The Rock Island Argus., 1882-01-13
THTRsTING FoRaoBE.

| WAsHING1ToN,. Jan. 12.-The following
l letter and card is furnished for publica-
! ton.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 1881.
| Gen. j. b. Bur5aidge:
lSsr:-Your letter dated January 9th was
handed me last night. and as find it with
accompanying documents given to the
public in this mornings prints. Sir. it is
! only with the personal phase of the issue,
so far as it regards myself, that can deal
and. as you gave abandoned that, / feel no
longer any interest in your accommodation.
Concerning the insinuations regarding the
yellow fever, which you so gratuitously
threw i'm to distract attention from what
has been said of yourself, all I have to say
is, that with proofs of which you possess
knowledge, and of which / am ignorant,
and which you regard as ample, When
your courage ever enables you tn formu
late charges and you become responsible
therefore, then there will be ample time
left me to give it consideration.
Respectfully,
J. S. BLACKBURN.
To the aDet6LSc: The correspondence
between Gen Burbridge formerly of Ken.
tucky. and now a citizen of Pennsylvania,
and myself, begun by him, has been
brought on through his instrumentality,
and has been obtruded upon public atten-
ton / regret this, but not because |
have anv reason to fear the judgment of
the public on the questions involved.
For the soldiers of the Union army. who
respected the law of honorable warfare,
have no other feeling but that of respect
appreciation of manhood. General Bur
bridge is outside of this pale by reason of
the atrocities well known to the people
of Kentucky, which have justly made him
xrf,nr ho nruh Ia
have buried in honorable reconciliation
the animosities of thot unhappy period,
share fully the detestitation of General
Burbrldge and his conduct, which is en-
tertained alike by Confederates and Union
men in the State of Kentucky, and this
feelingI have expressed on proper occa-
sion. The fact was made known to him
when he interrogated me as to my utter
ances respecting him. | refused to mod
ify my language or accept his attempt at
selfvindication. gave him frankly this
answer His responses is not an
appeal to the usages by which gentlemen
have been governed, but an attemp to re-
tort by counter insult. If this course is
satisfactory to General Burbridge or his
friends I cannot complain. / dismiss him
to the enjoyment of any honors he may
have acquired by his effort to rehabilitate
a reputation which, resting as-it does upon
the knowledge of the facts of shameful
personal history cannot be made worse by
aught I can now say against him, or i'm
| prove by his own assertions of innocence
and certificates of character. These are
not required by gentlemen who have
practiced decent respect for the opinions OF
mankind.
[Signed] j. s. BLAcKBURN.
The letter from Representative Black
| burn to General Burbridge was returned
with the following endorsement: Re
turned. The writer is unworthy of notice.
For my courage refer him to the history
| of nv country, WHICH is silent about his
| achievements. For ample proofs OF the
attempt to introduce infected clothing INTO
northern cities, I refer him to the CORES
| pondenee seleting thereto.
ISIGNED1 Z, g. BURBRIDGE.
Upon the receipt Of his own letter thus
endorsd, Representative Blackburn wrote
the above letter to the public.