Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-08-02
JAMES B. CLAY AND GE OiSGE ID.
Nh

tween Mr. james Is. Clay and the editor Of the
Louisville Jo,,raai Mr.. Clay made speech in
Lexington against Know-nothngism early last
month, and on the 18th bitter personal attack
was made upon him in the Journal. On the 18th
Mr.. Clay replied to il through the columns of the
Journal and on the same day the editor of the
Journal commented upon it in his paper in long
and personal article In consequence of these at
tacks, Mr.. Clay addressed the following note TO
| Mr. Prentice:
i ASHLAND, July 90, 1855.
Sin: This note will be handed to you by my
| friend, Major #. Lewinski A similar one was
addressed to you on the 18th, through my friend
| MIR. IL. c. Pindel, who, having lately engaged in
the practice of law in your city, found the de-
livery of it inconsistent with his views OF the
moral obligation of the oath he as lawyer is re-
qured to take
The object Of this note is solely 10 inquire Whe-
ther you hold yourself personally responsible,
a gentleman, for publications made in the news
paper of which you are the editor, attacking pri-
vate individuals?
JAMES B. CLAY.
To GEo. ID. PRENTICE, Esq,
| Editor Of the Louisville Journal.
| Mr. Prentice replies at considerable length, for
warding the letter to Mr.. Clay by mail We
make room for the concluding paragraph, which
is the only material part of the letter.
"However, all this is very little to my present
| purpose have only to repeat that would not
| accept challenge from you on account of my
article of Wednesday. And, as see no neces-
sity for my adopting the etiquette Of duellists 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,
| shall, on having the errors pointed out to mo,
take pleasure in correcting them. +"
In reply to this, Mr.. Clay has issued the fol-
lowing cards
To THE PUBLIc.-lt is always task, fellow
citizens, revolving. to private individual, if he
have proper sensibilites, to obtrude his private
affairs upon the notice of his fellowmen But
there occasions when he may feel himself
compelled, however disagreeable it may be- to
adopt such course, and be justified in claiming
public attention. l feel myself placed, by the
editor of the Louisville Journal, in such posi-
ton, and appeal to the tribunal Of your calm and
dspassionate judgment the more confidently, as
think that your liberty has been assailed in my
person. Invading the sanctty of private life, re-
CARELESS of the feelings of mother of seventy
five years of age, the widow of the man of Ash
land, whose memory he has pretended almost to
dolize, that editor has not scrupled, through the
columns of his paper, to hold up his and her son
as an object iscorn and Indignation Of his coun-
trymen.
Why is it that | have been so assailed? Was
it that had personally offended the editor of the
Louisville Journal? Not so. Never, in the whole
course Of my life, had given him the least cause
of offence; and if there was any public print in
the land from which ought least to have expec-
ted such attacks, the Louisville Journal was that
one. Was it that had been guilty of any act
which any of you, placed in similar circumstan-
ces, would have hesitated to have done? bought
Ashland, | have heretofore said, at the desire
nj hot fail Ia&a
do with it as thought best for the interest and
comfort of my family. 1t accorded better with
my judgment to rebuild my fathers house upon |
the same design, using in its construction every |
particle of the old materal-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 a harbor for
rats and resort for thieves and runaway negroes
1T is true that did advertise in the Observer and
Reporter newspapers, as the editor of the Journal
states in his letter of the 2lst instant that / |
wished to sell certain portions of the old mate |
rial, but specified in that advertisement, doors,
sash, &c, which were utterly useless to me- | |
was not so fortunate TO find a purchaser for |
single article that desired to sell, and the con-
sequence is, that large quantity Of old rubbish
encumbers my place, which | shall have to get |
rid of by making bonfire. II was not the offer |
to sell such old rubbish that referred to in the
first article in the Journal attacking me. Ii was |
very different thing with which was charged. |
II that, knowing them TO be hallowed by as |
ISOLATION with my fathers name either was, or |
had been, selling, for my private profit, the |
beams, rafters, posts, &C., of his old dwelling
house; to be made into sticks snuff boxes, &C., |
sc. In my answer, which was published in his |
paper, gave such information respecting my |
private affairs | thought would have satisfied |
any candid and reasonable man that he had done |
me injustice; il is true that | used language |
rpbt oh hut I =; "a. L.
too much so towards the author Of such at |
tack upon me.
In making his attacks upon me, the editor Of |
the Louisville Journal was not instigated by any
offence which had given him personally, and |
my conduct with respect TO my private property
was but pretext. lie has clearly shown that he |
cared little for my fathers name his fame, or his
family The true cause, fellow-citizens, of those
attacks, was, that had dared to exercise one Of
the rights of freeman, and had been guilty of
the enormous offence Of making public address
TO my tellow-citizens around my own home, in
opposition TO the principles of party to which
he was attached. ! appeal to you il this was not
the sole cause. In attacking me for such reason,
your liberty and that of every freeman in the
land was assaed in my person.
The reply which thought right TO make TO
the paragraph in the Louisville Journal of the
18th instant was published in that paper, and
accompanied by an article of its editor, column
IN length, more violent and unjustifable than the
first had been. felt that il did not become me
to answer il by now publication, and that
should be wanting in selfrsspcct did tamely
suffer my name 10 be held up in such manner
before the public. | accordingly deemed il my
duty TO address TO the editor a note through the
hands of friend, simply making the inquiry
whether he held himself personally responsible,
as gentleman, for publications, attacking pri-
vate individuals made in his newspapers | re-
ccived through the post office, on the ODD instant
a reply from him dated the 2lst, in which he
refuses 10 hold himself responsible gentleman 10
me, and with fendish baseness, wholly unpa-
ralleed in the history Of any intercourse between
honorable men, with the sole purpose still further
to harrow my feelings, alludes TO an affair with
which had nothing TO do, and Of which was
wholly and entirely ignorant
Having thus placed himself without that pale
recognized by all honorable gentlemen, in this
region at least, can never again, at any time,
or upon any pretext or occasion, condescend TO
take the least notice of anything whatsoever that
may emanate from the editor OF the Louisville
Journal, either in his public capacity or as pri-
vate man.
4 have thouUht IA riUhf No have hoo,, vx,,b1nI..