Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-08-23

-'AAASAN9 W tss ColAAlS ana that l had passed hlrn the evening before. In a short time Dr. Me11yman and William Butler arrived with further reports from Springfield, aud then, net far behind and white with dust, but erect and defiant as any knight who ever set out for hat tie, came the gallant Shields himself. He was accompanied by his friend. Gen efai Whiteside. Lincoln and the rest of us were sitting OH the hotel porch when they drove by, and l noticed that al. though pretending to be indifferent, he was more or less disturbed. He was restless and uneasy i'll his chair. and his face turned pale. Within half an hour negotiations began, and before they closed Lincoln, as the challenged party. made these singular "prelilninaries' of the fight:
 First. st.-Weapons. Cavalry broad swords Of the largest size precisely eoua1 in all respects and such as now used by the cavalry company at Jacksonville.
 Second. Position. 4 plank 10 feet long and from to l2 inches broad to be fixed firmly on edge on the ground as the lines between Us. Next a line drawn ell the ground on either side Of said plank and parallel with 1t. each at the distance Of the whole length of the sword and three feet additional from the plank, and the passing of his owl1 such line by either party during the fight shall he deemed q surrender Of the con test
 But tho duel never took place, al- though all the parties, principals and seconds went gravely forward to the place agreed upon, opposite Alton, in Missouri. " Arriving there, they were met by John J. Hardin and R. W. Eng fish, mutual friends of the two princi- pals, who proposed that the whole diff culty should be submitted to four or more gentlemen to be selected by them. This was agreed to, and the four gentle men named were William Lee D. Ewing and T. NJ. Hope. designated by Shields friends, and A. T. Bledsoe and William Butler, by the friends of Lincoln. The following document, although emanat- ing from Lincoln's representatives, is q fair and impartial statement of the basis on which an agreement was reached:
 MISSOURI, Sept. 22, 1e42
 GENTLEMEN-Al papers in relation to the matter in controversy between MT. Lincoln and mr. Shields having been withdrawn by the friends Of the parties concerned, we, the un- dersigned, friends of Mir. Lincoln, in accord ance with your request that explanation of Mir Iincoln's publication in relation to Mir. Shields i'll The Sangamon Journal of the 2d, 9th and l6th of September be made, take pleas Ure in saying that, although MT. Lincoln was the writer of the article signed t'Rebecea' in The Journal Of the 2d. and that only yet he had no intention of iniuring the personal or private character or standing of Mir. Shields as q gentleman or man, and that Mfr. Lincoln did not think nor does be now think. that said article could produce such an effect, and had Mir. Lincoln anticipated such an effect he would have forborne to write it. We will state further that said article was written solely for political effect and not to gratify any per sonal pique against Mir Shields, for he had none and knew no cause for any. It is due to General Hardin and lfr English to say that their interference was of the nest courteous and gentlemanly character.
 E. H. MERRYMAN.
 4. T. BI.EDSoE.
 WILLIAM BUTLER.
 The chief difficulty and that which prevented an earlier settlement was Shields refusal to withdraw his first note, which, Mir Lincoln said, contained ''so much of assumption as to facts and so much of menace as to consequences he could not submit to answer it. In this connection 1 cannot refrain from quoting from the statement of Dr. Mer ryman, who acted as Lincoln s second: After 8Ir. Lincoln declared he did not think it consistent with his honor to ne- eotiate for peace with Mir. Shields until Nr Shields would withdraw his former offensive letter, General Whiteside call ed with note from 1Ir Shields desig mating General Nhiteside as his friend, to which Nj Lincoln instantly replied, dcsigaatiHg 3sfe &s his. On meeting Gen eral Hhiteside, he proposed that we should pledge our honor to each other that we would endeayor to settle the matter amicably, to which | agreed and stated to him the only conditions on which it could be esettled-yiz, the with dIaWI of 4Ir. ShielGsi first note-Which he appeared t9 think reasonable and re- gretted that the note had been written, saying, however, that he had endeayored to prevail dn Mir Shields to write 8 lnilder one, but had not succeeded He added, too, that l nIust promise not to mention it, as he would not dare to let Mir Shields know that lie was negotiat- ing peace. for said he, lie would ehal- lenge me next and as soon cut my throat as not Not willing that he should sup pose my principal less dangerous than his own, l promised not to mention our specific intentions to 3Ir. Lincoln or any other person. < x General Whiteside brought to light much of Mr. Shields manifestation of bravery behind the scenes. 1 c,,n do nothing of the kind for Nir. Lincoln. He took his stand when l first met him at Trem4nt and maintain ed it calmly to the last without diff eulty or difference between himself and his friends. ''