Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-11
Model Journalism.

We have seen nothing for years to re-
mind us so much of the low scurrility
and blackguardism that obtained with ye
ancient journalism, as the following pas
sage at arms between the respective ed
itors of the two papers at Iuka, Miss, as
furnished by the editor of the Corinth
News. We give it a place in our columns
as fair, and possibly the last sample of
what was considered the acme of severity
in the long ago" Although rather more
than Hamlet's words, words, words"
more refined and choice vocabulary
might have been searched for epithets
without stumbling on so much vulgarity.
But then de gustibus, you know. Let us
rejoice that, whatever it might have been
considered at one time, such personal
vituperation and abusive phraseology are
not considered the hight of journalism
now: @
IUKA GAZETTE our last issue
stated that the editor of the Iuka Gazette
had in former issue of his paper
breathed the spirit of murderer. / am
I now compelled to say that in his last
issue he breathes the spirit of a black
guard, and quote the following from his
paper to prove the assertion: N
I" In our last issue we took occasion to
speak of the carpet-bag thieves who we're
robbing and plundering the South, and
said what we would do with them if we
had the power and rope AS might
have been expected, Nelson G. Gill, a
filthy maggot, Matched out from the Or
dure of some Northern pest-house-the
washing from the dirty feet of the lowest
outcast of the meanest radicahsm, sup
posed he was the particular escaped con-
vict from hyperborean prison we had
under consideration. Beastly and brutal
as is the class to whom we alluded we did
not condescend to speak of the fostering
hound Gill, who is married to Niger
wife, a thousand times better than the
distempered dog she calls husband. Our
article was intended fer the class of car
pet-baggers who recognize the adage
that there is honor among thieves, not
for Gill; he has not even the decency and
manliness which belong to rogues. he
would be called a cut-purse' by gang
of footpads. Fielding relates that Jona-
than Wild, on the scaffold, the moment
before execution, picked the pocket Of
the chaplain who was exhorting him to
repentance. Gill would steal the Grape
from the door knob that was fastened
there as mourning for his dead mother,
or sell his fathers corpse to a body
snatcher for quart of coal oil, or man
ufacture finger rings out of the skull Of
his grandmother and retail them at a
penny apiece. Excuse us, Gill; we can't
notice your stripe.
When man deliberately writes him
self down murderer, and his own pic
ture, the work of his own pen, is shown
up to the world6n its true light, he must
either acknowledge the corn, or try to
"cuss out of the scrape. The language
quoted above from DIR. Davis pen, proves
him so utterly regardless OF truth and
common decency, that would scorn to
notice his words in the slightest degree,
did not know that he is looked upon by
large GLASS of appropriation as model
editor and gentleman, and for the further
reason that he mentions my wife in his
article do not know Mrs. Davis. Sup
posing she is a lady, am sorry for her
that she is the wife of man SO lost to
honor or chivalry as to attempt to SANDER
woman of whom he knows nothing. i
say attempt to slander, for Mrs. Gill is so
far above his psny reach, as to be en-
tirely out of danger! besides, he only,
calls her "nigger," and she says she d
much rather belong to the ealored race
than to his kind of white folks, Whether
my wife is "nigger" or not, has never
troubled my mind, ! had never seen
her parents when i married her, and
simply took her for what she was in her
self. If | am not able to testify that her
blood is purely Caucasian, il is because
the respectable Democracy have been
mixing things. ] hope the Doctor and
other Democratic editors win learn that
the use of vils, disgusting epithets only
hurts those who stoop to use them.
rr sWl SO N. G, Gut