Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-04-28
communicated


newspaper Controversies, the one that ha'
been going on in the Herald for the last
few weeks has resulted in mere personalities.
Sensible people very properly remark, that
such things are to be regretted and the soon
er they are stopped the better. ! am firm
" Of opinion that all such wranglings sho'd
he avoided if possible, and my connection
with this has been a matter of necessity Tath-
er than choice. Circumstances sometimes
force man to act contrary 10 the prompt
mos Of his better nature-to use w6apons III
selfdefense which at other times he wotld
despise. To Judge correctly Of the act, the
circumstances must be known. A man
would be foolish to goad an elephant with
an o1-wbip or to handle a porcnpine with
kid gloves. This may explain some things
that have already written. pen this, not
as a reply to what appeared last week, for
that article wasa mere collection OF childish
absurdities, tbreadbare SANDER and shallow
gossip, all of which pass by as the ''idle
wind which I respect not" but, to state
briefly the grounds upon which | have act
ed, and to show the correctness of the posi-
tons | have taken
In my first article ] charged "Critique"
(snce proved to be Mr.. EDWARD PoLLooK)
with making erroneous statements and
using bad language: and if these charges
were called for under the circumstances, and
correct, then Mr. Polocka second article
was mere personal assault Of the lowest
kind First then, were they demanded
That the statements were erroneous ! knew
to be fact They were made publicly
with reference to my own private affairs,
and who could Judge Of them better than
myself! Such being the case, | had Alright,
IN fact, was IN duty bound to regard my
own interests and correct them; and had
Mr. Pollock been actuated by the generous
motives that lie Processes to have been, he
would have acknowledged his errors and
corrected them himself Such, certainly,
would have been the course Of propriety.
If / print statements with reference to the
affairs OF a friend, and he thinks them det-
rmental to his interests, being Incorrect |
am under obligations to retract those state
ments.
| have been told that Nh. Pollock intend
edto write ehattering" notice Of theschool
but what has chat to do with the case -
There are times when effects must be con
sidered and not atoti0es If an ignorant
and careless man, wishing to express his at
lection forthe owner Of a powder house goes
out with torchight to serenade him, anc
laws his burning brand upon barrel o
powder, is the recipient Of such compliment
airy notice in duty bound to let his house
blow up because the intentions of his FRIEND
were goods Should he not rather remove
the brand and rebuke the carelessness2 i
Mr. Pollock meant well in the first, why
did he, when his errors We're pointed out
attempt to sustain them by misrepresenta
ton and blackguar,lisln Iii my criticism;
had not been legitimate, fair and correct tht
case would have been different; but | chat
lenge any scholar to point out the least in
correctness in one Of them. it has beer
said that my article was personal. This j
not true. At that time, | did not know
who was the author Of the notice | was cor
recting. Mr. Gown told me that he die
not write it but that he sanctioned it.
How then could my article be personal
1t was general not personal. Mr.. Pollock
should know that when a man writes over
nom de plume which is not generally
known, he has no right to regard replies L
his articles as personal.
These being. the facts it must be eyiden
to aIl that Mr. Polock's second article va
an attack without provocation. | replied
not because / entertained i'll feelings toward
him. or feared the effect of the low languag
In which he saw fit to indulge; but, firstly
because it contained gross misrepresentation
and, secondly, because / was conscious Q
what | now have proof, that he was prompt
ed in his work BY men Of some influence
but unfortunately, men, who care NOR
about gratifying a little personal luminosity
Than promoting the interests Of the towi
m which they i've.
Az Of the misrepresentation | will no
take time to point out, but cannot forbeai
noticing few which must have been aciiE
~, for they are not based upon even /
shadow Of authority. He says That / spell
.ne French word nom wrong, and refers Il
Ae 4aantic Monthly to prove his asser.