, 1864-11-02
Q)tfag6 : Irlbulle.
REPLY OF. JEDCE LAWRENCE TO TUE
LETTER OF Bishop NElTEHODSE,
pcBlIhHED III TUE CHICAGO
TRIBUNE OF OCTOBER
STE, 1854.

evasion OF the reAl issue, and unHcrupu1ous
In Its assumptions, has been read by me
without particle of Ill temper, and With
occasional admiration Of your intellectual
dextesity. A. I finished the reading, I could
not but say to myself, what a pity thls GENTLE
nan had not lived three or four centuries
aeo, when the dignitaries OF the church were
1t the came time Ministers Of State. He
would hive been no unworthy compeer OF
that famous race of Cardinals, who, at "a
rious periods. Nielded the destinies Of Italy,
France ard Spain. Uniting unbendtog
strength Of purpose to the cnluvakton Of
the scholar, and the emit Of the priest, he
would have teen great in those DAYS " hen
nnapt description Of 1IanC Of the famous
pereonages ia the church But his existence
in Illinois. In the present year Of grace, is
sad apacbroniBm.
Before proceed to discuss the graver mat.
ter Of ycas Letter. | wish 70 clear array what
Alter bavIpg spoken in very courteous
terms Of ny private, professional and official
character, yon add, as If seized With sui
are constantly laboring to repress, aud yet
col staptly bstray, tho following language:
s.Tnere are those who know my habits Rho
will be surprised that I notice yon Ct nlL"
Now, ii you had merely said, There are
those who knox my habits, who WIZ oe 3, sur,
would hive simply said what is common in
sucn controversies. But In the form ID which
you chose TO mould this phrase you would
be understood as implying degree OF eupe-
rlority On your part, and Of 1nferior1ty on
,nine, which hardly becomes one whose
fishermen Of Gal;iee- This pretenston, I
trust, it is ro presumption in me to repe1.
really am not aware that, either In regard
to our 6ocil positions, our private charac-
te5s, or&he esteem In which We may be held
hy those who knox Us. there ls any superb
t assnm ption Of this iotty tone You happen
to BE- Bishop. and happen to be Judge,
but trust We are both gentlemen; and II
| We are 20, and you understand that mu:h
abused term as do, yon will agree with me
that We owe to ourselves and au Others, even
the low,iest, certain courtestee which. no
Bishop or Judge can afford to forget With"
out eotlfng the higher character Of gentlemen.
mentt1n this matter, not because deem 1t
importa t-bnt have understood you to be
snd I therefore assume that should you re-
Join te this letter, you Houla prefer to avoid
tlcse indtcorums Thich are not In good
taste, and into which you have only been be-
trayed by an eouIlition Of temper. Permit
me also to remind you, that the highest type
u REAt4E4AA ID hIppubEd ~ uAFE 6AGu Au9Q.
lute self control as never to give way tot the
undig1i1ed emotion Of anger- If, however,
you really do claim superiority, permit me
further to suggest to y0u, another reading Of
the @aosAt.u,n horrendnEn," which you say
you preserve for occasional reference, with
ing virtue Of humility. Possibly the other
portion Of the quotation-s'euii iumen adempt-
um"--may some day occur to you as having
an application, In reference to yourself, OF
which you did not dream when you inscribed
1t upon tie coyer-
But beg leave to call attention to another
pecuNarity Of youl lette1-frst remafkinE,
however, that in controversies Of this Kind
1t Is usullly considered hardly honorable, IN
fact" Lot to put too fine point npon it'
hardly honest, to quote, as coming ton
your adversary, what he has never satd.
There IL PREJUDICE, sou are aware, against
this eort oi thing among gentlemen; On re-
| Fiction, SO far as can understand the etalcs
| Of the III after, It is rather wholesome pref
udice which, all things considered, 1t would
be better for you to regard. At least ydu
and both know Hhat would be said Of a
private person, who, with the article Of his
opponent lying before him III print, deliber-
ateiy uisq1otes It by the Interpolation of
words which would give It the Tone of the
Fishmarket. am not aware that persons in
your high Office ENJOY dispensation in this
regard. Now, Sir, Il Jon viii turn to the
fourth paragraph, in the third column Of
your letter, you will find that you quote me,
with the ueaal quotation mRrks, us using the
phrases, handsomely exposed Bishop -
''as 8 fool and tyrant," ''senselees higot,'
and ycu add that ! am bound to find the
vital principle tor the monster hare SO tnge.
