The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-13
a Personal EXPLANATION.

Inc vi MS VlnuiCllVe poiiOy toWaiuS tno
STATE JOURNAL and its proprietor, to
make personal explanation I" in the
House, which is simply a personal attack
upon Mr.. Gills We publish on our first
page full report of what Mr.. Porter said
ON that occasion, as taken from the
columns of the Congressional Globe; and
shall proceed to correct some of the mis-
statements of the Honorable member. In
doing so we desire it to be distinctly UNDER
stood that we do not intend to hold any con-
troversy with Mr.. p, or to make any attack
upon his personal or political record, how
ever assaiable either may be. In the work of
disturbing the harmony of the Republi-.
can organization in this District by obtrud-
ing upon the public, private and personal
piques, we leave tho whole field to Mr..
Porter. He has had the unfairness to make
his attack upon us from his seat on the
floor of the House, when he we'll knew it
was beyond our power to meet him there
and refutc the miserable charges he has
made and this, too, when he has special
organ published in this city, with circu-
lation, according to his own statement to
the Clerk of the House, Mr.. Mcpherson, of
$4,000 copies" Surely that were range
wide enough to answer bis purpose with
out resorting to the privilege of a "per-
sonal explanation He preferred, it seems,
to use tho columns of the Globe, as he well
knew that the half-dozen copies of that
paper circulated In this district would give
a wider circulation to his "explanation"
than would be afforded through the
columns of his sheet--wbich is equally
divided in its advertisement Of Helmbold's
Extract of Bucliu and the honorable MEM
her from the Third District.
But to ourselves. The communication
in the Journal of the Oath ult. and which
forms the basis of Mr.. Porter's attack upon
us, was contributed by a leading Repub-
lican of the District, mot Federal office
holderl and an ardent supporter of Mr..
Porter 10 the last election. 1t was pub
lished as the views of that gentleman upon
a subject of the gravest Importance to the
Republicans of this district He had an
undoubted right to complain, if he felt
that he or his party had been aggrieved
by the action of any of its members
and it would have been cause for
just censure had the proprietor of this
paper declined to publish his communica-
ton, merely because of the reference which
it contained to the Honorable gentleman
We do not undertake to assume as our own
the opinions of any person which may be
admitted to our columns in the shape
of correspondence, though in this par
ticnlar instance it so happens that we did
cordially agree with the writer in tho
views he expressed The evil complained
of by CITIZEN" exists, only in a much
more alarming degree than was represented
by him; and Mr.. Porter cannot waive to
silence an outraged constituency by rising
in his place and undertaking to read ont
of the party those who are guilty Of the
crime of opposing their views to those en-
tertained by himself.
AS to the 'sobnoxious" article not APP
pearing in the paper which reached Mr..
Porter as Subscriber" (paid for, by the
way, out of the public treasury we deem
the miserable insinuation that it was omit
ted with view to keeping it from the
honorable gentlemans observation, as un-
worthy of our notice but lest refusal to
do SO may be used by him to still further
effect his purpose, we explain. There are
two editions of the JOURNAL published
every day--the first going to press at 2
o'clock p. NJ, in time for the Southern
mail, which leaves at 2:35; the second at
a o'clock, and containing the deferred local
and other matter. 1t is the custom of the |
mailing clerk to send off in the Northern |
and Western mails all papers which may
be left over from the Southern mail, thus
leaving for the city subscribers full sup |
ply from tho later issue, which of course
contains more matter that is Of immediate |
interest to them.
Upon referring to the two editions of the
JOURNAL of the Gath ult. we find that
the article alluded to was not contained in |
the first edition, copy of which reached
Mr.. Porter aud it did not occur to us to
mail him copy specially, as it was per-
haps our duty to have done. With this
explanation, we leave this branch of the
subject, merely remarking that the individ-
ua who asserts that we resorted to the
miserable "dodge" suggested by the fertile
mind Of Mr.. Porter utters statement
which is not true in any particular, and
wholly miseonceiyes the estimation in |
which we hold the influence and patronage
of the honorable gentleman.
His persistent warfare upon the JOURNAL
made in violation of every sentiment of
honor or honesty, and merely to vent his
personal spite upon the person of its pro-
prietor, has not disturbed the equanimity |
Al I.ttav ~ ;.,,,,roJ -, a., 1oaot ba f,roo.