Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-08-09
A CARD.

that | shall again refer to a matter "hich
I had hoped required no further publication on
nv part. Mr.. Aylett will not permit NE to be
silent: but | will endcavor to be brief, limiting
myself to the exposure Of his last attempt to
shield his own conduct from just censure, by
subiecting me to unjust imputations.
As for the moment of impulse" which
prompted Mr.. Aylett, after I had spared his
life, to suggest a mode Of reconciliation which
| could not adopt, | regarded it then, as now,
in the light of a cool, calculated attempt to OBJ
tain from Inc, by q generous offer of recon
Citation" an admission or plea Of mistake. |
had made no mistake, and | could make no re-
Cancellation on the ground Of mistake. | was
ready to grant oblivion to his conduct, and
therefore responded that we must be strangers.
When q publication of our hostile c%orrespon-
dcnce was insisted on, | saw that this might
subject me to misrepresentation, if unaccompai-
nicd by a full statement of the events which
led to the ducl-ncvcrtheless, even then, de-
terlnined, on reflection, to refrain from the
exposure. But ! could not allow Mr.. Ayiett
publicly to misstate the cause of difficulty be-
tween us. He would rot allow the matter 10
rest, and I was thus obliged to expose it. lie
still persists in misstating it, and am AGAIN
1 oollGCu " NDlllIuAllIl liI'
Mr.. .Avlett represents my second as having
'withhcld' the letter in which set forth the
specific causes Of my insult to him. What are
the facts Although Col. Davis decided that,
at that time, etiquette would not permit him to
communicate the letter directly TO Mr.. Aylett,
vet. on the same day, hc rendered 1t to MIR.
Aylctt's second, who refused TO receive IT.
Tins nv second did not withhold the letter.
Moreover, Mr.. Aylctt was already fully ac-
ouointcd with the facts recited by the letter
he knew very well, too, the feelings which
these facts occasioned; and his plea that his
offer for reconciliation was occaSioned by igno-
rance of either fact or feeling is altogether
inadmissible.
His next accusation against me is equally
unfair. He says:
II shall content myself with the sacred duty
Of standardization. and merely remind Mr.. D..
!. Wise that, whilst he has diSclaimed any de-
sire 10 shed nv blood, he has assaulted, most
bitterly and at an unusual time. that reputa-
ton for honor. integrity and truthfulneSs which
but 4 short time since, regardless OF the dear
est and closest domestic ties, | proved to him
that | priced more dearly than life itself
What arc the facts: After ! had voluntari-
IL riskcd my life, to spare that of Mr.. Aylett.
ne took occasion TO make n publication involy-
| in- an imputation against me, which, he knew,
| could not permit to pass unnoticcd, without
an apparent admission Of its correctness. 10
vindicate myself from his unjust imputation,
was obliged to expose his conduct. This, he
now chooses to represent as 4 malicious assault
on nv part, inconsistent with an avowal OF un-
| willingness to shed his blood And yet,
Mr.. .Aylett's own second ~certifics that | avowcd
! such 'willingncSs" on the field, and that !
acted throughout the affair as n man OF
,.bonor and courage" cannot believe that
Mr.. Avlctt's present imputation will suffice to
shake public confidence in the statement OF Mr..
Old.
Mr.. !Aylett next proceeds, calmly" to state
an incorrect version Of my principal charge
against him. He says:
1.-The principal charge against me is. that
have been quil'ycf' tre'chery aud d"pt'eitg 10
Goreraor Wise IN qiriRg him reason to bctiect
That I ras .rrienfiy to lis nomination, ami
| therejy extracted intormatioh from him arhich
ras Subsequently, uSed by me 10 his dis"dran-
tpgG."
This is utterly misstatcd. In my previous
publication | not only use the following Ian
guagc
Ills whole statement implies, that the oriSl-
nal cause of insult TO him was, that he had po'
litically opposed Gov. Wisc's nomination in
1854, and that he had violated some pledge to
support Gov. WiSe's nomination for the office
he now fills. Now, | distinctly aver that my
insult to Mr.. .Avlett was not founded on that
ilnputation, nor upon any mistake.
But my real charge against him was stated,
in italics, as follows:
"IHe FIRST couse of'abd .f~1Wndation for my
denmaciation Of .Nr. Aylctt, wasand Is, MatG ~
ter haring rritten 10 GorernOr WISE .~triendly
assurances. after hdring oSsnrod him hot h
CW.. .iyi,tJ u"x actuated hy no "nhi.d no'
"ntricndly motire, Gtter horing indnced him 4
Jeliece that any ground IF oppositio" on tn
1nr' Of Mr.. .iyht to his ~nomination was ano
nouM be limited 10 a mere preference far 'tsc
mgie c;afya ~, s2sdsn ,ee1}taas g1hs n111 EalaS |g Is
ceirei confidence anil MD md ia~t1rmatio.
from Gorernor Vie, and was expecting still
on tie .taiM IF such .rritndly assurances, .tDr
tier aidand i4t1rmation, -Nr. -1ylen proccedro
corertiy, secretly, anonymously. wiHout noticc
'%carniRg or intormation to Gorfrnor Hi,r. ID
publish 0sSagNs agajnst him, obuSice, cindic
tire. dcnWnciatory, ~cittqcraice.'
Unable to deny one line or word Of this
charge, Mr.. .Aylett has chosen to cvadc it by an
incorrect representation Of its contents.
In proof of this charge, | offered his own
letter, which again cite, and in which he said
July 18th, 1854:
Il am dari0Hs to preserve copies of tie mos'
;mportant and roiudJh specifies anil dOcument
which have been %rritteR IN riDajcatioH Q,
.Joha Tyler, 0"d rte most prominent peri0d'
of his administration, embracing yoHr onn
SpeccAes 0nd circulars relating to the questions
of the annexation Of Texas, and others n like
Importance" He asked, moro
specially, in the same paragraph, thus:-"By
referring me to all that las been ,rritfcn re-
s~pectin. yonr connection and that Of Mr.. Ty-
Ter with the annexation of Texas, &c, you will
confer q Jaror for which I shaN be gratcfpL'
He adds a request further for ''any spare copies
of the documents and speeches in question, or
any in a"y way germ""o to the subject. you
will oblige me by forwarding them to me-
The above is italicised by Inc. and it shows
4 request
1st. To procure copies, &c, in vindication Of
John Tyler and the prominent periods Of his
administration
Ind. Embracing Gov. Wisc's speeches and
circulars relating, LIST. To the annexation Of
Texas. and, End. To "o'hr questions IF Ike
Importance"
3rd. For all that had been written respect
ing Gov. Wise's and Mr.. Tyler's connection,
LIST. With the annexation of Texas; and End,
with "&c."-meaning 'othcr questions of like
Importance" ,
18th. For spare copies of the documents and
speeches in question, or any in any way ger
name TO the subject.
9TH. Anriety was expressed to procure
these.
9th. The reference would be acknowledged
cas- u .taror," for which
eth, Mr.. Aylett would be "grutef~l." and
Sth. BY forwarding spare copies, Governor
Wise would "oblige' Mr.. Aylctt.
This covers every field of inquiry and every
call for information about the annexation of
Texas, and everything germane to it, the
Tariff, Bank, Internal Improvements, &c, &c,