piousiy put together" This last clause shows
beyond ine powsr Of denial, that Sou desired
to be understood By your readers as quoting
my letter. Now, will not those readers be
absolutely amazed At being told, - I'tell
phrases is to bs fund in mg letter at all !;
that there is nothing even remotely resem.
bling either the first Ct the second, aud that
the nearest approach to the third Is the ques-
ton asked BIZ me, ss Whether 1t ia possible
that the Bishop Of illinois Is such heptles'
fer euspending clergyman of exemplary
piety, without notice to him or his pe2plc,
that such Clergyman has thought proper to
read sermon In Cougregatlonai church,
by the eide Of as eminent tneolcgtan as Dr..
someIs, ;; "e5poscd, )" "iool,' "tgran1" Of
"senseies." anywhere appears In my COM
mpnicAtion, excepting she first two. in
quoting tie heading Of Mr alyers' letter.
Sow II this had happened il contto.
yersy with laJman, ! shoq!d know 81
merely say that 1t il really the coolest thing
I remember ever to have observed, In it
Wsy, and would suggest to you, Sir, mere
" as matter oi taste, that you a7oid It II
future The thing has bad odor among
gentlemen:
scnal char acter, ard then pass to the NOR
snbatantlal points Of this controversy. You
letter prtEents tempting mine Of We1tl
for this species OF examination; but vii
! | forbear. In the last paragraph OF the IRA
column, in speaking Of ny Letter, yon say
! has passed orer the heart, lest this may b
. an uIguA1ded glimpse given into reality 9
!. | inner nature, IN instance Of the possibl
i which, NJ der temptation, might shadow th
{ Bencn" This Is rather obscure Tor one Wh
: ususuy writes with SO much persptcutty; hu
TO borrow an expression OF J0ur own, 'if
meane anything bey ond bombast," cor
/ ! etrue it, when taken In connection with ott
er frequently recurring phrases, and with II
! OWL contexr, as delicate inaipnstion tina
r. in my judicial Office, may be Influenced b
!. partisan considerations.
= Now, sir, / have occupied Judicial ollie
: In this circuit since this Tar began. Ny p'
litical opltions, certainly, are ii No negasiE
character; but however inadequately
1nsy have tlled this position in other r
j. stects, l do know, and am proud Of t.
:. knowledge, that no Democrat, either at t.
- Bar or among the people, has eV.r Jet Il
Z puted to me the 1eEoteet faint Of polite
u partisaut hip upon the Bench. Indeed, in Il
q Two or thfee instances WaerE cases Of boil
L cal complexion have come before me, ha1
:, found myself Obliged to take po- -1tlon a
a tagortstic 10 that Ut my Republic n tdend
!. and y Hhi1e not Ware that di5aPprobalon b
been expressed BY them, | know it has nj
ueen b, 1netntera of tue Democr 4t,c part
d sit btcometh not him VINO pntteth on h
= larrers to boast himself rs him who patte1
y 1t off, but l think may safely sly, so dee
II my aohorFence Of any foreign. intuenc
political CT other, brought to bear upon Il
judicial function, and 30 firm mT conVictat
tuat when the honesty and independence
!. the judiciary are gone, then ~ 1s gone. u
if essr, By, inward scrutiny, I hnd polite
considerations, or partisan Or popular cian
Z can faint, even remotely, my judicial imps
r, ttalit,, that day 6ha,1 certainly resign =
.. Office, I trust may be pardoned for sayi
10 this. for 1t is simply saJin I am not base a
although your letter, By repeated 1asint NJ
tjon aud ineleuendo, you nare sought to ra
z: unworthy prejudice ii the Democratic pa,
III agai1et my JUDICIAL purity. ,...
you char1teply impute my former letter
1s a desire to make what you term polltt
- capital" What political capital have I
Pakes IT. There - Is no not sdsls RSitlca1 Il ot
, State Of Illinois, which woz
:. accert to-day, I an sorry for sou, ii ;
caonot understand, that, independently Of
ctpslde1ations OF political partisaush!p,
I, man may publicly protest, against What
q deems most Unjust eHeret9e o. splrlt
.. repfessi1g freedom Of speech, L may $
Of prise ron that should assert 1t, but yet
asserI, that Ii Dr.. Cracrafs, instead OF tea
Ing the necessity Of snbdutng the reben
III. bS arms, had Taught, as eome Chrastians
! Of lieye, that war Is neyer justifiable, and J
xr had eilenced him for preaching sermons t
I'd might bayea partizan bearing, While pro
big should not, from want Of sympathy =
all. his positions, have taken the trouoie
write to the press about It, 1shonld ceEtaa
= | haze denounced Yuur act In indignant teri