Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-07-24
B'LUD,IAGOl
Nearly a Duel Between TOOmbs and Joe
Brown.

The following sanguinaTy card appears
in the Atlanta papers that reached Us in
yesterdays mail: r
ATLANTA, Ca, July II, 1872.
EDITORS CONSTITUTIONAL General
Toombs has thought proper to appear
again in print before the public, while a
personal issue was pending between him
and me, ] have a very simple reply for
him. In his card dated the eleventh in
slant, and published on the sixteenth,
he refers to me as resorting to the usual
dodge of a vulgar poltroOn.
This man, having been branded by me
as al INSCRIPTIONS liar, faneied, perhaps,
that be had sufficient courage to defend
his personal honor, or perhaps he thought
he could safely play the role of a bully.
Accepting, therefore, the position of the
injured party, and feeling no little con-
Germ about my church relations, he sent
a friend to me to inquire if l held myself
amenable to the code of honor. ITeplied
as follows:
Colonel J. c. Nichols entered my of
nee on the morning of the ninth instant,
and said, al desire to see you a moment
privately" when the following CONVEX
sation occurred:
Nicholls-I have come in behalf of
General ToOmbs TO make an inquiry of
you.
Brown-Well, sir, 1 will hear you.
Nicholson account of your church
relations, General Toombs does not
know whether you hold yourself amena-
BILE to the code, and, while ] admit this
is an irregular proceeding, in behalf of
General TO0mbs ] make the inquiry.
Brown-It seems TO me, this course
IS extraordinary. General Toombs has
nothing TO do with my church relations.
If he desires to send me a eOmmuniea-
ton, / am ready TO receive it any mo-
ment. l have conferred with a friend
who does not reside in Atlanta, but ]
will telegraph him at once, and respond
to a communication, if made, after re-
ferring it to him, without unreasonable
delay. Are you General oombs's friend
in this matter? w 4
Nicholls-I am not, in that sense.
| expect to have nothing whatever to do
with the matter. / only come to make
this inquiry, at General Toombs's sug-
gestiOn. He may desire a little time, as
he viii have TO get a friend who resides
out of the State, for he does not wish TO
complicate his friends in the State.
Brown Il shall not trouble persons
out of the State. / have a friend In the
State who viii serve me. rr q m ~
Nichols II would like to know
whether you hold yourself bound by the
code?
Brown-Say to General Toombs dis
tinctly that / am ready 10 receive any
communication that he desires to send,
and if l don't respond properly, he knows
his remedy.
Nichols What / have done In this
instance is simply an act of friendship
to General Toombs, because he request
ed it. / expect to take no part in any
unpleasant affair between you and him.
Brown-Say to General Toombs /
hold myself ready to give him any satis-
faction which may be due him, or TO
which he Is entitled IS a gentleman.
This language is IN General Toombs'
possession in writing, over my sig
nature. To be certain that he received
il rs uttered, Il was sent him, on the
tenth, after ne left Atlanta, ON the first
express to his home at Washington.
This cOde-Ofhonor gentleman left At
ianta the day after this language was
uttered. He responded in the nea0spd-
pers. Ileave the public to judge who is
the p~oltroen, and whether General
Toombs preferred 5let0spdper artilleryto
heavier metal. JOSEPH E. BROWN.