Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-06-24

better unspoken and unpublished; he has used
strong and criminative language against those
whose public acts he opposed; but he dehes you
and all men to point to one word he has ever Ut
tered or printed, which is dcfamatory of private
character or invasive of private rights.
In conclusion, he assures you that in the ill-
ture however strong the cacoethes, either oftalk-
ing or writing may rage i'll his bosom he shall
never 50 far forget the lesson Of consistency, del
icacy and gratitude you have taught him as to
invoke the aid of your columns To assist him in
very truly yours, NJ. DULANY BALL.
June -, lSIl-lt
To the editor of the Alexandria Gazette:-
As the communication of NJ Dulany Ball, Of
the I'D inst, is to be published without note
of disapprobation on your part, or ':be deprived
of its point by such 'mutations' as the
omission Of the words 'to the editor Of the
Gazette and quotation marks, ! ought, in
accordance with the novel doctrine set forth by
this literally pcripatetic philosopher, hold you
responsible for all he says But as that. III the
present case, is totally madmIs$lblc, Tor the
most obvious reasons. ! must consider under
the old and recognized rule, the writer of L
card responsible for its contents, reply to
him as such, and not crawtiSh and fall back
upon one who has and had nothing to do with
inc llallcl. anu WHO, IL llc act Will Vic NiS
dom with which he has been accredited for the
resides, will have nothing to do with it. The
author Of il card is the one who. in all countries,
is at least first called to account by those who
feel themselves agricyed by what he has writ
ten, especially when that author puts to what
he says Il designation to show who he l.; and
where he may be found. Notwithstanding the
! Colonel asserted objectiOns-lor that they are
mere assertions is proved by his whole life
to the "repcttivc wit, NJ. Dulany Ball has
found that blows are to be returned as we'll re-
cciyed that man 5 indiscretion will not exempt
| him from the consequences Uf his folly, and
that when he is hoored by the first blow he can
not cure his bruises by simply saying he did not
| deserve them.
Did NJ. Dulany Ball never consider that
other people have rights and feelings and
friends &C.. as we'll as he has? Is he to be al
lowed to publish that it was impossible to
get from the Alexandria Gazette common JUS
ticc: that it, the Gazette, 'mutilated his, >
VI. ID. B. S communications to suit its ideas,
and Sustained itself in Il course OF wrong by
ignoring common politcness and fairness; that
it wls guilty Of 'n'ennneSs and injuSticc: to ac
cuSc it Of Ill attempt TO cast Il slllr upon MIR.
kilgnur BY IN unfair dodge to abuse and ac
cu<c the editor of Il paper III this style. and
then. when the retaliation, mild under the cir
cunlstanccS and in which no reference was
made to any but those of his public actions
which had previously been mentioned in the
newspapers, came to GO scot free merely by
saying that these terms were fair, relative and
| respectful, and that it was on y 4 newspaper
he spoke Of, and to raise the cry Of .'perSon-
alitieS, and say that his ''private affairs have
been made public?'
Wherever NJ Dulany Ball says 'your'' in
his letter he refers to the reporter, and he, NJ.
| DuIany Ball well knows does not ''avoid' re-
sponsibilty any more than does the one to
whom the letter is most unnecessarily addressed.
| Why's behind the author avOwed and published
as such to strike blows at another? There GER
tanly does appear to have been IN avoiding
| or Il dnd@ng somewhere. but unqucstiOnaby
not in this quarter All fair men must admit
that the original local article gave no Just cause
! for oifrnce-that the card which was published
in reference to that local item was unnecessary.
| impcrtimcnt and i'll naturcd-tliat the reference
to this card was brief, mild and explanatory
that the long letter in reply WIS rude, prcSump-
tuorIs and aggressive, and will add, though
say it, that the reply to this letter was consider
cd by every unprecedented man to DC what is
called Il SocLdo1ngr richly deserved for an as
sanlt made without reason and against common
SENSE and wholly unnecessary, except upon the
idea that it was dcS gncd for notorcy, and to
do an injury to those who had never harmed
the person alluded to and were always disposed
to be his friends.
With regard to the type in which the Re
porter card was set up, and the position 1t
occupied in the paper, 1t is asserted, and there
Is no cause whatever Tor prcvarlcatlon, that the
foreman of the Gazette Office WIS instructed to
treat one card exactly rs he had done the other.
| ir who have tears, prepare to shed them now.
| w. ID. Ball will write for the Gazette n" more.
He bids farewell! No NOR" shall pen oblitcratc
or scissors prunr ~ they were wont 10 do, his
gushing cilil,ions Nor will the ail Of these
columns be again invoked in disseminating his
>cntillatign$." We're it not that not long ago he
''waShcd his hands Of political Matters but
made II dive int" them again within week.
would say aack tn" day! Whether he will leave
| the city and 60 to Il place in which the twenty
shares he hold in IN insurance company and
| the ten in II building association will add more
| to his reputation for ordinary discretion than
they do here, h. has not vouclSafrd to divulgc
| bat if -, that 1t" had not spread his wings and
started on his wandcringS before his profession
al services were requested on behalf Of MIR.
! Bird, WAS Il most disastrous prncrasinatiOn to
| that poor old man. And still NJ. ID. b. is Il
| happy mortal t" have no tear Of sympathy to
| shed t" make no spcrch-tn indtrn" column ut
| the separation.
"FarrwrI-anL if forever,
| Still forever fare thee WE'LL
| However unpleasant this whole allar has been,
| il has probably resulted for the best, iur had not
| VI. ID. 3. been brought up with such Il round
and Totally unexpected turn, there is no telling
| the amount of annoyance the public would have
endured from his prolific pen
:" that there c:tn be- II" mistake, ~ Reporter
| j. not considered sufficiently distinct, the writer
! signs HAROLD SNoWDEN.