Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-01-22
[Prem .he LouIsrIlle Journnl.l


THE n. " TRIBUNE-BETH
COLLECT E-ALEX. CAMPBELL.
There is not paper in this country plobab-
y that is more habitualIy unjust aud feroeious
than the New York Tribune, in all matters that
.rsoppossd to itscrotchets We noticed recen-
slYthe malignant assault made on Dr. Oliver
Wendell Holmes, because he dared, in anaddress
IN the occasion of the celebration in New York
# the Landing of the Pigrarns, to give sound
and Wholesome advice to his Northern friends on
che subject of leaving Slavery osthe manage
nent of those who had it among them. Neither
MS sentiments nor facts were noticed, but he
vas assailed with coarse, malignant billingsgate.
\ member ofthe firm of Mason & Brothers pub
iished an article in the 9PubliShers' Circular"
on newspaper critics, and the Tribune assailed
him with violent denunciations and sauderouS
statements. When the assailed party asked
permission to defend himself in the Tribune his
request Was refused and he was not permitted
+Yen TO advertise his answer in that paper ex-
eept upon condition Of signing a document,
hawn up IN the Tribnne office, which contained
lserious of slanderous inputations upon other
presses. Mr.. Mason refused thus to be made q
degraded tool. Finding that he could get no
redress from his assailants, he determined To-
prosecute the conductors Of the Tribune for 5
libel; he commenced proceedings, and we do
wards that excelled that given BY the Tribune
The conductors of that paper not only then
published Ar. Mason's card, but came out with
full recantation Of ISLANDERS upon Mr.. Mason.
Although they had pretended that the calumin-
Gus statements were matters cogniZant TO them
tselyes, they made q most humiliating retreat
and acknowledged that 4fr. Mason was innocent
iof the alleGata they had Illuminated gEipst him.
We should have thought that the Mason case
NrNlIld have Triht1T1a enuna
dence and the use OF some discreet Judgment
But it's conductors are thoroughly rabid on all
subjects connected with slavery. They have re-
Gently taken advantage Of an emeute at Bethany
College, led by Canadian and small number
of beardlcss boys who are as crazy as the Tri-
bune on slavery topics, to yiliify the character
of Alexander Campbell, the distinguished foun-
der Of Bethany College. Wherever that gentle
imam is known, throughout the civilized world,
of the ablest and purest Of men. There is not
probsbly in this country gentleman vino wields
!such an influence that he does, among many Of
the noblest Gnd best men and women in America.
His personal character Is without stain, and
must be nearly perfect when even the New York
Tribune has to resort to SANDER in order to as
sail it. The Tribune does not attempt to show
that Mr.. Campbell acted toward the seditious
land rebellious students with the least degree of
sgeous violation of the laws of Virginia. Instead
!of adopting that course, the Tribune resorts to
SANDERS which, even if true, have nothing to do
with the issues of this case. In that paper, of
the 9TH inst, We find the following;
The Rev Mr.. Campbell, it is worthy Of note,
is not native of Virginia, but Of Scotland, and
during recent visit to his native country he
brought an action for damages, in which he was
successful, against some Scotch clergyman whom
/ Of hic oy,ti.
character.
Mr.. Campbell is not native of Scotland, nor
did he ever bring an action for damages against
| any Scotch clergyman for maliSning his anti
slavery character The clergyman alluded to
did not charge Mr.. Campbell with being an an
iti-slarery msu; and consequently he could not
have maligned his anti-slayery character. We
ask the readers attention now to the matters
upon which the Tribune has maligned Mr. Camp
bell
During visit which Mr. Campbell made to
Great Britain in l84T, he. preached in various
towns in England aud met the highest approba-
ton wherever he went Upon his arrival in
Edinburgh, deputation Of anti-savery fanatics
! waited upon him under the pretence of holding
friendly conversation on the subject ofslsvery.
Anti-Slayery Society. Mr. Campbell franklyex-
PRESSED his sentiments and affirmed that what he
lad published on the subject, in the "Christian
Saptist" many years ago, was still held by him
% be true. Aseries Of malignant prosecutions
vas at once established. A Mr.. James Robert
ion made himself especially conspicuous. He
aad placards posted over Edinburg to this effect:
"Citizens of Edinburgh beware /
the Rev, Alexander Campbell, of Virginia, has
been STAKEHOLDER himself and is still the de-
fender Of men-stealers."
The conduct Robertson was indecent, black
guardish, and vulgar in every possible point of
yeiw. He pretended to be anxious to get up
debate with Mr.. Campbell on the subject of Am
erican slavery, and followed him with placards
over Scotland. AT length Mr. Campbell pub
lished letter, written in Dundee, in the Edin-
burg journal, August 2Ist 1897, in which he
reviewed the Bible aspects Of slavery, and then
closed the letter with the following declara-
-tion
4 will in either way, meet any gentlemen
whom they (the Ahti-slsvery Society may Sc
lect-eyen Mr. Robertson himself-proyided
only that he be not that Reverend James Rob
ertson who was publicly censured and excluded
from the Baptist church for violating the fifth
commandment in reference to his mother of
whom have heard something in Dundee Upon
Ibis Mr. Robertson got out what is called
/ neattatione fuge warrant, laying his damages
sat more than So, 900. On this warrant Robert
son had Mr.. Campbell throwniintos jail. Mr..
fCampbell refused to permit his friends to give
bail and he remained in confinement until Lord
Murray opened his court. Lord Murray, upon
a hearing of the case, denounced the whole af.
fair as illegal and ordered the immediate dis
charge of Mr.. Campbell. Robertson, however,
held on to his case, but would not prosecute it,
because he preferred having the means of say
ing that Mr.. Campbell had escaped being con-
victed as q hbeler through the informality ofle-
gal proceedings In this state OF the case, in a
foreign country, among comparative strangers,
Mr.. Campbell upon the advice of his friends,
and of hislegal counsel, determined not to leave
such weaponin Robertson's hands He de-
termined toE forcc Mr.. Robertson to give him an
opportunity of vindicating his character by 8
trial of this chsrgeof having libellcd Mr.. Rob
Iertson. The only means BY which this could
Eprisonment, and this was done with the aYowal
on Mr., Campbelrs parEthst he would not touch 4
Of ..l