The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-07-22

ca immediate and nnequiv0cal of the articles of
ne fetrel OF the 3Oth June and 14th July, or tina
m should see you at some point out of the State.
snail do neither In the controversy which
been carried on for some weeks between ms
ld consider that you have been the aggressor. an(
N nave felt that my self-respect demanded that
"a should, IN the manner selected by me, repel yo
- insults 30 long as they remain unexphint
re nothing have written will be retractei. eth
al Immediately or hereafter nor will comply wi
ID your request to visit Chronicle | have no bu
ID ness there, and l do not know that | am und
y any obligations to go for your accommodation.
J, ! know nothing and desire to know nothing Of Il
J. Dueiiing Code; but | presume that you intel
thls proposition as challenge TO meet you deli
era'eiy IN deadly combat-should you fall, II
y laws OF tod and my country would pronoune
u me murderer The Christian religion. whicI
II Tor years, 1 have professed, would prevent m
from deliberately taking away your life; ant
: While recognize the doctrine of selfdefepce.
! VIII not engage in duel with you, whateye
.. opinion you or the world may entertain of m
, courage Respectfully,
b. F. OWEN.
The reason why requested the retrac
ton of bis articles both of June 3Oth an(
July 14th was, | wanted to give him ne
chance to sneak out; to let him have nc
excuse for not complying with my request
to leave the State. expected he would
try to get around it in some way, but
was unprepared for SO disgraceful back
down.
lie considers ! was the aggressor in
the controversy between us. Will any
one, on reading the commencing articles,
say so! In saying my paper had the
largest circulation of any paper in the
county, was there any injustice done to
him or his paper. | said my paper had
larger circulation than any PAPER in the
county-not a larger circulation in the
county than any paper. There's vast
difference in the meaning of the two sen.
fences. But he did not seem inclined to
dispute about my general circulation be-
ing larger than his; only about his COM
ty circulation being the largest. This |
might be possible, and had he
been possessed of one iota of moral cour-
age or respect for the feelings of Others,
he would Immediately have made the
ameade hoaoyab3e.
lie seems disposed to view my note as
challenge to fight duel. 1t was no
'uch thing Had | written and sent to {
lin challenge, | would have laid N.Y. ,
elf and friends liable to prosecution for j
violation of a State law. The note re- I
ueSted either that he should retract his G
ftcles OF meet me at some convenient S
ONT beyond the limits of the State t
othing further. What | intended doing
tier getting him out of the State, does
OF transpire. He talks very patheticallv ;.
moral and religious scruples-of the r
TVS OF God and man. He forgot the
Tvs of God and man, of honor. and
st sight of the regard for the feelings
others, which should ever cling to the
cart of so heaven -born christian, when
was pouring out his soul in such bitter
rains of vile invective, and insulting
'use. What a contrast is exhibited in
groveling, cringing nature, when it is
l0Wn he boosted on the streets of Hons.
n and elsewhere, che would see me
rough yet when he is requested to ~
me, mark how piteously he cries, "the y
VS. OF God and man and the Christian ~
lglon' which, for years | have profess. :,
prevent me from deliberately taking y
ay your life p al
lie need not be careless or reckless as =
what opinion | or the world NAV en-. ~
tam concerning his courage. IF his -
lal In cowasdice and scoundrelism can ~
found, either in the old or new world. ):
'lll make an apology for any and every *
ng | ever did or said, for OR against him. -,
may be blamed by some for nv -,
rise In the matter-namely, demand tb,
retraction of his articles, or in case or
refused, requesting him to leave the thu
te with me; but he began the contro-
sy, grossly insulted, and at the same sci
9, boosted through his paper of his ae'
ntion to provoke difficulty with me ON,
| had no other recourse. Now that me
i've proved him to be a liar and a mol. hel
N, | feel somewhat satisfied. vii
lie cannot deny having insuted me s u,'
not deny having exhausted the vocab- ext
Try of vituperation and slang in his wit
IT'S to abuse and vilify me; cannot we
lain even having resorted to vulgar mo
or means to asperse and calumniate
yet, at last, with characteristics Mr..
mess, say the laws of God and man bile
| 49,