Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-01-13
Tie MISUNDERSTANDING Difficulty.

TIE DlRckburn.Burbr1dg Dt1nculty.
The following latter and c,rd have b,en fur
nished for rublicsliop:
House OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WASHINGTON. D. o., Jan. 9, 1882.
General s. G. BwDrtage::
SIR: Your letter. dated JaLu,ry 6. was
handed NE last hight, ADD as tind it, With at
compaDyirg documents 4i7sn to the public 10
this mornings prints presume it WAS intend
cd (, r the public as it's reception and my OVID
mus. bsvs been Simultaneous. Now, sir. it is
oclY with the persooal phase of tho issue SO far
as it regards myself that l csn deal, aud % you
have abandoned that. taol 10 longer ary to-
terost 10 your communications. As to your it,
siuustions 10 regard to the yellow fever which
you 30 grauitousEy throw 10. to distract s.ten
ton from what had been said of yourself, all |
have to say is, that if with tbs proofs of which
you profess knowledge, and of which am tx
uoraut, ard which you regald as ample, your
courage ever enables you to formulate charge
and become responsible therefor, then will
there be ample time loft mo to give il consider
alton. Respectfully.
j. @. 8. BLACKBURN.
Upon receipt Of the above letter, Geo. Bur.
bridge returned it to the writer at once with the
following endorsement:
Returned to the writer as unworthy Of notice.
For my courage refer him to the hittory of my
country which is silent upon his achvem ent5.
For ample proofs Of the attempts to introd u ee
clothing infected with yellow fever virus into
the Northern citiea, refer him 10 the corrss-
pondence relating thereto now on file in the
Slate Department (SiRned)
Upon receipt Of his own letter thus endor; cd,
Representative Blackburn wrote the foloWip
open latter:
ToTHE PUBLIC.
WASHINGTON, D. O., all. II, 1884,
A correspondence, b5tween Gen. Stsphsn G
BurbIidge formerly OF Kentucky, aud now g
ci!z,u OF Pennsylvania. and myself, begun by
him, has through his iastrumentaity beea OBJ
truded upon the public attention. regret THE,
but not because have any realon to fear the
judg 1ent of the public on the le;tiols invo,v.
cd For the soldiers of the Union Army who
respected the law of honorable warfare have
no feelings but respect aud appreciation OF their
manhood Gen. Burbridge is outside this pale
by reason Of atrocities we'll known 10 the people
of Kentucky. wbioh have justly made him an
oulcast from State whore honorable III sn have
buried in honorable reconciliation the snimosi
ties OF that unhappy period. l share fully the
deteBtation Of General Burbfidge and his con-
duct which is entertained alike BY Oohfsderates
and Union men in the Stats OF Kentucky, and
this feeling have expressed on proper occ,.
sion. The fact was made known to him, when he
intsrtogaLed mo as 10 my utterancss respecting
him. / refused 10 modify m7 language or to
accept his attempt at Standardization. gave
him frankly this answer. His response ia not
an appeal to the usaQes by which gentlemen have
been governed, but an attempt TO retort by
couatOr.insult. Ifth;s course is satisfactory 10
General Burbridge or his friends I cannot com.
plain. dismiss him 10 thu enjoyment OF any
honors he may acquire by this effort to rehsbili.
tats q reputation which, resting Is it does upon
the known facts of q shameful personal history,
cannot te made worae by aught that 1 can now
say against him or improved by his own as
severations ofinnocenca or certificates of char.
actar. These 4re not required by gentlemen
who have practcsd decent respect for The
opinions of n ankild. j. c. 8. BLACKBURN.