The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-01-03
Prentice on DueIlipp,

a few weeks since, Geo. d. Prem
tice, editor of Tile IouisvjUe Journal,
paid visit 10 Arkansas. and while
there, published an article in THE True
democrat, over the signature Of" Arr
Kansas" in which one NJ. Butt lIew-
son considered himself alluded to in an
offensive manner. Whcreupon, he ad
dressed note to Mr.. Prentice, asking
him to rctract. Mr.. Prentice replies
shat he had no intention Of assaling
his personal character, or of making
himself offensive, and therefore he had
nothing to retract. Iewsor. is still
dissatisfied. Thereupon, Mr.. Prentice
addressed him the following capital let.
ter:
LtrThE Rock, Nov. 81, 1851.
SIR Your note, dated yesterday,
was handed to me this morning. !
have no other reply to make to
it than that which | made to you
at first. can not properly say
10 you that retrdct the personalities
Of my article in The TrHe Democrat,
for | do not think it contains any. l
have Distinctly disclaimcd any such con.
struction of the language Of that article
as would imply an imputation upon
your personal character or conduct,
and l do not recognize any right or
reason on your part to ask or expect
more of me. This l deem quite as
much due to myself as to you.
Presuming that your notes are writ
ten to me with a view to a dael, I may
as we'll say here. that have not the
least thought Of accepting challenge
from you, I consider my structures
upon your writings entirely legitimate,
and, at any rate, the disclaimer that !
have made ought to satisfyyon.
l came here from a distant State
because many believed l could do SIN :
thing to promote a great and important
enterprise. and, as ! have M reason to
think that my labors are altogether in
vain, I do no, intend to lei myself be
diverted from them. There are some
persons, and perhaps many, to whom
my life is valuable, and however little
or much value may attach to it on
my own account, 10 not see E. at
present to put il up voluntarily gains.
yours.
l am no believer in the ,,aoiiina
code. ] would not call man to tic
field unless he had done ne such 4
deadly wrong that | desired 10 Kill him,
and ! would not obey Lis call 10 the
field unless l had done him 50 mor,~'
on injury as to cn!i;lc him, in my
opinion, 10 demand an opportunity OF
taking my lie. have not the least
desire to kill You or harm a hair On
your head, and | am not conscious Of
having done anything to cntitle you to
Kill me. l do not want your blood
upon my hands, and ] do not want
my own upon anybody's. ! might
yield much to the demands Of a strong
public sentiment, but there is no pub,
lie sentiment, nor even any disinterest-
cd individual sentiment, that either re-
quires me to meet You Of would justify
me in doing 50. .
l look upon the miserable code thai
is said to require two men to 60 out
and shoot at each other for what one Of
them may consider violation Of ctr
cuettc or punctilio in the use Of Ian.
guagc, with 4 scorn equal to that whiel
is getting to be felt for it by The whole
civilized world Of mankind. | am no
afraid to express such views in the en-
lightcned capital Of Arkansas, or any
where else. l am not so cowardly a
10 stand in dread Of any imputaion on
my courage. have always had cour
age enough to defend my homer AM
myself, and | presume always shal
have.
Your very obedient servant,
GEO. d. PRENTICE.
M. BcTT IIEwsoy, Esq,
After this better, the difficulty wa
speedily adjusted, OF course.