The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-12
The above statement is plainly not

!
campus I heard while there that a
! few Of the students were taking Dr..
! Woodrow's lectures. I went imme.
diately to the rooms of the students,
and saw each Of them as soon as
possibly could. Now to say that |
stated to those students that they
were injurlng the Seminary, when
very few in the church knew that
students were taking these lectures,
is simply absurd. DR.. Woodrow
represents me as further saying :
That outside friends would with.
hold intended contributions, and that
the support of those who persisted in
attending would be cut off,"
This as false a representation as
the other. I did not know then, nor do
l know now, how the students who at.
tended DR.. Woodrow's lecturers are
supported. Fortunately for me am
able to produce direct proof that DR..
Woodrow has misrepresented the
case. The student who reported the
conversation to DR.. Woodrow, when
/ he had read the article, said 10 me
that it did not correctly represent
what had said.
Now what was the conversation
| have no hesitation in giving it.
! said that if it should become known
in the church that students were
! taking DR.. Woodrow's lectures it
would very likely damage the insti,
tuition, and would probably cause
so1De Of its friends to withdraw their
support, which might affect students
who were needing assistance. DR..
Woodrow would probably say this
was practically the same thing. 1t
does not however, take any great
ability to see that they are not prac-
tically the same thing.
DR.. Woodrow implies that I was
meddling with the administration of
the Seminary, and threatening stu
dents with personal troubles on the
ground Of some certain knowledge
which | had, or was supposed by
them to have, while the truth is |
acted within the legitimate sphere of
friendly adviser, and did nothing
further than express fear that if the
thing went on it might damage them
and the Seminary. The difference is
manifest.
This is, however, a small matter
compared with another Of his mis-.
representations.
DR.. Woodrow wraps his garments
/ about him and darkly insinuates
that, while he saw the "surface Of the
ground and the grass moving" there
was some deep underhanded work
going on. Then be wipes his mouth
and proceeds by insinuations, the
most unworthy Of all underhanded
methods, to make his attacks.
He informs the public that 1 am
''Dr. Girardeau's son-in-law.' Then
he says: "Whether MIR. Blackburn,
in making these statements, was act
ing for himself or as the messenger
and spokesman of another, we have
no means Of knowing" And then:
subsequently, DR.. Girardeau repre-.
sented to one who had been attend.
| ing" &c.
What is the point in all this ?
What is the impression DR.. Woodrow
is endeavoring to make ? Plainly
that DR.. Girardeau tried in an un-
derhanded way to stop students from
attending DR.. Woodrow's lectures
and used me as his agent. If DR..
Woodrow did not mean to make this
impression he writes intelligently.
If be did mean to make this i'm
preston he is guilty Of slander. Let
US look at the facts:
/. pr. Woodrow knows very we'll
that DR.. Girardeau will not resort to
any underhanded tricks. 2. The
student who gave DR.. Woodrow the
information which has beer so fear
fully abused, says he expressly
stated to DR.. Woodrow that be IN.
derstood me to be acting on my own
motion, and expressing my own
opinions. 3. l was in the city, and
DR.. Woodrow could have found out
the trouble from me. 2. DR.. Girar.
deau was in the city; he could have
inquired Of him what the truth was.
DR.. Woodrow has taken the position
that whoever gives publicity to an
untruLh, which is liable to do harm,
and has means Of knowing the truth,
is guilty of falsehood. Now he had
abundant means of knowing the
truth, and has stated by Implication
what was not true.
The truth is, | spoke to the young
men upon my own responsibility,
without the direction or the advice
or the consent Of any one. | did it
openly. did it for the good of the
Seminary and for the good Of the
young men.
But this is enough to show the
character Of the article, and to put
the public on their guard against too
readily accepting the statements of
the Southern Presbyterian.
G. A. BLACKBUES.