The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-11
MESSRS. DANIEL AND BOGGS
MAKE ANSWER TO DIR. WIrHER.
SPOON,
And Weave n Garland for Him That
He will OF Course Prompt
~ Reject.

To the Editors of the Appeal:
The card of DR.. I. D. Witherspoon,
introduced by your correspondent,
memphis" into your issue of De-
Gambler 10. 1886, has come to our no.
tice. We submit the follow ng reply
The anonymous Memphis" re-
q1ires from us no attention. H
and his principal are in d.
lemms. Either DR.. Witherspoon
authorized memphis" to intro.
ducs that card into the APPEAL
or he did not. Ga the former hyooth-
esls, Dr.. Witherspoon is hidden be-
hind "Mempbis;" or the latter, "Mem-
phis" is hidden behind Dr.. Wither.
spoon and an anonymous signature.
When tha duo shall have defired their
relation each to the other, we may
consider whether Memphis requires
any attention from us. At present, we
are quite sure that he does not.
2. DR.. Wiiherspcon is in error in
supposing end Tepreseating that we
had msde any attack" upon any
member of Louisville Presbytery. We
simply stated, with reference to those
four members out of the majority OF
eight, certain we'll known and indis-
putsble facts, namely, that one of
them Or. Wisherspoon) was the
paster OF the family OF one OF
the defendants, that another
was related to one of the defendants
by marrisge; that another (hsving a
child or children in the office or
service of Converse& Co. J was bound to
them by ties OF business and friend
ship; and that fourth, as was very
generally remarked, was laboring
under certain nervous disorders. These
facts DR.. Witherspoon has not denied,
but seems to object very seriously
to our hsviug given them pub-
licity. WhyP We were content
merely to make them known;
and we left it to the public, upon
knowing the facts, to Judge rs to
whether those facts might not have
'uncopsciously" influenced, to great
er or less extent, those four out Of the
eight constituting the majority. Had
Dr.. Witherspoon, writing under evil
dent excitement, taken time to give
due weight to that word unconscious
ly," ne would have seen that we i'm
puted no evil intent TO sny Pres
byter, but referred merely to those
possibilities OF natural human feeling
to which the best Of mankind, includ-
ing DR.. WitLerspoon, are subject. 1t
is rue tina. we did not challenge tho
right OF any Of these four to sit as
judges. To have done 80, all
can see, would have been to excite
against our cause, possibly, prejudice.
We are free to say, however, III in all
meekness We may be permitted to ex-
press an opinionl that all OF those
jurors who had peculiar relations to
the MISUNDERSTANDING the pastor,
DIR Witherspoon- voluntarily
TO have declined to sit as judges. We
are quite certain that in any civil
trial they would hava been chal-
lerge1. And 10 judge would !
have ruled that such challenge |
implied the least reflection upon |
their honesty. Surely DR.. Withetspoon,
when he Receivers ftom his manifest |
excitement, will admit that his point |
bore was not well taken, aud will &C.
ia manly way that il i'm.
plies no reflection upon juror to say
hat his personal relations TO the &C
used mag have "uhcoBsciousy" in
luenced him.
3. 10 this fact, that DR.. WitherBpoon
% maniiestly wrote under excitement