The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-17
REV Il. D. WlTHERSPOON
NAMES FINAL ANSWER TO DIS.
GARIEL AND 30 $685.
AAd PrOveslIIis Attitude as Judge
j..tO he That Becoming n Chris
fian GontIemsn.
Ts tho Baitors Of the Appeal;

~ kho hhNltOta Va Suo hFEo"as
For the fr-t time in many years l
throw myfelf upon your courtesy for
q brief space in your columns. A
card OF mine published in the Courier
Iourndl, in answer TO one from Drs.
Daniels and Boggs, was inserted in
ytur Issue OF the 10th instant without
any sgency Of mine. Some friend,
unksoWn 10 me, moved as 30 many
Other have been by a sense OF the
great sjus Ice done me, asked and
obtainel the publication in your
columns. am grateful both to him
and TO 20, for this kindness am
am Sod at shs character Of the answer
1t has evoked. When the two gentle.
men had ip'aded the ssnc.ity OF q
9 oret session II PresbyteIy, and upon
information watch they PROGRESSED to
have received ii1m some one within
those closed ooorP, had publicly
charged me, Though the columns
both Of the secular and religious
press, with 30 far prostituting my
oface o. q Judge as tc occupy the time
allotted 10 me for an Impression OF my
opinion upon the law md evidence in
tha case with pthetic appeal
to my fellow judges upoa matter ex-
tiaueous to the evidence and calcu.
lated to warp their judgments and
bias their verdict, they had done me
wrong which no honorable man could
do otherwise thBn feel keenlS. When
l came out with q prompt ahd indig-
nent denial, instead OF giving me the
name OF their informant, and 80 Iaving
themselves from the responsibility Of
a gratultous aud groundlegs assault
upon my integrity IS a judge, they
coolly propose to "withdraw the state.
ment," end apologize, not for the
wrong 10 truth and charity. but, for
sootb, for "hsVing unintentionally
given him incl such vexation." The
question 10 not one Of my vexa'ion,
but OF their taking up and circu sting
an evil report against me so utterly
without foundation. Losing sight
OF this, the only question really
at issue, they have gone of
into other matters into which,
1t would be impossible for me to fol-.
low them in detail without breaking
that zeal Of privacy which properly
rests upon private conversations be-
tween Christian gentlemen. | have
only to cay that | conscientiously re
fraiued from volunteering eny testi.
mony upon reputation, or correcting
any mlsappreheusons as TO my posi-
tion upon it, because believed all
such testimony, as l openly avowed
and argued from tie beginning, to be
Irrelevant, incompetent and, VIII II
demanded Of members OF the court,
destructive OF the very ends OF jus.
tice. The result shows that there was
no need OF my testimony, for of ths
two specifications concerntug reputa'
ton, one received three VOTES to srs,
tain and one tn susttin in part, and
the other received Only single vots
aud that only 10 sustain in part. So
that nowhere was the failure of the
prosecution more eignal than Ia the
matter Of reputation.
As 10 that final conversation, In
which, under the seal OF what l sup
posed to be privats and confidential
intercourse, | alluded 10 matters OF a
private nature that hal pasted be-
tween me and other gentlemen MT
parties TO this trial, / am precluded
by my sense OF propriety from sayiuR
anything more than that DH. Boggs
and Daniel have totally missppre-
hsnded the whole spirit and tone oil
my conversation, that the "revela-
ton" 10 which | referred was that OF
the disSfsction 10 their paper on the
part OF many whom they had believed
TO ne their friends, and that 10 moth.
ing thAt said did | cast any refec.
ton upon the Christian integrity OF
the Messrs. Converse.
r. ID. WITHERSPOON.