The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-04-21
EDGAR ALLAN. POFS.HABITS.
The Poet in his o,on Defence The Dis
corery Of q Letter Written to. a Friend
in sohich Poe Protested ssAgainst the
ISLANDERS Of Barton.

SVVeSy ~ " AetteS Vvstte"C " u CTsehU
in which Poe Protested ss::Against the
ISLANDERS Of Barton.
BALTIMORE, April The American
vii! print Tomorrow the Subjuined let
ter from Edgar Allan Poe to tile late
Dr: J. E. Snodgrass, once editor Of The
Baltimore Saturday Visitor. 1t was re-
Gently found by MR.. S,'odgrass among
her husbands papers, and was written
at the time when Poe WAS engaged on
Grallam'S Magazine in Philadelphia,
and when he Was still contemplating
the establishment Of The Penn Month
~ IL that city. He had left the employ
of MI. Burton, editor of The Gentle
mans Magazine. and the latter had ap.
parently revived the scandal concerning
Poe's dissipated habits. 1t refutes the
charges against him in the most solemn
manner. The italics in the letter are
POe'S own:
PHILADELPHIA, April l, 1871.
MY DEAR SNODGRAss: fear you
have been thinking it was not my de-
sign to answer your kind letter at all.
1t is now April Fools Day, aud yours
is dated March s; but believe me. al
though. for good reason, l may occa-
siOnally postpone my reply to your ia
vors, am never III danger Of forgetting
them.
l am much obliged to you for permit
ting me to hand over your essay to Mr..
Graham. 1t will appear in tile June
number. Ii order to understand this
apparent delay, you must he Informed
that We 60 to press 1T Il singularly early
period. The May number is now with
in two days of being ready for delivery
IT, the mails. should be pleased to re-.
ceive brief notice of Suran's poems
for the une number-if you think this
will n"t be too late.
In regard to Burton, feel indebted
to you for the kind interest you express,
but scarcely know how to reply. My
situation is embarrassing. 1t is impOs-
slbl-. rs you say. to notice buffOon
ana Il telOn, rs one gentleman would
notice another. The law, then, is my
only resource. Now, il the truth of \
scandal could be admitted in justifica-
toni mean of what the law terms Il
scandal-1 would have matters all my
own way. would institute i suit
ortl'Witli, for his personal defamation
ofmyself. He would be unable t. prove
the truth of his allegations. l could
prove their talsity and their malicious
intent by witnesses who, seeing me at
all hours Ut every day, would have the
best right to spak-l mean Burton's
own clerk, NJ ,rreii, and the co,np,sitors
of the printing office. In fact, 1 could
prove the scandal almost by accianl;.-
ton. l should obtain damages. But,
~, fl,o ~ l..,l I i,,,s,.,
scrupulous i'll regard to what l have
said Of him. have always told hin. to
his face and every body else, that look,
I'd upon him as i blackguard and Il VII.
lain. This is notorious. He would
meet me with cross action. The truth
of the allegation-which could easily
prove. as lie w'uld fad it difficult to
prove the truth OF his own respecting
me-would not avail me. The law will
not admit, as justification Of my calling
Billy Burton Il scouutlrel, that Billy
Burton is really such. What, then,
can Ito? If sue, he SUES; you See
how it is.
At the same time-as I may, after
further reflection, be induced 10 sue. |
would take it rs an act Of kindne! S.
not to say justice-on your part, if 20,
would see the gentlemen of whom 20,
spoke, and ascertain with accuracy all
that may legally avail me-; that is to
say, what and when were the words
used, and whether your friend would
lie willing for your sake. for my sake,
and for the sake of truth. to give evi.
dence il called upon. Will you do tins
for me-?
So far for the matter inasmuch as it
concr rs Burton. have nuw t. thank
you for your defence Of myself as stat.
I'd. You are Il physician. and | presume
no physician car, have. difficulty in d..
te.'ting the druaknfd 1T i glance. You
are. moreover, Il literary man, we'll read
in morals. You will never lu brought
to believe that l could write what
daily write, as | write it. were us this
william would induce th!s;. who know
nr not, to believe. In fine, l pledge
you. before God, the solemn ward of i.
gentleman, that | am temperate even,
to rigor. From the hour in which
first saw this baSest Of caluni,iat"rs ia
the hour in which I retired from his Of.
fee in uncomfortable disgust 1T his chi.
canery. arrogance, igno' ance and mu.
tality, nothing stronger than water ere,
passed nay lips.
1t is, however, due to car dor that l
inform you upon what foundation he
has erected his ISLANDERS. At no period
OF my life was ever what men call in.
temperate. never was in the habit Ut
intoxicatien. never drank drains. etc
But for Il brief prri"n. while l resided
in Richmond and edited The Messing.
er. certainly did give way. ut Icing in.
terValS. to the temptation held out on
all sides by the spirit OF Southern con-
VITALITY. My sensitive temperament
could not stand an excitement which,
was an everyday matter 10 my compan.
ions. In short. it sometimes happened
that was completely intoxicated. For
some days after pacl, EXCESS | was ill.,
variably confined to bed. But it is now
quite four yrars since have abandoned
every kind of alcoholic dvink-four
years, with the exception of a single dc.
Walton. which, occurred shorty after
my leaving Burton. and when l was in
dnced to resort to the occasional use of
cider, with the hope of relieving Il ner-
vOus attack.
You will thus see, frankly stated, the
whole amount OF my sin. You will ais,
see the blackness Of that heart which
could revire 4 Islander Of this nature
Neither can you fail to perceive how
desperate the malignity of the sland. r.
er. and how slight the grounds upo,
which lie would build up a defamation
since he can find nothing better with
which to charge me than an accusation
which can be disproved by each and ev-
cry man with whom lam in the habit #
daily Intercourse.
l have now only to repeat to you, in
general. my solemn assurance that my
habits are IA far removed from intern
p1rance us the day from the night. My
sole drink is water,
Will you do me the kindness to re.
peat this assurance to such of your own
friends as happen to speak of me in your
hearing.
l feel that nothing more is REQUISITE,
and you will agree with me upon refec-
ton.
Hoping soon to hear from you, am.
yours most cordially,
EDGAR A. Poe.
DR.. J. E. SNoDaRAss.