The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-17
An Unpleasant Affair.
cord from Senator Spier Whitaker

Halifax, on me Ilt"in9', Sa'' pun
;tr 70 matter which privately gossip
ned the town. 1t appears that the
Gentlemen named took opposing ground
e~eIative to a special or criminal court /;
and as they we're discussing it, near
the door of the Ysrhoro supper room,
Mr. Whitaker affirmed Mr.. Day
"tr.versed." Mr.. w. ''rejoindered. ,"
and Mr.. Day "rebutted," and sur
rebutted'' with u blow, or blows. BY
ISLANDERS promptly interposed, II SAY
of proceedings" and the appearance
Of ladies al journed the ''Argument.'
As it is against the law to write, send,
carry, or accept achallsnge, and forever
disbars the sender from holding any
office in North Carolina, Tor would be
if the law we're otherwise than d dead
letter., Senator Whitaker hesitate,i to
cite his antagonist to the court of Last
Resort. Finally however, he dispatched
note by DR.. Il. +. Wood, of Scotland
Neck. as follows:-(We quote from
Mr.. Whitakers card in the DAILY o.
serCer:)
"SIR-Your attack upon me in the
public hall of the Marlboro House, on
the 2nd inst, was unexpected and un-
iustifiable and under such circum
stances that was totally incapable Of
defending myself. As you are physi-
cally, SO much my superior, ! must
take for granted that you will not hes
itate to meet me upon equal terms. As
any delay may prevent OR meeting, L
beg that YOU will name as early a day
as possible. Respectfully,
). WHITAKER.
On the next day he sent me, through
the hands of bis friend, John Calling,
Esq, the following rely:
RALEIGH, y. C., March s, 1881.
.Spicr Whitaker, Esq:
Your letter of yesterday was handed
t. me by Mr.. Wood. TO it | reply as
follows:
Ii | have in any way wronged you,
| trust have the manhood to make
such Rep.ration as is proper and ID
my power. | shall not, however, &C
cept any invitation to a hostile meet
ing. am forbidden TO do so by CON
sideration higher and more sacred than
any which can be imposed on me 10y
that code to which you have appealed.
| have responsibilities resting on me
which cannot disregard, and which
forbid my voluntarily endangcrlng my
life. | have no desire to cndanger
YOURS. The constitution which | swore
to uppor when | became Il member
of the Legislature n.w in session, Tor
bids, in express terms, my accepting
your invitation, aud while engaged In
making laws for the government of
Others, | must be governed by the plain
provisions of the fundamental law. |
have the honor to he, respectfully, etc,
W. Ii. DAY.
Mr.. Day, it thus appears, could see
nothing that Was u~upecoming to him
Us q legislator or law abiding citizen in
making upon me, greatly his physical
inferior, in the presence of ladies and
gentlemen going to and from the din
ing hall, a sudden, unexpected, I'M
iustitiable and severe attack but when
he is asked 10 meet me upon equal
terms, he suddenly discovers that the
responsibilities resting upon him, and
his great regard for the constitution.
forbid his doing SO. 1t was all right
and proper for him to violate the law
of the land when his doing so placed
him in no personal danger, and gave to
his victim no opportunity of defending
himself; but as to meeting him upon
an equal footing, that cannot be done,
for the constitution, which he has
sworn to support, forbids any such fair
play.
Mr.. Day cannOt have forgotten that
after having sworn, when he was adj
mitted to the bar, to support the con-
.titution, which he seems to be fond
of, he was the bearer of a challege, the
cause of offcnse being trivial indeed
when compared to his offense against
me.
Thus it appears that when his friend
is to be shot at, his oath ,nd the CON
stitution are of no Importance, hut if
his life is TO be endangered, they must
sacredly bind his conscience.
s. WHITAKE -
The affair is to be regretted for many
reasons; the example is bad and the
correspondence does not improve it.
Mr.. Whitaker handles has pen as sharp
ly as Mr. Day did his fist and clearly
has the best Of the correspondence.
Yet we are not among those who
specially censure Mr.. Day for drcIin-
ing. While we have no acquainsan e
with him, and willie we know that on
one, possibly two,~ occasions, his influence
was eXerted against us. we are free to
say that his letter must have required
great irmness and courage to write.
And a great deal more of it to endure
Senator Whitakers cutting rejoinder.
All good citizens will be glad the affair
has gone no further.
There is a heather book which
says-Man Is strength, woman is beau
ty; man is courage, woman Is love.
When the one man loves the one wo-
man and the one woman loves the one
mar the very angels leave heaven and
come and sit in that house and sing for
~joy."-Enfed Sentinel.
Do they bring any bread and meat :?
We pause for reply. Anxiously yours,
+. \ NJ.
Money is going to be plentiful in
North Carolina this fall. 4 despatch
to the New York Times from Raleigh
says concerning the Liquor Law No
general election occurs this year, ard
the Democrats hope to avoid making
the question a party issue by taking the
sense of the people at that time. The
pressure of the religious denominations,
as we'll as thousands Of men and women,
Is so great for the passage of a prohibi-
tory law, that, but for the fear of wreck
ing the party, which is always upper
most in the mind of the average Demo
Graf an absolute prohibitOry hill vould