The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-09-23

nave III c11ect called me Il lllf as ii
c. Warmoth, not as Governor. /
is to adjust that satisfactorily tha
my friends will meet yours. So fal
as you could possibly do it, you have
already passed Judgment on my We
racity, and the Judgment is against
me. BY so doing YOU have, as al
iRdiridu0l, insultcd me grossly, sir
and an apology or retraction is abso
lutely necessary, or, in the absence
thereof, such IN adjustment as uS1l
ally obtains among gentlemen.
AS for the truth of my statements
| shall, in the proper manner and il
proper time, proceed to demonstrate
when the public will sit as Judges
Yours, very respectfully,
J. A. WALSH.
New Orleans, September12, 1877
Sir-Your communication of this
date is received. In your first letter
to lie, dated yesterday, you say
"Certain differences Of opinion, i'll
volving question of veracity, hay
ing occurred between us - =
| am Of the opinion that it would be
best for all parties concerned that
YOU be kind enough to name two
friends OF yours who will please call
upon me with the view Of properly
adjusting those differences Infer.
ring that you would also name two
friends, making four in all, to whose
adustment-or i'll case Of disagree,
ment, by the aid of a fifth person, to
be selected by tlen-we would sub,
NIT the question of veracity between
us, and obligate ourselves to be
bound by their decision, ! replied
by accepting your proposition.
To-day you reconsider your propo-
sition, and say, II cannot permit
that my veracity be made the subject
of arbitration, by four gentlemen,
two of whom, Judging from your
communication ofabove named date,
will be simply acting under instruc-
tiOns from you.'
You have no right to assume that
| would give instructions to the gen
tlemen selected by me. any more than
[ have that those selected by YOU
would act under your instruction.
On the contrary, I fully concur that
" it is to be presumed that those
gentlemen do not act under insTuc-
tiOnS from either OF u.s.
You state "the question at issue
is that you have III effect called me
a liar It is nevertheless question
of veracity as much so to-day as it
was yesterday, and it was this very
question that [ consented to name
two out Of four gentlemen to adjust.
You say $50 far as you could posi-
bly, do it, you have already passed
Judgment Oh my Veracity, and the
decision is against me- 1t was from
this Judgment of mine that [ under
stood you desired to appeal to four
disinterested persons who would
either affirm or reverse it. But by
your letter of to-day | learn that it
is not to an impartial examination of
witnesses and the facts that you de-
sire to submit the question of veraci-
ty, but to another tribunal.
In case | refuse Gan apology or
retraction,' which you say is . ''abso-
lutely necessary" must accord YOU,
" in the absence thereof, such an ad-
justment as usually obtained among
gentlemen" This means, suppose,
apologize, retract or fight. | do not
see how [ can very well Petract OF
apologize. If I had offended you by
accident, or in a moment of excite
ment, said something unjust or i'm
proper, | might very properly, and |
have no doubt would, rctract it or
apologize for it, but the statement |
made in my card of the eighth in
stant that your allegation relative to
the NicolsOn pavement matter was a
" willful and malicious falsehood,' y
was not made in a moment of excite
ment, but after YOU had published
it in the New Orleans Times, almost
a month ago, and it had been repea-
ted by Mr.. Speaker Garter and Lieu
tenant Governor Dunn on your au-
thority, and after | learned that |
could prove to the satisfaction of
everybody by witnesses of unim-
peachable veracity that it was "a
willful and malicious falSehood."
AS to the alternative which is rn-
derstood to be to fight you, you knew
when you made it [ could not accept
it, and ascertained the fact by inquiry
Of my personal friends from whom
you elected the information that [
would not. [ refuse to accept this
new tribunal to which you invite me
for several reasons:
1. If [ should accept it and 60 out
witl.you to fight, when we returned,
whether dead or alive, the question of
would still be unsettled. If
you were to kill me it would not
prove that I stated a falsehood, or
that you told the truth or vice versa.
2. The civilization of the day con-
dems as barbarous and immoral the
practice of duelling, and it can only
be excused or palliated when there
is no other possible means of vindi
eating ones honor.
3. AS chief ma agistrate of this great
commonwealth I am charged with
the faithful execution Of the laws,
and my oath of office, however much
[ might be irritated with you, and
desire this mode of settlement, would
nreyent ME from indulging in il.