Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-02-16
4 Personal Natter OF Public I'm



Abusing private citizens for the manner
in which they discharge their business
and the ordinary obligations of life, or
public servants for the private opinions
they entertain, may give a paper noto-
riety, but it is at the expense of decency. |
But one paper in the United States that
we remember has succeeded in abusing
private individuals as well as public Off
Gals, until it became both famous and
infamous. But the New York Herald
has brains as we'll as impudence. Other
papers seeking to emulate its meanness,
without possessing one spark of its abil-
ity, have only succeeded in making
themselves contemplate.
These reflections naturally arise on
reading the controversy in the Times of
this city between the editor of that pa
per and Mr.. Vim. E. French. We will
endeavor to present our readers with
summary of the facts in the case. Our
opinion is that Mr. French has "put
fly in amber and we doubt not our
readers will agree with us, after becom
ing acquainted with the facts.
In its issue of February I'd, the Times,
under the head of Party Prescription,
contained the following paragraph rela-
tive to Mr.. French, who is a gentleman
of unblemished reputation as an officer,
citizen, and man:
Mr. VIM f. French, the Revenue
Stamp Agent here, proposed, at meet
ing of the Board of Directors of the
Evansville Library Association. to ex-
clude the Louisville Journal from the
reading-room because it was disloyal
1t is true that the Board had
sense enough not to sustain the motion,
but Mr.. French is the only Ofice-holder
on the Board I"
The only transaction out of which
such charge could be fabricated with
the least show Of reason, occurred near
two months prior to the time the Editor
of the Times reached our city There
fore, he must have got his information
secondhand. 1t is well to bear this in
mind in the further consideration of the
case. The charge, it will be seen, is dis
tinct and unequivocal 1t is that Mr.
French proposed that the Louisville
journal be excluded from the Reading
Room on account of its disloyalty, and
that the proposition was in the form Of
motion, which was not sustained by
the Board
Shortly after this charge appeared in
the Times, a violently personal and abu-
sive article appeared in the Louisville
JOurnal, and was copied by the Times and
other Democratic papers of this State.
Prior to the appearance Of the article in
the Journal, Mr. French paid no atten-
ton to the matter The Journal, how
ever, makes some pretensions to re-
spectability, and has hitherto occupied
a prominent position among the journals
of the United States Realizing that
its attack was based upon the statement
of the Times, Mr.. French called on the
Editor of the latter paper, demanded his
authority for the statement he had made
furnished him with the facts in the case
and asked as matter of simple justice
that the misstatement which had appear
ed in the Times should be corrected
We understand that his appeal was mel
only by buster and bullying The Edi
tor could not even remember his author
ity for the statement he had made. Mr.
French then appealed to gentlemen con
neeted with the Times establishment
who have heretofore been regarded as
respectable citizens, urging them to use
their influence in having the Islander pu
to rest. His efforts in this directio,
resulted in the following paragraphs
which appeared in the Times of the l2tl
inst, and which can only be regarded a
adding insult to injury:
Mr.. William E. French informs u
that he did not officially move to eS
elude the Louisville Journal from tn
Reading Room on account of disloyalty
He says that there was no such motto
made. He further says whatever hi
private opinion may be, he will not su
fer them to interfere with his duty as
member of the Library Board W
give Mr.. French the benefit of this dc
NAL.
We remark, however, that it is su.
ceptible of proof that Mr. French mad
speech advocating the exclusion of tn
Journal, and that the Journal wa
stricken from the list, and afterwards re
stored for three months by the infuenc
of Mr.. Charles E. Marsh who made al
excellent speech in support of it.
Finding all his efforts unavailing, Nj
French was at last forced to publish
card, over his own signature, which az
peared in the Times of Sunday last, a
follows:
Some few days ago an article appeare
in the Evansville Times, stating that a
meeting of the Board of Directors @
the Evansville Library Association. | ha
offered resolution to Exclude the Lou
isVille Journal from the files of that In
stitution, on account of its being a di.
loyal paper" With this statement fol
lowed @ very scurrilous and abusiy
article against ne, officially and person
ally. In day or two the statement wa