Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-08-11
IAs. .. CLAY AND GEO. .. rsr,r,o,

a.
the Louisville Journal. Mr.. CLAW made a
speech in Lexington against K now Nothing.
ism, early last month, and on the 18th a BIZ.
ter personal attack was made upon him in
tne Journal relative to his "vandal spolia-
tion,' as the Journal termed il, Of the man.
SION at Ashland, the home of his late father.
On the 18th. Mr.. Clay replied through the
columns OF the Journal, stating that he had
purchased the mansion with his own money,
at the request of his father, made previous
10 his death, and that he was rebuilding It.
because of its dilspidated condition, &c. On
the same day the editor Of the Journal com.
mented upon Mr.. Clay's reply in his paper in
q long and personally offensive article. In
consequence Of these attacks, Mr.. Clay ad.
@ressed the following note 20 MIR. Prentice
ASHLAND, July 20, 1855.
Sr:-This note will be handed to you BY
my friend Major T. Lewinski A similar one
was addressed to you on the 18th, through
my friend Mr.. Fl. G. Pindell, who, having
lately engaged in the practice Of law in your
city, found the delivery of it inconsistent with
ms views of the moral obligation Of the oath
he. as lawyer, is required to take.
The object OF this note is solely to inquire
whether you hold yourself personally respon-
sible, as a gentleman, for the publications
made in the newspaper of which you are the
editor, attacking private individuals +? I am,
sir, your obedient servant,
JAMES CLAY.
10 George D. Prentice, ESQ.,, editor of the
Louisville Journal.
Mr.. Prentice replies at considerable length,
forwarding the letter to Mr.. Clay by mall
we make the following extracts from his re-
ply:
Il am not aware, sir that il particularly
concerns you to know what general rules OF
action prescribe for myself as on editor. /
have no objection, however, to inform you
that it do any man such al unprovoked and
mortal wrong in my columns as to entitle
him, in my opinion, to take or seek my life,
will hold myself responsible to him in the field,
and that, if any gentleman does me such a
wrong as to make me wish for his blood, will
call him to the field.
81 presume sir, that all which it concerns
you to know from me is whether I would ac-
cept challenge from you on account of my
comments in the Louisville Daily Journal OF
the 18th inst, upon your communication pub
llshed In the same paper on the same day
Without putting you to the trouble Of address
- sing the question to me in due form, 1 say to
you plainly that would not. do not wish
to kill you, and am very clear in the opinion
that my article affords you neither just cause
nor rational pretext for killing me. made
no attack or imputation upon your private
character, which, for ausht know, is unob-
jectionable. / merely gave utterance to the
thoughts and feelings naturally and necessar-
lily excited in my mind, and, Us / believe, in
the public, mind, by your demolishing the sa.
cred old dwelling house of your father and
selling the lumber.
"However, all this is very little to my pre-
sent purpose. I have only to repeat that
would not accept a challenge from you on ac-
count Of my article of Wednesday. And, as
see no necessity for my adopting the
etiquette of duelists in telling you so, shall
send this by mail. scarcely need add that,
if have erred in any statements of fact in
regard to your conduct, I SHALL on having
the errors pointed out to me, take pleasure in
correcting then."
Mr. Clay in reply, has published card
ITO the Public" whose liberty, he thinks.
has been assailed in his person. Speaking Of
the editor of the Journal, he says:
Invading the sanctity Of private life, re-
gardless of the feelings of mother Of seven
ty-five years Of age the widow of the man of
almost to idoize, that editor has not scrupled,
through the columns of his paper, to hold up
his and her son as an object for the scorn and
indignation of his countrymen."
lie then expresses his establishment at
such an attack from the Journal, the editor
of which he had never in his life given the
least cause of offence Mr.. Clay next pro-
ceeds to speak of Ashland. as follows:
Il bought Ashland, as / have heretofore
eaid at the desire of both my father and
mother I determined to do with it as !
thought best for the interest and comfort oil
my family. 1t accorded better with my judg-
ment to rebuild my fathers house upon the
same design, using in its construction every
particle of the old material--stone brick or
wood-that would answer, than to leave
standing an old mansion, through which the
water coursed. and whose walls were cracked
to such an extent as to render it positively
unsafe as harbor for rats and resort for
thieves and runaway negroes. 1t is true that
I did advertise in the Observer and Reporter
newspaper, as the editor OF the Journal states
in his letter of the 2lst inst, that l wished to
sell certain portions of the old material but
specified in that advertisement, doors, sash,
&C., which were utterly useless to me.
was not so fortunate as to find a purchaser
for single article that desired to sell. and
the consequence is that large quantity Of
old rubbish encumbers my place, which /
shall have to get rid of by making bonfire.
1t was not the offer TO sell such Old rubbish
tndt was reieIrtu lO Ill tpc HTSl uTtlCle III tne
Journal attacking me. 1t was different
thing with which was charged. 1t was that,
knowing them to be hallowed by association
with my fathers name, either was or had
been selling for my own private profit, the
beams, rafters, posts &C., of his old dwelling
house, TO be made into sticks, snuff-boxes,
&c, &c. In my answer, which was published
in his parsr, gave such information respect
ing my private affairs as thought would have
satisfied any candid and reasonable man that
he had done me injustice. 1t is true that
used language which was harsh, but did not
conceive it to be too much so towards the au-
thor of such an attack upon me-" Mr.. Clay
had declared his intention of giving the pro-
ceeds from the sale of the walking sticks,
snuff-bcxes, &C., to some charitable institu-
tion.
The editor OF the Journal, is making the
attack Mr.. Clay contends, has clearly shown
that he cared little for his fathers name, his
fame, or his family and Mr. @. here adds:
"The true cause, fellow-citzens, of those
attacks, was that had dared to exercise one
of the rights Of a freeman, and had been gull.
~ of the enormous offence of making a pub.
lie address to my fellow-citizens, around my
own home, in opposition to the principles o.
party to which he was attached. / appeal
to you if this was not the sole cause"
After referring TO the fact that the edto,
of the Journal had refused ito hold himself
responsible" for his assertions, and had made
ahn