Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-22
NO. XLVIII.
Reply to Q Challenge.


/ IN, Reply to Q Challenge.
The Hon. John NJ. Bolts having been chal.
lenged to fight duel by Mr. Pryor, Of the En-
quirer, wrote the following reply:
Il RIoHxoND, October 18th, 1856.
4 SIR: Your communication of yesterday was
handed me last night by your friend, Mr.. Banks,
of Petersburg, in which you make a peremtory
demand for satisfaction, for what you allege to
I have been sswrong" and ''insult" inflicted upon
you, without stating in what that wrong and in
suit consisted. Such demand, under the cir
cumstances, would have occasioned infinite sur
prise, except that I had heard, from various
sources, that, both in Washington and here, you
and your friends had freely and without reserve
announced such determination on your part.
might with great propriety have returned
your note unanswered, on the ground that it
contained an allusion to my son marked with
such glaring indelioacy, Ito use no stronger
term,) under the circumstances that existed be-
tween you, as to deprive you ofall claim to cour-
tesy at my hands, but, as wish now to put an
end to all communication between rs for the fu-
ture, proceed to answer.
| And first: Lest my silence might be construed
into acquiescense.I emphatically denounce as un-
founded any authority upon which you may
have relied for the assertion that mad put him
forward to resent insults offered to me. So far
from it, Iassumed the responsibility of with
drawing and suppressing the publication of his
first card, which came accidentally to my knowl-
edge after he had sent it to the press and re-
monstrated with him against his interference,
and from the beginning have deeply regretted
that he should have felt himself constrained, by
the highest sense of obligation and duty to him.
self US well as to me, to adopt the course pur-
sued. And this being disposed Of
In the second place disclaim any and all
right on yonr part to make demand for salts
faction from me, for anything have said or
done, which you may have chosen to apply to
yourself; as, from first to last have acted on
" on the defensive avoiding all personalities ex-
cept where they had been first offered. That
you have given me ample cause, if | had desired
the opportunity, to demand satisfaction of You,
is undeniable; but can see no ground upon
which you can demand it of me.
In the third place: Your life could not be the
value Of a pins point to me, and am sure
should derive no comfort from making your wife
widow or your children fatheress-therefor
have no desire to take it; whilst my own life
is not only of value to me, but indispensable to
the support and happiness Of my family, and l
hope to make it useful to my country-there-
fore, l am not disposed to place it at your dspo-
SAL
In the fourth place: If were to afford you
the opportunity you seek, the demands upon me
would be without end ,as could not consistent
" decline to indulge one and all of the editorial
CORPS whose vitiated tastes might lead them to
allow their political animosities to degenerate in
to personal squabbles and abuse; and there are
at this moment some dozen or more already oc.
cupying that position in this State, to say MOTH
ing Of those elsewhere.
In the fifth place The disparity in our ages
and positions in domestic life would relieve me
of any obligation to meet you, unless l was sem
sible of having done you such wrong as could
not be otherwise atoned for; and, in such case,
believe me, would permit no false pride to o.
vercome my sense of propriety and the obliga-
tions of true courage, to prevent my making an
acknowledgment; but repeat, that in this case
the wrong was commenced and has been carried
chiefly if not entirely on your side.
In the sixth place: My position has been al
ready taken before the public, which must have
been known to you, as / stated, to whom held
myself responsible and to whom did not. And
certainly did not include the press. have
seen no reason to change that position, now that
that responsibility has been already acknowl-
edged in one instance within the last week.
In the seventh place: am free to say the
case must be strong one, and OF unquest1onable
claim, that would induce me to subject my fam
ily to the torture they have endured for the last
ten days under a mere apprehension Of what
was then transpiring. may have the right to
trife with my own life and happiness, but the
right to sport with or sacrifice the happiness and
health of whole family, who have none other
to look up to for their comfort or support, and
that for a light and frivolous cause, Is rather
more questionable. This may be what is called
Drawing public opinion. but they are sentiments
have long entertained, and therefore have al
ways been careful to avoid giving the first Of
fence and have borne with much that, under
other circumstances, | should not At more
youthful period of life, might have been actua-
ted by less cultivated feeling
In the eighth place You have neither said,
written published nor thought anything OF me
that gives me one moments disturbance, (what-
ever cause may have to complainO for the
truth is it has been carried so far as to lose its
sting, and therefore, leave you to indulge your
taste to yonr hearts content.
Finally: for these reasons, and without the
least hesitation, distinctly and unequivocally
decline your invitation to the field, and thereby
facilitate the accomplishment of an object appa-
rently desired by many of having it in their
power to say they have sent me challenge,
which refused to accept And, as l have FIRE.
ouently been informed that there is concerted
movement among some of your political friends,
to involve me in personal annoyances, would
be glad if the gentlemen would consider their
challenges as all delivered and declined, on the
same ground and for the same reasons herein as
signed, which hope will prove satisfactory to
ali JOHN NJ. BOTTS.