Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-25
From the Louisville Democrat, July .;
EDITORIAL AFFRAY

The principal topic of conversation last evening
was the ARRAY between I. Durrett, Esq, of the
Courier, and George D, Prentice, Esq, of the Jour
nal. The meeting occurred in Jefferson street. be-
tween Fourth and Fifth, about three o'clock in the
afternoon. The affair grew directly out of news
paper controversy, the following extract from
leading article in the Courier of yesterday morning,
containing the personal offence to which Mr.. Prem
tice took exceptions:
g We have no doubt but this charge now first got
ten up Just on the eve of the election is of the
falsehoods with which the Journals mint is always
well supplied and which are produced circum-
stances or the exigencies of a case may require
There is not more popular land deservedly so, too)
man in his District than Mr. Elliott and the
whelming majority he will receive in August next,
will be a merited rebuke Of and proud vndication
from such scandaous assaults of bitter and unscru-
puloUs partisans.
But even were the charges against Mr.. Elliott
true in all their length and BREADTH is it not in the
most wretchedly bad taste for them to come from
the quarter from whence they emenaie? The Plug
Ugly editor who makes them is a notorious drunk
ard. He not only takes his sprees, but it is patent
TO every man. woman and child in Louisville at all
familiar with his habits, that he is regular daily
drinker He takes his toddy regularly as he per-
forms any other of his daily avocatiOns. We, our
selves, have seen him on the public streets within
the last few months so beastly intoxicated that
friend on each side supporting him had as much as
they could do to enable him to walk hemewsrds. 1t
Is only short time since that while going to lndi-
ana on lecturing tour, he was so deeply in liquor
that in endeavoring to walk plank from the fer
~ boat the shore, he fell into the river. He
shed out and taken to the hotel in Jacksonville,
where he was PIT to bed until he became sober and
his clothes were dried. And he is now supporting
for Congress, in this district, Hon. Humphrey Mar
SHALL who it is well known, spent much more of his
time in the drinking saloons and gambling hells of
Washington, than in his seat the floor of the
House of Representatives, in attending to his du
ties; who now gets drunk whenever he feels like it
(which is not by any means unfrequent,) and who,
at the last May election for Magistrates, was knock
ed down and whipped at Frankinton, Henry
~ for insulting a man while he (Marshal) was
drunk
Fofers of the Srh District is not the editor of the
Journal a nice man, indeed, to give you advice and
obstruction as to how you shall vote in August ?"
1t is generally understood that, at early hour
Yesterday morning, Mr.. Prentice opened CORES
pondence with Mr. Durrett, one OF the accredited
editors Of the Courier, with the view to induce Mr. D.
10 diselam the sentiment of the article, to meet
him in a affray. We are of course, unacquainted
with the merits of the correspondence About three
O'Clock in the afternoon, however, as Prentice was
standing m the door Of Col Andrew Monroe's Office,
Durrett came up the street from the direction of his
residence in the line of his own office, and mmedi
stely towards Prentice When within some ten
PAGES of his adversary, Mr. D. started up the steps
which enter the building occupied by Col. John o.
Bullock G. D. Hinkle, Esq, and perhaps others,
and about the time Mr.. D. Teaced the door at the
head of the steps, Mr.. Prentice addressed himself to
Mr. D., from the vicinity of Col. Monroe's door,
and simultaneously with the recognition the firing
commenced. Parties who witnessed the ARRAY dis
agree to which fred first and also to the num-
Der of shots fired. 1t is perhaps correct to state,
that Prentice fired four five shots from revolver,
while Durrett's pistol fQiled him after the second
shot. Prentice received q slight wound in the
fesby part ofthe leg, below the knee, while Durrett
escaped entirely unhUTt.
After Durrett had fred his last shot from the door,
Mr.. Hnkle, from whose door Mr. D. fired, appro-
ached the door from his chamber to quell the dis
turbance when he received a shot in the bony part
of the leg, also below the knee. through mistake,
from Prentices pistol Although the ball is supposed
to be imbeded IN the bone, we are pleased to an
nounce that the wound viii not be serious. Mr.. II.
had nothing at all to do with the affair, and was not
warned of the existence of the difficulty.
The excitnment which followed very intense.
The street in the vicinity filed for time
by Prentice's friends, who clamOred that Durrett
should be given up, and that P. should have fair
shot at him.
Mr.. Durrett did not appear after the shooting, and
in that he was discreet, as his chance would have
been small in the melee. The officers of the peace
were on hand, but arrests were made. Some
rumors Of their behavior is nothing to their credit
20 say the least. The public will make theirown
comments.