Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-10
The Editors Reply to the COngresSman's
Message.

The Editors Reply to the Congressman
Message.
In reply 20 the challenge of Congressman
Phelan, Editor Fleming writes as tollows IN
his paper, the Knoxville (Tenn.) Sentinel:
Sunday morning, while ill IN bed, the follow
ing teloRraphic dispatch was handed 10 US at
our hotel In publishing II, inasmuch as the
Sentfnel ia received IN many polite families not
accustomed 20 the language OF tho prze-ring,
We have as far as possible deprived the language
Of Its literal cOarseness:
"WAsHISGrON, D. c., April 9, 1890.
" To John NJ Fleming, RHOruille, Tenn:
"When wrote you from Aiken had not seen
your letter in the Memphis Commercial You
are a liar, a coward, and a scOundrel. j will
await your message here and come TO Knoxville
to arrange prelimin8ries. JAMES PHBLAS,
1910 Nineteenth street"
To this the following is our open reply:
KNOXVILLE. TENN, April s, 1890.
10 Hon. James PhelaH, 1910 Nineteenth street,
VashiagtOn, d. c.:
mnoss only prevented an immediate reply to
your telegram of the 9th instant. Ia considering
IL now | am reminded Of tho remark attributed
20 an old citizen OF this place who, wnen assailed
with similar language amazedly inquired:
"Am u consider that compliment or an
eulogy ?"
When cay 70 you that the reading of your
wrathful telegram excited first ama2ement,
then sm usement, tempered with pity, tell you
a simple truth. ! on say you viii await YOUR
(ny) message here and come 10 hnoXyille TO ar
range prehminaries. What message, pray, did
you expect from me? Did you imagine mat
such an ebullition Of puerile rage could serious
Iy disturb me for a single moment, or did you
intend It for a challenge to hostile combat, or
had you the superatiye vanity to suppose that
/ would feel called on 70 challenge you!
Let me assure you your epitheis affect mo not
In the way designed. Ordinarily IL would be
otherwise. but inasmuch rs my letter to the
Memphis Commercial. 20 which you refer as hRv-
log excited your wrath, simply, plainly, ana IN
contestibly proved you TO have been deliberately
and meanly guilty OF moral offence implied liz
your FIRST ephithet, you ought 20 SEQ that your
own scurrility Is but evidence, the Importance OF
conscious guilt This much by way of serious
explanation.
NOW, my dear, exasperated historian, consider
IN what grotesquo position you have placed
yourself You hold scat In Congress from
district in Tennessee. You have assumed 10 be-
come teacher OF the children Of the state as q
historian In pubic schools.
You ought TO know. aud arc presumed TO know,
the constitutional and legal penalties against
the giving, sending, or accepting Of a challenge
! 10 ngnt q duel
You ought 70 know that In almost every possi-
| BILE aspect OF the business II Is felony panlsh-
| able by imprisonment Ina the penitentlary. our
| telegram 10 me, II II means anything moro than
| a mad raying. Is a challenge 10y construction
| and Ia cOntom plation. The Interpretation most
| charitable 10 you Is that the message You WOlid
walt from mo would he an agreement on my
part 70 join you in arranging the "prelimina-
| rissn other@ise why should you have cOntem-
| plated coming TO Knoxville 10 arrange tho pre-
! limin0Ties:
| These remarks are offered for your profitable
! consideration-Dot 10y way OF evading your
| challenge. There is no evasion desired in the
| matter There could not have been under any
| circumstances we're ! disposed 10 Do technical
Even with my limited acquaintance with the
code would insist tina, you explain yourself .
Ihave treated your warlike message as Sc
\ riously as It's ludicrous character permitted.
/ have made no comment On the remarkable fact
1 that your wrath did not develop ITSELF until aiter
| your return 20 Washington. Your letter from
| Aiken, s. g, which reached me only the night
| before l received your dispatch, showed thdt
! YOU had read In the EreHta1 Democrat, OF
/ Memphis, the substance OF my leading let
I ter 20 the Commercial to which the second
was but supplemental. and yet your Aiken lot
/ ter written eight OF ten days after my Memphis
! publication, was as temperate and respectiul IN
/ Tone as could have been desired fear you are
/ addicted to moods Indeed am pretty well per
/ susded that you have been spoiled boy, hat
! tered into a defensive assumption OF some sort
/ OF poison ut superiority. a misfortune which
| oftoutimos follows a LILLE spanking and too
much peiting. 1t requires sometimes q rude
| backed or two 20 take the starch out OF self
/ conceiL
We have no preliminaIies to arrange. MIR.
| Phelan. [Signedl JOHN NJ. FLEMING.
To his reply to Mr.. Phelan. Editor Elem
| ing adds "a few words Of explanation to the
readers of his paper. reviewing the CORE
spondence and giving his reasons for with
! holding portion OF II from publication IN
the St7tttlei.