Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-06-30

LADIES' AID SocrErY-MR. HILL's
RErLY.-When vast topics ab.orb the public
mind, and the community is sgitated BY some
great event, 1t 10 not only prudent. but neces-
to deliberate judgment.
This. however. 10 not my reason for delay
10 making some comments suggssted by "the
tempest in the teapot, which appeared 10 the
papers Of Tuesday last. Business has not al.
loved me 10 give the matter any attention
until to-day.
or the Ladies' Aid Society l have little to
cay, and trust that little may be rsosi red in
the spirit in which it is offered, and that my
vords may neither savor Of harshness, MOI
svince any departure from courtesy. The So
ciety gave concert. the proceeds Of which
(dsducting expensss) were for charity. With
full houss they f1nd their receipts much lees
lban they had reason to expect. Seeking the
cause, they find that they did not receive the
extra price ofrsssrved seats, and upon this
rock Of offence they stumble. II would be un.
| Just to look for motives unknown to ue. but
the eociety did. in their own action, and that
Of their committee, by implication charge me
lat. with retaining proceeds Of reserved seats
which they claim belonged to them. I'd. with
Issuing large numbers Of complim entary
ticks.s" to my friends. and Sd. with having
had "other tickets printed and sold, and neve,
accounted for" and that sit is in this way
the deficiency occurred
Here are three charges and statement which
are false. This last is bold word, for truth
is always bold. but will prove i. clearly.
| charge neither the society or the committed
with having intentionally made wrong state
nents. but ! deny each implied charge
| Neither am l willing to believe that a wrong
motive prompted these errors, but having
made thorough diagnosis of the disease,
offer my opinion, namely: The society q CON.
plant is low fever with difficult respiration
symptoms. accelerated pulse, nervous excite
IN ent bad tongue; cause-narrow chest, over
work, too much exertion 10 talking remedy
quiet reet and calm reflection. There IL no
daug ger-the patient will recover-is already
improving in tone.
The committee is in wo'se condition. Pri
mary cause Of dieease, an undue amount OF
| bile, which was strangely followed by AL af-
fection Of the heart, heavy rush OF blood to
the hesd-the disease ls now almost
| entirely confined to the member
the head only is seriously affected.
| Il mean the head OF the commi,tee) die.
cover the blood in this member to be in a very
| bad state. ihe theory of violent excess Of
Joy at the appointment to the "iove.tigatins 2
| COMMITTEES" being too much for the brain. |
reject. The csse battles me The symptoms
| are most singular. The body moves with ap.
parent harmony among its members, when
| suddenly they refuse to CO. operate with each
other. The head moves violently. aud its az
pearance expresses the emotions of exciten ent.
| anger and fear. while the other members re-
main in a calm and quiet state ;but Iweary with
metaphor aud hasten TO narrative. But fret,
my opinion that the case will prove fatal-no
human remedy can avail--the other members
OF the body have purged from the virus of dis.
| ease by violent effort Of nature-the nature
Of true gentlemen. To amput.te the head
would save the body if it could exist without
! that heavy but important member but the
committee will die.
And tow the story to which the committee
| in their report, did not see fis to allude. They
called upon me, desiring q private interview,
| ,rhich Imot only refused, but also denied ana
! int.rpie,o uhoteper TO the ccmuittce, as such
| eaid 60 them Il recognize in each one of you a
gentleman, whom am happy to claim as .
| iiiend. and as such my time is at Your dispo al.
| and While | scorn any visit from committee
inn, vpk nnIx7 nj
with me can be by a letter which you may ex
p.ct me 10 publish. am very willing 10 20
over this matter With you fully aud freely
And We sat down together-the committee re
| solving itself back into its original elements of
| individuals, and was allowed to read letter
which the committee had intended to present
to me. This letter contained vile, degrading
! insult, and then an there denounced it, and
dared them, as do now and here, 10 offer it
to me. Two Of the three members Of this com.
mittee had the honesty and prudence to with.
draw from any connection with the letter, al
though rsproached BY Its author with having
"backed out from their own sig gnatures," "whicl,
1 must confess they did. and not very grace
fully, (becauss backing out is not a graceful
movenent,) yet it was an honest and manly
act, which won my respect.
Because the suthor Of that letter still insist.
ed (although the two other members Of the
committee refused) upon it's presentation. and
too plainly exposed himself, am compelled to
direct attention to him in this communica-
tion, as was forced to address my spoken
words to him during the interview. l told
him that he did not dare to hsnd ms that
letter, and that no man on that committee
dared to hand 1t, AMI when this person said
to me, Don't threaten" replied, !" l will
neither threaten nor will / be intimidate
1t you hand ne that letter you shall aEs er
for it. and be responsible for the vile, dcgra
ding insult it contains, and l will meet it as
an insult, not from the society, for it is not re-
sponsible Tor your aet but from you or any
man who dares to put his name beneath that
letter"
l eaid l was unwilling to be drawn into q
controversy to be made public, on my account
and on theirs, but If called out I should fght.
l now and here invite that committee 10 pub.
lish that letter. They do not dare to do it.
two Of the committee because they are ashamed
Of it. and the other because II fear) be is not
ashamed Of it.
Tie Committee, then, never had audience
with melt was denied. treated with con-
tempt and scorn by me- The letter was With.
drawn-never presented--and so land 1 am
very sorry for it) I cannot publish it. because
il would be uncourteous In me to bring for
ward letter that two gentlemen are ssham ed
Of. know its authorize hietory. should
like to answer 1t, point by point and
charge by charge. | would not withhold from
the public the effect of excitement which leads
. man Of ordinary education to spell Wednes.
day without a"d.' ~ thue: "Wepeday." How
fonoy it looks. and it is economy. being shorter.
The investigating "committse" who entered
my Office as body. left It in the capacity Of
udividuals, and in their dilemma, At the foot
of my stairway, proposed to offer them, for
their use, card which was willing to pub