The Nevada journal., 1856-10-17

celVeu the following letter IN answer to
questions propounded in our last, with
an earnest request to give them place.
which we do cheerfully, reserving, of
course, to ourselves the right to COM
ment thereon:
For the Nevada Journal
EDITOR JOURNAL In your paper of
the 10th inst, | find few questions pro.
posedto me as the Republican candidate
for State Senator. As have no prin-
ciples to hide or cover up, | will answer
at any time any questions of Importance
that may be propoundcd to me by my
political opponents.
10 your iirst question. l reply that |
did in 1855, while a member of the State
Legislature oppose the election of duel
lists to ofiice-especially to represent the
State in the United States Senate.
was opposed it, first from principle, and
second because / took what every other
member does, a solemn oath to support
the Constitution of this State, the I'd Sec
! lion of the XI Article of which reads as
follows: "Any citizen of this State who
shall after the adoption of this Consti-
tuition fight duel with deadly weapons,
or send or accept challenge to fight a
duel with deadly weapons, either within
this State or out of or who shall act
as second, or knowingly aid or assist in
any manner those thus offending, shall
not be allowed to hold any office of profit
or to enjoy the right of suffrage under
this Constitution
To the I'd inquiry, answer that
have not changed my opinions since
that time, and probably never shall.
To your Sd inquiry, reply, that if
J. G. Fremont did challange Col. r. B.
Mason to an affair of honor "long ago."
in the heat of passion, lie never fought
duel, but suffered the difficulty to be ad-
justed and amicably arranged without
farther trouble. Furthermore, in the
present contest | must support Fremont
and the Republican cause, or buchanan
or Fillmore and aarery aropagandism
To your 4th interrogation, will say
that in 1855 did vote for Sherman Day
and R. L. Sprague, because l believed
either of them to be better men, and less
inclined to support slavery propaganda
ism than Gwin, Heydenfelt, and many
Democrats and Wings. AS we have
now in this State Republican party
party openly opposed to slavery ex-
tension-if elected as their Representa-
tive to the State Senate, will not vote
for any man to represent this State in
the Senate of the United States who is
not opposed, openly and boldly, to an
extension of slavery into free territory.
Neither will l vote for any man if l be-
lieve him in favor of a division of this
State for the sole purpose of planting
the peculiar institution" upon the Pa
cific coast, and under the operation of
the principles of the Nebraska-Kansas
bill. But will vote for any good, high
minded man who will speak out as be-
comes the Representative of free State
and free Institutions, without inquiring
whether he has heretofore belonged to
the one political party or the other.
j. PHELPS.
Grass Valley. October 18th, 1856.
Take notice, that Mr.. Phelps vus op-
posed to duelists, and has not changed
his mind and probably he never will
Firstly, and we suppose chiefly, from
principle. If his principles are we'll
grounded and firmly established, how
can he vote for Fremont, who has shown
every disposition to fight duel, was
duelist at heart and would have been
guilty fthe crime had it not been for
an amicable adjustment.
If principles govern men, it makes
but little difference whether a man re-
cognizes the code duello as right, or
whether circumstances have compelled
him to practice it. The intent consti,
tutes the crime.
Occasion is taken in Mr.. Phelps an
swers to wiring in the slavery issue which
is wholly irrelevant. This however, is
not strange. Monomanists love to dwell
on one favorite idea. That question
will naturally force itself into the con-
versations and writings of Republicans,
like the head of King Charles in the
memorial of Mr.. Dick. We will el-
deavor to place ourselves in the position
of Aunt Betsey and humor the whim.
VALUE OF A CoMMA.-In the priorv of
Ramessa there dwelt prior who was