsel relieves mo fcurn lao silence
have f, it n, c..sa, TO naintain as 10 the uer.nalI
ties from your rf to which have listened IN it,
progress. the limits you have overstopped arc of
some importance 10 The community, shall 10 excu>ablc
pei hsps for recording la this letter .intc-
ness, the grounds upon which address yop
The suit (Which IN your first opening argument you
sn.er at me for resorting to- iu-ten other OF
retaiaun instituted necessary purposc Of
examining by oflaw SIR Forfest's a,. oausos
ofpro'ocat"n IL FOR thir aono That hrst
consented TO substituted suit law for reckoning
prtmp,r and easnr. In his pamphlet ae1rva scs 20 the
N
ierk, he had chnged my Siir with stealthgy ming
ling in SCENES OF dcbaucleiy at his house,
during bis ab.ehcei and ne had charged my
brother Wlih adultery uJdtr Tn. me with
su' pieiour Vi is Lat 10 justify assault Shen was
IL 'hiy prov hed only by my reply toesp caluaoous
chaiges he acdd Ut The TINE In. ciIsF.e Of tho
SEDUCTION 81 his wife. | vas Legally adsIs.a ihat in a
civil ut Tor assault battery several matters
would be brouLh forward proyocalous Rnl legally
siiied There teeued othr sfcg or icfut-
my them Ire sui divorce, which has yiniica
successfully. @as not then Thought of-Mrs
aud Ju cd in
obtaining his dsoic III Penn yiyauia, whore SHE had
OF mahipg q dseuce Ms owl su,t has sorn Der
ttytred in though original purpose was otrwi e at
'anatie-fr>t. D. caufc tote option haglnt cassn
place when only The e,i 9,so.t Mr.. FORREST had
been h. ard, ht nitro his defence
aud record, htcause While hi me- Was still
hnstie ho had sunk by lou acts aud enclosures out
q tiir reach uf grni,'a resent IA vt bud he
ssaui b. en- iaiI and an,l,sble only
ior any itir adetc ary II sgsinst should
not ctinpnin 10 thr ,rd.ury ueagr OF tie hsr what
THAI may ba To- sub,it hy residing in ,he
community wbieh su'iains il al arp pr,necotec
ped d.tendrfs and yen a. liberty To honest
ui'e any pure nan Ia cdIupi sod cosartly clb'ut
aho 10 Try q prove hm what h. desires Thought
ioi are bu hsr. ae hnise ob rived by tho ,,sn lennon
- you. plot ioo 10 poakiog iriioarly OF tho opposite
panty IN SUIT aun IL j. youi gross aua ncs nsl,ee
overs epping Of these limits. that / now .ai YOUR az
Union - aelenulng Ir. Forrest ior aaaole On mo-
tbero was utitbef relevancy professional u,,,o In
INSULTING me on sew raj poinis, wh-iy uncousuccd With
the subject in asserting and scrns on tn rst ana
second tnl that | bad c0uFiiod to be bea.on shat }
might Jahc money Though dlmsgea" whish could
IL has probably been imagined by the public who d.
NOT gem rally suppose THAT second hand lnaul can be
bought 81 men eminent ut the b;r that your laugua-
70 me was prompted BY previous FOX hastiity
on your part aud was more expression your own
feelings towards than service to yss ccn
must IN justice 10 myself. record the truth on this
point We W RI ~ college tog,thr ia iSgg. rhcro has
been dispute or ho lie djigr.nce ~ o, NJ For
weniyhv yeas We have constantly in tue con,p-
ny OF mutual friends and with unverying coaty and
no'iness AT bridal party just uforu you
MI Furrests counsel, talked with Of tho disputes
between himself AID bis WIFI. and Expressed my con.
r.chon o. whot mas since been confirmed By COURT Of
law On the morning Of your usult at the s trial Of
ihis sui; exchanged bow with usual, aud with
no apprehension that In your Argument tibet day you
would say word ct which old friend Justly b.
oitnoed AT what amount of iDauocment you vent QUO
OF your way for insults, unfUiued in fact ~ they
were irrelevant In argument oven ccnjooture