Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-30
The Pickwickfan Affair.


Theseus-Hs discretion, I sure, cannot
carry his valor.
The Pickwicktan Affair.
We have compiled few of the many
comments of cur exchanges upon the
Sprague Abbott imbroglio, and we give
them in place of farther remarks of our
own:
From the Baltimore Sun.
The controversy between Senator Abbott, of
North Carolina, and Senator Sprague, OF Rhode
Island will not proceed to extremes. 1t was all a
mistak e-and is now explained and settled. sena-
language used by Mr.. Sprague insult
which the people of North Carolina would never
forgive him for quietly accepting. We can scarce
ly suppose the people of North Carolina felt the
smallest concern about the matter one way or tine
other. II Mr.. Abbott had been an old citizen of
the State, and elected under moral condition OF
affairs, 1t s possible that the people OF North
Carolina might have shared in some degree the
dignation experienced by their representatives
in being made the subject of derogatory epithet,
though, even then, we are not sure that they
would have expected him to get into dog fight
in order to prove that he was not a puppy. But
the people of North Carolina. when not ! ermit-
ted to have public agents OF their own choosing,
when forced, by the practical working OF the re-
construction laws to be represented by stra gers,
will materially feel no interest whatever about
these men in their personal relations.
From the Richmond Dispatch.
Abbott, the carpet-ba2 senator from North
Carolina, is quite embarrassed by the eApecta-
tions of North Carolinians as to his demeanor in
bis personal lssue with Senator Sprague, who has
put upon him the smarting indignity Of calling
him puppy" Senator Sprague, in CONVERSE
ton, thus explains q show of fight made by Alb
bott Thursday night:
6 MIR. Senator, what do you think of Abbott :"
''Oh. we'll, he said, "he don't amount to much.
II is of those lawyers who have great esti-
IN alton of their own abilities. You see Abbott is
Yankee, and he is sharp enough to know that it
would not do for him to go back to North Carroll
ma after having been called puppy dog here in
the Senate without sope show at what they call
chiyalry in the South. Why, the very negroes
down there would not speak to him. This Ia the
way account for his speech last night. don't
think he means any mischief at least. have no
fears or approximations on the subject"
The redoubtabe North Carolina senator. IN
Herald. confessed al that spraeue had suggested
in the paragraph above quoted
"Senator Abbott Well, there need ba no foil
loll about it. 1t has amply come TO this that MI.
was from New England. perhaps would Tut up
with such insults meekly; but not being from that
peaceful region. shall take the liberty of settling
the affair In another method"
Thus the matter rested at last accounts. II is
hard that the carpet bRgger should feel obliged,
by the oonventi"l allsms OF the State he repre-
sents. to violate his own moral training and per-
ceptions. man who has not strength OF char
acter enough to tollov the dictates Of his own
sense of honor and morality III such case would
hardly make very dangerous adversary, The
ass in the lion akin will probably illustrate the
height of his attanments IN the field OF honor
While he could not be Justly taken a sample OF
northern men, he will never be fit guardian of
southern honor He is only a " carret-bagger."
From the Boston Fost.
seuator Abbott, the North Carolina carpet,
Dagger, has ahot nobody yet. He says he wait
ed a. home nearly all day for a message from Mr..
Gprague.' but none came. This is rtifui end
ing after the threats he made and reiterated. He
IL from New Hampshire, but in his self suhClen-
cy told q Herald reporter that New England peo-
pie might not think that being called puppy
required retractioD or duel, but in his State
the carpet baggers North Carolina such an in-
suls could got be overlooked. 1t is great pity,
we repeat, that anybody should hold this buster
ing, high strung northern warrior with southern
principles Either he must fight or be disgraced
a carpet-bagger forever. PERHAPS in pity
Sprague will give him shot at twelve PAGES he
is game to do IT,
The n. Y. Tribune accuses Senator Anthony, as
presiding officer of the Senate with abuse OF pow
er in not deciding ABB Oft out of order in utering
threats against Sprague, because Sprague called
him puppy. Anthony knew there was no dam
ger: barking dogs seldom bite.
From the Richmond Wing.
The carpet baggers are below par at Washing
ton. Congress is very sick of the specimens
which have reached there from the South, and
wishes no more of them. We suspect, from what
We hear, that the Hon. Lewis Lindsay any re-
ceptable to the ruling powers. Mr.. Sprague, It
appears, called the most respectable OF the class
puppy " in open Senate, or rather spoke of
having met with mastif and puppy in one Of
his suburban rides, and the earpet-bagger took
the appelation as intended for himself, and an
nounced his purpose to have satisfaction. The
peoted conflict Both parties are on principle
opposed to duelling Mr.. Sprague weighs only
1913 and Mr.. Abbott, his antagonist, upwards OF
200 pounds. Mr.. Nye advised Abbott to spank
pT1a "od oh rCrfn nY6n If
that is attempted there will be one carpet gger
the less.
This exhibition of spirit has not had the effect
to raise carpet-baggery much in the market. The
days OF chivalry are over.
Corr. Baltimore Gazette
The town has been full of rumors to day. The
gossip in relation to the Sprague-Abbott af
fair is too contradic DRY and Enthusiastically to
justify repetition. 1t seems to be conceded that
there vii be no duel. If such thing really
contemplated of course the public would be kept
fight in Abbott, in other fashions, is the publicity
he voluntarily gave to his threats. BE not orly
thereby placed his life at the disposal of his I'D
versary in case of an attempt to execute them,
but invited the police to interfere Malicious
people will insinuate this to have been his object;
and it is probable that such will be the denoue-
n1e1lt of this ridiculous business. It would, in
deed, seem strange that the authorities, (prover-
bially officious on such occasions) have not yet,
30 far as / know, arrested the belllgerent carpet
Dagger. The precise spot where ne may be found
aided by the Radical journals, pretendingly, to
show that if his antago nist desires to send him q
message it need not mlscarly. Why is "Major :"
Richards (body- snatchers have now military
titles) so inert?' "Why don't he come ?' as the
old love song goes. Perhaps he js in no appre-
hension OF breach Of the peace!
In the meantime little ''Rhody" is as calm rs a
summers morning: never saw him foot in
the street before the memorable night of Thurs
day last-(he is very domesticl- but since then l
have recognized him half dozen times leisurely
promenading the avenue, stopping occasionally
at the show windows in that tEorou,hfare. He
was yesterday morning at church, and in the
afternoon, I learn, quietly took stroll entirely
alone. The Radical leaders must hunt Gp come
more daring champion il they desire to scare the
little "pet Of the public" Abbott is evidently
''neyce in the assassin's trade" By the way. the
rapid change in the names of the ''blacks and
tans" and ours OF greater size, but lower degree.
in this great ''City Of Dogs is very remarkable.
Heretoforeisuch az Hector" Caesar, ," 'Fonpey"
and and "scpie,', onoe common enough here have
whistling for abbott - and "Nye!" and "Seizs
him. Sye, - ',seize him, Abbott" The pro-
found philosophy conveyed in Burns Tale of the
"Twa Dogs" is also nov diligently studied, and
even the Trasestie CT Othello as whilom rendered
by Dan Rice ia renOlscte1 and the surceativa