The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-01-03
George ID. Prentice on DuelIing.

GEORGE D. PRENTICE, Esq, the we'll known
editor of the Louisville Journal, has been
in Little Rock, Arkansas, for some time
past, laboring to secure the undertaking Of
railroad enterprise in which his own city
has direct interest. In prosecuting the
object of his visit he took occasion to ex-
press his views through one of the Eewspa-
pers in Little Rock In the course of his
communication he reflected with some sever
ity upon views which had been publicly ex-
pressed bya COL HEwsoN of that place.
This "drew note" from Colonel HEw-
SON, demanding an unqualified retrac-
ton of the offensive declarations. Mr..
PRENTICE replied courteousIy, stating, in
substance, that he had no design of assail-
ing the private conduct and character of
Col. HEwsoN, that he knew nothing of him
except from his published writings, and
what he had said was predicated wholly up
on these, and that if his language seemed
to bear different construction, he (Pren-
tice, } disclaimed it as unworthy Of himself
and, so far as he knew, unjust to Co.. H.
But this disclaimer did not satisfy the latter
gentleman, and he penned second note to
Mr.. p informing him that nothing but a
direct and unconditional withdrawal of the
personalities would be accepted by him. To
this note Mr.. Prentice replied at LENGTH
We quote portion of his reply:
Presenting that your notes are written to
me with view to duel, l may as we'll say
here, that l have not the least thought of &C
cepting challenge from yoa. l consider my
structures upon your writings entirely legiti-
mate, and, at any rate, the disclaimer that |
have made ought to satisfy you.
l cane here from distant State because
many believed l could do something to pro-
mote great and important enterprise, and, as
l have no reason to think my labors are alto
gether in vain, l do not intend to let myself
be diverted from them. There are some per-
sons, and perhaps many, to whom my life is
valuable, and, however little or much value
may attach to it on my own account, l do not
see fit at present to put it up voluntarily
against yours.
l am no believer in the duelling code.
would not call a man to the field unless he had
done me such a deadly wrong that desired to
kill him, and would not obey his call 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 l have not the
least desire to kill you or to harm q hair on
your head, and l am not conscious of having
done anything to entitle you to kill me. l do
not want your blood upon my hands, and l do
not want my own upon anybodv's. l might
yield much to the demands of strong public
sentiment, but there is no public sentiment,
nor even any disinterested individual sentiment,
that either requires me to meet you or that
would justify me in doing so.
look upon the miserable code that is said
! to require two men to 60 out and shoot at each
other for what one of them may consider vi
OlatiOn of etiquette or punctilio in the use of
language, with a scOrn equal to that which is
getting to be felt for it by the whole civilized
world of mankind. am not afraid to express
such views in the enlightened capital of Ar
kansas or any where else. l am not so cow
ardly as to stand in dread OF any imputation
on my courage I have always had courage
enough to defend my honor and myself, and |
presume l alwaws shall have.
Your obedient servant,
GEORGE ID. PRENTICE.
| NJ. Butt HEwsoN Esq.