Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-12-19

4 CHALLENGE DEcLINED.--On Saturday last wereceived what purportcd or pretend cd to be q challenge to fight duel, but really it was bullying attempt to attack the liberty of the press, by overawing the editor, and thus preventing a free express
 ion of opinion through the columns of the Gazette, connected with >pasmodic effort to re-galvinize q worn out, dingy, pinch beck reputation. In the writer and the bearer of the challenge, in one sense of the word, extremes met. It has seldom, If ever, been the lot of all editor to receive challenge from as low g. vagtbon1, or to have it borne by as high public function arg. But the reason is plain: The chal lenging party i- thetool 1.-the tnnctlonarY, and, at pre-. ent, necessary tool to hlm. and, probably, no one else couli be indnc- ed to bear the challenge The challenging party was AIi.. Gen. Burgevin; the bearer Of he challenge was Gov. Rector.
 As it is common to have reasons for everything, this case, in that respect, lsnot uncommon: There was a reason for it. The readers of the Gazette are aware that, for several months past, the editor has shown up the wrong-doin9S of the Military Doarl of which the Governor K presiding officer. The transfer of the State troops 10 the Confeleracy has been thus effected, by the joint labors of the True Democrat and the Gazette and the State saved from crushing debt of millions, and such of onr soldiers as the Military Board, through its T. +b are now in the service of the Confcaeracy, commanded by Confederate Generals, and the State k relieved of the expense of their support. But we need not enlarge upon what the readers of the Gazette know has been the labors of it's editor. They are known, and, from friend and opponent, as among old political parties, unanimous ap Gazettc-excepting always those who had an interest in sustaining the course of the Military Board and the Governor The reason of this was that the Gazette, though freely discussing subjects in which there were various conflicting personal interests, d,alt only in facts, avoided personalities, and was always, on being made aware of mi>>tating fact or doing injustice to an individual, ready to do prompt and ample justice. Bnt the acts of the Governor, as s.,own by the record, did not bear the test of the crucible of public discussion. There fore he became indignant that the truth should be told and read about his official doings and male all onslaught on the free dom of the press in his message to the late called session of the Legislature. The press regarded this about IS much as 1t did the idle his~ing of the wind, and pursuel the even tenor of its way. The Governor was in the condition of the French gentlemen who. after his vile had given birth to two children, was delighted at being the father of twins, but when she continued and ha given birth to four, said-' Doctor you mus put q stop to dts' The Governor want ed the discussion of his acts stopped As he now contemplates perpetrating greater outrage upon the people of the State, and involving them in g heavier expenditure of money than by all of his former acts com bined, it is peculiarly desirable that the press should be muzzied at as earl day as possible. The pretext was remarkable. Ii was this:
 In discussing the acts of the Military Board we stated the fact we'll known, often published, and never before that we know of denied, that some of the agents ot the Military Board, when sent to attend to the transfer of the State troops to the Conied- crate amy, instead of influencing .hc ..1m ;o do so, had used their influence to induce our volunteer soldiers to refuse to enter the Confederate army and return home That this statement is true, is as we'll known as any fact in connection with the transfer of the State troops, and Bnrgevin was one of the agents of the board and had so labored. twice in the forenoon ot the day of the publication of our paper, with this article in it. he met us, and was exceedingly cor dial in his manner. This was, as we take it, before he was told that it was his duty to take offence at our publication. About da,k we met him again. he mentioned our article then. we told him that it dealt with