The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-12-22
A Rrnvc Man Tested.

Vile journal, nus lhtely Witttn tehtci winch
does him great honor, and which shows him
to be man Of true moral and physical cour-
ical courage. He has dared TO stand up, in
the capital of Southern, slaycholding State,
where duellipg is frequently practced, and
say what he thinks OF the bloody and berba-
rous. codcS He has struck a blow that will
be more fatal to the system than any move-
ment to this end, for many years.
Mr.. Preutice has, Ger some weeks, been at
Little Rock, Arkansas, in the prose Of
some business with tho legislature Of that
State. While there, he wrote. an article
about something, we know not what, which
WAS published in the True Democrat, and to
which one J Butt Hewson took exceptions.
On the 22d November, he wrote belligerent
noe to Mr. Prentice, and sent II by his
"lriend, Maj. Thompson" He stated that
the editor had given Mr.. Prentice as the au-
thor of the article, and that he requested the
immediate withdrawal, over his own sigma
ture, OF all the personalities therein directed
against him.
Prentice replied that he had no knowledge
of Mr.. Hewson except from his published wri-
tings; that he could have no intention TO ap-
ply to him personally any phraseology predi.
Gated upon his writings. 1t was not In his
thought 20 ossail the private character or
conduct Of the writer. IL any Of his Ian
guage seemed to bear a contrary construc.
ton, he disclaimed it as unworthy Of him
self, and, 80 far as he knew, unjust TO Mr..
Hewson. He thought this explanation, If
any were required, should be satisfactory, and
il was all h" had to give.
To this, Mr. fiewsvn ngusn, through CHS
friend Maj. Thompson" replied that nothing
would NEE, his wishes but a plain, direct, and
unconditional withdrawal oi the offensive
language.
On the merit day Mr.. Prentice addressed
him the following letter:
LITTLE Rock, Nov. "a, 1854.
SIh:-Your note, dated yesterday, was
handed to me this morning. have no 9TH
er reply to make to it than that which made
to you at first. cannot properly say toyou
that reiract the personalities of my article
in the True Democrat, for | do not think it
contains any have distinctly discla;med
any tuch construction of the language of that
article as would imply an imputation upon
your personal character or conduct, and do
not recognize any righ: or reason on your
part, to ask or expect more of me. This |
deem quite as much due to myself as to you.
| Presuming that your notes are written to
me with view to duel, | may as well say
here. that have not the least thought OF
acc cpting challenge from you. consid-
or my structures upon your writings entirely
legitimate, and, al any rate, the disclaimer
thatl have made ought TO satisfy you
came here from distant State because
many believed could do something to pro-
mote great and important enterprise, and
as have no reason to think that my labors
are not altogether in vain, do not intend to
let myself be diverted from them, There are
some persons, and perhaps many, to whom
my lie is valuable, and, however little OF
much value may attach to 1t on my own
account. do not see fit at present TO put il
up voluntarily against yours.
| am no believer in the dueliDg code.
would not call man to the field useless he
had done me such deadly wrong that de-
sired 10 kill him, and would not obey his
cell to the field unless l had done him so
mortal an injury as to entitle him, in my
opinion, to demand an opportunity of taking
my life. | have not The east desire TO kill
you or to harm n hair on your head, and am
not conscious of having done anything to
entitle you to kill ne. dono want your
blood upon my hands. and do not want my
own upon anybojy's. might yield much to
the demands Of strong public sentiment
but there is no public sentiment, nor even
any disntercsted individual sentiment, that
either requires me TO meet you or would
justify me in doing so.
| look upon the miserable code1hnt is said
to require two men TO 30 out aud shoot at
each other for " hat one Of them may consid'
or violation of etiquette or punctilio in the
use Of language, with scorn equal to that
which is getting to be felt Tor it by the whole
civilized world of mankind. / am not afraid
to express such views in the enlightened
capital of Arkansas or anywhere else. am
not so cowurdly as to stand in dread Of any
mpu tation on my courage. have always
had courage enough to defend my honor and
myself, and presumed always shall have.
Your very obedient servent.