Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-25
Mr.. pARvIS TO MR.. WATT.
The Former Replies at Length TO som,
Assertions Made Publicly by Paste

"N.Su cPpSuIVu III tue MlituIu lhtFUHtCtc
on Friday, July 18th;
WtLMNeToN DEL. July o, 1885, Thco.
Ioleaseild. Esq.-DEAR SIR Permit me to
thank YOU for your kind reference to me
IN your issue Of the 9Th instant. greatly
appreciated IT, assure you. As to the
Parvls matter hold a letter over his sig
nature which he does not care to see in
print. elE II he not only whiningly begs
nue. 10 forgive him hut makes certain
admissions which would make rather spicy
reading. l limited ia my remarks to the
wilmington reporters that | had some
inside Information, ana in the letter he
sent TO me he comes down the tree and
admits 1t. He admits saying to certain
parties several times. that the bill was
locked up, that it would never pass, that 1t
would never see the light of day, &c"
This showed his interest in the matter, and
J! youknew the persons to whom be made
the remarks, you would readily see how
ueep their interest was. You can use this
as yousee tit | am not done with Parvis
yet. Yours, truly, II. WATT.
IN this letter he claims to hold a
letter over my signature which do not
care 10 see in printlf he is possessed with
such an idea he is laboring under false
impression, and l invite him to publish
SAID letter with as much haste as posi-,
pie, In order that the public may see just
what said letter contains.
lie says not only whiningly begged
him to forgive me but made certain ad-
missions. Now, Mr.. Editor, the facts in
the case are as follows; This man Watt
declared from his pulpit in Scott NJ. y.
Chnrch that a certain bill had passed
inc Legislature and was given to me for
enrolment, and l refused to enroll the
oiiI, thus preventing it from becoming a
law Let him make me prove 1t il he
dares; have the documents Of proof in
my possession" were the words he used
on that occasion. At least | was in.
formed SO by a gentleman In his audi
ence' Immediately after receiving the
Information in reference to the false &C.
cusation wrote Watt q letter inauiring
OF him if he had made such declaration,
and II he had done so such declaration
was absolutely false in every respect,
ana u was his duty as a Christian gem
tleman to make public retraction, as
such retraction would vindicate me and
establish my innocence in reference to
this bill. not only requested him but
demanded him TO come forth with
denial, or defend himself in a suit for
lloel, and he did not stand on the order
OIL MS coming, but came at once.
While waiting for Watts reply re.
celved letter No. 2 from a party who
was In Watts audience on the night he
preferred the above charge against me,
anu feeling somewhat irritated over the
matter, wrote letter, which was pub
lished in the MorMing Neps and copied
BY EVERY EVENING. The following
DAY | received reply from Watt,
stating that he had done me an in
Justice and would make denial of the
charge from his pulpit, where the mis-
statement, as he termed it, originated
Kealizing that l had been too hasty
in sending letter to the press before 1
received Watts reply, | Immediately
wrote him letter, and such a letter as
any mans sense of honor would dictate
under the circumstances, expressing my
sorrow and regret for rushing into print |
before | had heard from him; and if [ |
had said anything detrimental to his |
character as a Christian gentleman | |
craved mis- nardon, as it was not my in |
tennHE ~ do him an injustice, or any |
other living man. This is the letter he |
refers to when he says | whiningly |
begged him to forgive me. Forgive for |
wnatY Forgive me because | resented |
an insult? No! mol | reiterate the
declaration made on former occasion
that any man who charges or insnuates
that ever laid eyes on this bill, directly
or indirectly, is liar and the truth not
in him.
He also states in his letter that made
certain admissions to parties that the
Dill was "locked up;" that it would
never pass" that it would "never see
the light of day." While the bill was
pending l was frequently asked BY
parties who were interested what would |
be its fate, and | told them il was NV
opinion the bill would never pass; that
1t was locked up in the committee and
would never see the light of day. And
this was not merely my opinion but the
opinion of one-thrd of the members of
the General Assembly. This is the
evidence upon which he bases the
charge. This Is what he refers to when
he says l came down the tree. But let
him be assured of the fact that am
still perched upon the topmost boughs,
and defy him To bring me down. If he
still persists in charging me with being
instrumental in defeating or prevent. |
ing the bill from becoming law, why /
don't he produce his proof? Why don't
he substantiate his charges by proof |
more authentic than that of rumor | |
defy him. invite him to produce any
positive evidence where the bill ever |
came into my possession, and unless he
does this his charges must necessarily |
fall. On the other hand, can and will
prove beyond the shadow of doubt, by |
as reputable men as the sun shineg UPON,
that never had anything to do with |
the bill in question.
There is an old adage that man 'cor. |
WINGED against his Will, remains of the
same opinion STILL" and ii was never |
more fully demonstrated than by thi, |
man Watt. am endeayoring to extend |
the same courtesy to him here as he has |
to me on all former occasions by refer. |
ring to Inc as ParYis, and being thor. |
oughly trained in the school of etiauette
am determined Watt shall not ont |
shine Parvis IN chivalry. AS a matter of |
courtesy / have referred 10 HIM as Watt. |
Having had considerable experience |
myself rs an itinerant minister. and |
having preached to multitules with the !
most gratifying success, Halter myself |
to be 10 position to give Brother Watt |
the following advice: lie should not |
suffer himself to be mislGl BY idle |
rumors and gossiping tales. Expressions,
harmless when first let fall, receive their |
venom from the channel through which |
they are conveyed, and by concluding |
at second hand, you are governed, not |
by the fact itself, but the appTehensions, |
humors, passions, follies, and even wan.
tonEesses OF other people. Ii then you
will give these otiicious tale bearers tile |
pleasure of listening to them, let it be
with guard upon your heart, and not
to suffer it to be seducGd by what per-
haps is downright forgery, or at least
the grossest Misrepresentation.
W, T. PARvIs.
MILFORD, DEL, July 18th, 1870.