Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-21
ESTABLISHED MARCH 80. 1886

4 .
pialned Of by you what its language fairl
construed imports, and decline to max
any explanation or disclaimer in regard q
it, What wrote was upon Information
obtained from reliable gentlemen, no
through malice, but as a matter of news
When | am convinced that the statement
2 made in the letter are erroneous, vii
most cheerfully make any correction de
sired necessary 10 do you justice. Thu
| propositions for correction contained in the
letter to you from Rule & Kicks, dated
Dec. 24th, are hereby renewed. --- .
Respectfully, VIM. RULE. I
MAJOR M. j. WIcKs, Memphis.
After writing the above two other letters
were received from Major Wicks, as fol
lows: n ffejtftfs
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Jan. IL, 1S73.-Mr
w. Rule, Knoxville, Tenn: Sir-I am in
receipt of your favor of the 7th, in which
you say: "The propositions for correction
contained in the letter to you from Rule &
Kicks, dated oath December, are hereby re-
nswed." ----. ,rsa..
The statements in your letter of the 10th,
which l consider as rejecting upon me, are:
] l, The inference which you draw upon
The endorsement Of the new President of
4
of its directors.
! 2. Your reference TO the assets of the
Savings Bank of Memphis not being in ac-
cordance with the schedule rendered, and
| the use of my name in connection there
trust you are by this time prepared to
relieve me from ali implied reflection upon
my integrity as gentleman. Respectfully,
-, .-...l,..I .esiis.L MI. WIcKs.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Jan. 20, 1S73.-Mr.
VIM. Rule, Knoxville, Tenn: Sir: Hay-
ing no reply 10 my letter of the / 1th, respect
fully call your attention thereto. =
.....l.t. M. j. WIcKs.
EXPLANATORY.
As the reply of Rule & Kicks, 24th De-
eember, and the subsequent letter Of my
own, Jan. Z, contained all that could rea-
sonably say to Maj. Wicks by way of ex-
PLANTATION, and as the letter referred TO must
have furnished him with evidence of the
entire absence of malice, as a motive for
writing the letter complained Of l did not
see what was to be gained by prolonging a
correspondence that might complicate mat
tiers, and probably end in a personal diff
Guilty, and for these reasons did not reply
to the last two communications from him,
dated as above.
heard nothing more of the matter until
last Sabbath evening 10 the city of Nash
vile, where had been on business since
the previous Wednesday. After 1 had
been to Masonic Hall hearing q Temper
ance lecture by Rev. Dr.. Baird, / returned
about O'Clock, P. NJ, to the Maxwell
House, in company with Hon. L. G. Houk
Immediately upon going in, Hon. A. T.
Lacey, Speaker or the Senate, cana up to
Judge Houk in front of the clerks desk
and said, "Where is Mr.. Rule?" | was
just coming up when the Judge replied
"HeIe be is" / had met Mr.. Lacey fire.
quently and had been introduced to him in
the dining room of the Maxwell House. l
was somewhat surprised that he should in
quire where was when | was standing
Immediately by. His manner showed
something of agitation, caused probably
from knowledge of the relation that ex-
listed between myself and Maj. Wicks-a
relation about which we had previously
had conversation. Turning to ms Mr..
Lacey handed me sealed envelope aid
said: "Mr. Rule, here is a communication
from Maj. Wicks. He requests me to de-
liver it to you and telegraph him that you
had got it. | don't know what its con-
tents are" Thereupon he walked quickly
away. Immediately opened the envelope
and found the following significant commu-
nication: tE.LE -L---
SAVINGS BANK OF MEMPHIS, MEMPHIS,
Tenn, Feb. 10, 1s79.-Wm. Rule, Esq,
Knoxville, Tenn.-Sir: l will be at the
hotel opposite the depot at Dalton, Ca, at
10 o'clock, A. M, on Wednesday, 10Th inst,
ha and i 81, al H.
you in order that L might dsc1ss with you
the matter about which we have heretofore
correspondent. Respectfully, ..- |
The above was forwarded by messenger
to you at Knoxville; learning that you were
in Nashville, have requested friend to
hand you sealed envelope, without his hav-
ing any knowledge of contents. --4
MI. W.
MEMPHIS, Feb. Is, 1873.
Yesterday addressed to Maj. Wicks the
following reply to the above communica-
ton and have mailed the same to him at
Memphis: rr....- -.-
KNOXVILLE, Feb. IS, 1873.-SIR: You
ask me to meet yeu at Dalton, Georgia, on
the 10Th inst, to "discuss the business
about which we have heretofore correspond
ed" / have 10 business 10 call me to Dali
ton on that day and decline your invitation.
My refusal to answer your Communications
as above should have satisfied you that, so
far as | was concerned, the tins to "dis-
cuss" the matter further, had passed.
l am not familiar with the so-called "code
of honor" but | suppose your Communication
means and was intended TO lead to a chal-
lenge to me to fight duel. &C
,,oI,r ff.,s- -
connection. l recognize no heathenish So
clled "code of honor" / am opposed to
dUeling for the reason that it is contrary to
the spirit of the enlightened age in which
We live. am opposed to it because it is
contrary to the laws of my country, the
law of humanity, and the laws of God.
You might take my life, or / might take
yours, and yet not a single feature of the
communication complained of would be
changed by the result. Ii that publication
were false it would be false still. If it were
true it would remain true. Hence nothing
can be gained by either of ms losing our
lives in the manner proposed.
My friends who have been approached on
this subject by your friends have uniformly
expressed it as their opinion that l would
not fight you in this way. / have good
IcdSOA W OClISNo Judo YOU hASH IulS 1aCb
before you sent your challenge.
Since the publication was made, have
made inquiry as to the truth of the facts
contained therein. My investigations have
confirmed me in the belief that the state
ments made are true. Hence L cannot
make retrsction. 1t is legitiIhately part
of my duty as a Journalist to make puOlic
all such information, if fairly obtained and
given. published the news affecting you
Just as do every day news affecting other
officials or business men to whom are con-
fided important trusts in the faithful dis
charge CT which the public are interested.
You may, and perhaps will, "post" me
as coward, because l refuse to murder
you or give you an opportunity to murder
me. For that l have the most supreme |
contempt. Really, do not know whether
am coward in the sense you may choose |
to apply the term or not. l have never been |
tested in the way you propose. l do not |
seek reputation for courage gained in !
that way. Ifyou are more anxious to in |
vestigate the m alter Of cowsrdce than am,
you are at liberty to make the investigation |
in your own way and until you are fully |
satisfied. l do not propose TO leave the |
country, but will continue to pursue my |
Iaoitimsta business going wherever and |