Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-03
FiIiai Respect-AIr. ). b. clay.

birthplace OF his children, ana the nome OF MS
old age, would have been advertised at retail
by his son; that in attempting to convict an
other Of falsehood his son should establish his
own want of veracity that without effort at
adjustment, his son would demand mortal sat
isfaction at the hands Of one who had devoted
the best exertions Of brilliant genius and q
faithful heart to defend his character and pro-
mote his interests he would have regarded
the last charge tho NEST improbable of the
three.
We publish the correspondence between
Mr. J. b. Clay and Mr.. Prentice The estab-
lished reputation Of Geo. ID. Prentice for cour-
age gives him the right to receive or refuse a
challenge, without any just imputation upon
his nerve. But reserving the right to demand
or accord satisfaction in such cases as may, in
his opinion, justify such mode of settlement,
he shows, we think, conclusively, that the case
presented does not come within that category.
Mr.. Prentice gave offence to Mr.. Clay by
stating that the latter had sold the ruins Of
Ashland Mr.. Clay answered that he was
incapable of doing such thing and that Mr..
Prentice was "a liar" Mr.. Prentice shows
that, preparatory to pulling down the dwelling
house of HENRY CLAY, his son advertised for
proposals for the relics The particular Cpl
tibet is thus shown to have been undeserved by
Mr.. Prentice, and, though he abstains from re-
torting it upon his adversary, yet the argu-
ment and evidence having been submitted, the
public must draw conclusion which seems
inevitable against the veracity of Mr. Clay.
having "a bullet in his thorax" for bomb
shell in his reputation
RUINS OF ASHLAND OFFERED AT AUCTION
From the Louisville (Ky.) Bulletin, July 90.
The Difficulty bet,ceen Mr.. James B. Clay and
Mr. George d. Prentice.
We have received copy Of pamphlet of eight
pages, issued by this gentleman It consists of
some Introductory remarks of his own, his letter
published in the Journal of the 18th instant, our
comments given in the Journal Of the same date,
a note sent by him to us through Major Lewinski
and our reply sent to him by mail. Instead of
complaining of his publishing private letter of
ours without our authority, we will republish the
correspondence ourselves Here it is
ASHLAND, July 20, 1855.
/ Sir This note will be handle, to you by my
friend Major T. Lewinski. similar one was ad-
dressed to you on the 18th, through my friend Mr..
H. G. Pindell, who, having lately engaged in the
practice of law in your city, found tho delivery Of
it inconsistent with his views of the moral obliga-
| tons of the oath he as a lawyer is required to
| take.
| The object of this note is solely to inquire
whether you hold yourself personally responsible,
as gentleman, for publications made in the news
paper of which you are the editor attacking priv
individuals.
| / am, sir, your obedient servant,
JAMES B. CLAY.
GEORGE D. PRENTICE, ESQ.,
Editor of the Louisville Journal.
LOUISVILLE, KY, July 81, 1858.
SIR: Your note Of yesterday sent by the hand
of your friend Major Lewinski, is received This is
the second note Of the kind that have received
from the family Of Henry Clay. About ten years
ago ! received note from one of your brothers,
saying he was informed by some person that had
spoken of him as insane, and asking whether, If
he should furnish the testimony of specific num-
Der Of men that he was in his right mind, II would
accept a challenge from him.
| You say that the object of your note Of yester-
day Is solely to inquire whether / hold myself
personally responsible as gentleman for pub
| hcatons in my paper attacking private individ-
uals. / am not aware, sir, that 1t particu-
| larly concerns you to know what general rules Of
action prescribe for myself as an editor. have
no objection, however, to inform you that, II
do any man such an nnprovoked and mortal wrong
In my columns as to entitle him, in my opinion, TO
take seek my life will hold myself responsible
to him in the field, and that, IL any gentleman does
me such wrong as to make me wish for his blood
| | win call him to the field.
presume, sir, that all which II concerns you 10
know from me is, whether would accept chAl-
lenge from you on account Of my comments In the
| Louisville Daily journal of the 18th Instant upon
your communication published IN the same paper
on the same day Without putting you TO the
trouble of addressing the question to me in due
form, say to you plainly that would not. do
not wish to kill you, and / am very clear In nv
opinion that my article affords you neither Just
cause nor rational pretext for killing me. made
no attack or imputation upon your private charac-
ter, which, for aught know, is unobjectonabe.
| merely gave utterance to the thoughts and feel
| ings naturally and necessarily excited In my mind
and, as believe, in the whole public mind, by
your demolishing the sacred old dwelling Of your
father and selling the lumber,
You stated, in your published communication
that "aspersions, both public and private" had
been cast upon you for pulling down your fathers
house. You thus admitted that your conduct had
already become a matter of public notoriety and
disapprobation, and subject Of public and private
| WHICH yOu Cdiieu hsptTsioHh,' yet
these aspersions, so called, had not been noticed
| by you.
When you attempted defence of your conduct
and assigned your reasons for it, as you did Ia your
article Of Wednesday, you certainly gave license
for those comments of mine upon the conduct and
the reasons for which, as presume, you now wish
to hold me to a personal responsibility.
My article was not tenth part so harsh toward
| you personally, as yours was towards me. You
stigmatised me, by necessary and direct implica-
ton, as public caluminator,n charged me in the
same manner with the prostitution Of the col
umns" Of my paper. and so used the words " liar
and villain as to show that they were meant for
me. / responded with more moderation than you
had right TO expect merely denouncing that act
of yours, which, as II related 10 glorious old me-
mortal Of departed greatness, was almost, In its
character, public act, and which had made the
heart Of the nation recoil.
repeat sir, that treated you with forbearance.
You spoke, in your communication, as IL the
thought of selling the material Of your fathers
house never occurred to you until much of II had
been stolen and otherwise taken away and you
added that f you bad sold one inch of it for pri-
vate profit, you would feel yourself " unworthy to