Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-08-06
LETTER FROM MIR. CAMPBELL.

him and me.
Has the Editor of the Republican forgot, that
his unqualified assertions in reference to our
last exhibition, ,are still before the public mind
in all their glaring absurdity, unvindicated.
That Mr.Turner's speech, ,sswas nothing more
nor less than a re-hash of some false and stale
Abolition editorial from the New York Tri-
bune or some other disunion organ,' that sit
was full of Misrepresentation unfair and un-
patriotic, and badly written, badly deliv-
cred, and was as grossly defective in grammar
as it was in facts,' are affirmations publicly
made by Esquire Moore, and their truth ques-
toned by me, their foundation pronounced
grouEdleSs, and their author challenged, by all
that is manly and brave, to verify them.-
These affirmations then, and these alone, to
every impartial and intelligent mind, form the
only true basis and subject of our controver-
sy, and cannot be overlooked or evaded until
they are manfully met, logically answered, and
their proof established beyond the power of
refutatiOn. Has this been the course of said
Editor (! Did he in his last touch one of the
points in question Readers, Judge for your
selves. Had the subject of debate been the
most deadly serpent, from the venom of whose
fang no sanity can recover, Esquire NJ. could
not have more carefully avoided it. Fear it
not, Dear Sir, it is the offspring of your own
rich genius.
The Editor says ssin all controversies ice
consistency demands him to have this ace in
italics and No. l, af1ixed) honor the antago-
mist who will stand up to an open and manly
contest-to a fair and free fight"
This language when contrasted with his re-
ply to my letter, reminds me of the Preacher,
who was addicted to falsehood, intemperance,
profanity, immortality and debauchery, but to
his congregation he was careful to preach
truth, temperance, heavenly conversation, O.
bedencc to the Moral Law, and immunity from
all ''that dcifleth or maketh lie," and at the
n ha oil odd
''Brcthren, do moi do, bat do as / tel you.''
Such is a fair specimen of the mode in which
our down street Editor conducts a controversy
He says ''we characterized the piece as of a
partisan character, and expressed our disap-
probation of 1T for that reason aioae.'' Why
then did not the Editor confine his ssstrcturcs''
To that feature s'alone" which he believed to
be of ''partisan character q" Why say it was
badly written, badly delivered, and granmati-
cdity incorrect, and thereby cast reflections on
the Ieachcr with no other design than to in
jure Why call it an ssAboltion edtorial''
when there is not an Abolition sentiment in
1T Had he confined himself in his sestric-
turcs' to what he calls its Bipartisan charac-
ter and not dipped his shafts in slander min
gled with falsehoOd, and aimed them at the
Principal and the Institution, it is highly prob
able that my pen never would have been rails
ed in answer.
The Editor inSinuates that Mr.. Turner was
imposed upon by me, and that he did not fully
understand the nature of his speech This is
untrue. My former letter plainly shows that
he well understood it, and that he and were
of the same ''opinion'' in regard to its charac-
ter. That did not in this respect discharge
my duty to him, ''not only as his tutor, but as
his FRIEND" and that ssthe young man ssar
nothing in it Objectionable but Mr.. Campbell
did, are assertions, Esquire that will not
square with the truth.
The only thing of sspartisan character (if
it will bear that name) that can be legitimate
ly extracted from ''that speech,'' is the dis
honor which seems naturally to reflect upon
the Ruling Power, when speak of the dis
tracted affairs of our country. This, in nv
opinion, is a fair embodiment of its worst
Espartizan'' feature.
Those must be the ''bindest feelings: indeed
by which the Editor was ssprompted" to notice
our last Exhibition, when nine lines only out
OF thlrty-four Ga little over one fourth) were
s'filled with fulsome adulation,'' and even in
the latter part of those nine lines, that venom
Gus serpent began to show his brazen head,
which the Editor now so much fears to touch.
lie says sswc are not acquainted with all the
rules laid down in Kirkham.'' This is no
doubt an honest confession, and it is not like
y that any one, familiar with his editorials
and especially with his late criticism upon NV
letter,would bring serious charges against him
for being s'acquainfed'' with any of those rules
much less the rules of logic.
Pray Sir, by whose logic do you get author
ity to evade entirely the subject of controver-
sy, and spend your force in another course
If this be not gross perversion of logic, who
can define what logic is /?
In so much of the Editors reply as was oc
cupied in italicizing and numbering certain
words IN my letter as incorrect, without giving
any rule of logic or grammar thereby violated,
he plainly manifested the spirit of a coward
who raised his arm to strike, but had not the
courage Gin his case the knowledge) to inflict
the blow. Now assert, without fear of sue
cessful contradiction, that the Editor cannot
by the rules Of grammar and logic, combined
or separate, prove those parts in my letter he
has italicized, incorrect. Without an addi-
tional stretch Of candor, he could as easily
have pointed ont fOrty-two feigned mistakes
in it, as twenty-onc.
Insinuating that q composition is incorrect,
and italicizing certain words in it, will pass
neither for argument proof, and though
they may have the appearance of show to the
illiterate-in the estimation of the wise and
learned, they will not s',ceigh a feather.''
The idea, Esquire, that by your italiciZng
and numbering those words in my letter, YOU
are exempt from the burden Of proof that rests
on you in reference to the unfounded asser-
tons in your notice of our last Exhibition, is
simply ridiculous. 1t is, no doubt an inge-
nious, but weak and despicable dodge. 1t is
certainly ssquery'' to know how long the legs
of your logic are!
viii the Editor come up to the subject of
controversy, and vindicate his assertions. or
frankly acknowledge his error, and show for
once that he srril stand up to an open and man
ly cOatest-to q fair and free fight - and let an
impartial public be our judges.
Yours truly, w. a. CAMPBELL.
-" "
REMEMBER--The pro-slavery party propose
to 'ssave the Union,' but at the expense of
Freedom, and win make it slave oligarchv.
Listen TO the noble words of Col Ernnnnnt