Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-03-26


Shields appeared in the Sangamon Jour-
nal of the ID September last. and on de-
manding the author Mr.. Lincoln was CIV
en- up by the editor. Mr.. Shields previous
to this demand made arrangements to go
to Quincy on public business. and before
his return Mr.. Lincoln had left for Tre-
mont to attend court. with the intention.
as we Learned, of remaining on circuit
several weeks. Mr.. Shields on his return
requested me to accompany him to Ire
mont, and On arriving there we found
that Dr. Me-ryman and Mr.. Butler had
passed US in the night and got there
before u.s. We arrived in Fremont OF tl,-s
nth ult and Mr.. Shields addressed q ne
to Mr. Lincoln Immediately. inrorr-:.n2
him that he was given up as the ant,
of Some articles that appeared in the
Sanganon Journal Zone more over the
signature having made it's appearance at
this time) and requesting him to retract
the offensive illusions contained in said
articles in relation to his private char
acter. Nh. Shields handed this note to
me to deliver to Mr.. Lincoln and directed
me at the same time not to enter into
any verbal communication or be the
bearer of any verbal explanation. as such
were always liable to misrepresentation
This note was delivered by me to Mr.
Lincoln. stating at the same time that 1
would call at his convenience for an
answer. Mr.. Lincoln in the evening Of
the same day handed me letter address
cd to Mr.. Shields. In this he gave OF
offered no explanation but stated therein
that he could not submit to answer fur
ther on the ground that Shields note
contained an assumption of facts and
also a menace. Mr.. Shields then address
ed him another note, in which he dis
avowed all intention to menace and re-
uuested to know whether he (Mr. Lincoln)
was the author of either of the articles
which appeared in the Journal headed
Lost Townships and signed "Rebecca:"
and, if so. he repeated his request of a re-
traction Of the offensive matter in relation
to his private character: if not. his denial
would be held sufficient. This letter was re-
turned to Mr.. Shields unanswered with n
verbal statement that there could be no
further negotiation between them until
the first note withdrawn Mr..
Shields thereupon sent \ note designating
ne as his friend. to which Mr.. Lincoln
replied by designating DR.. Merryman
These three last notes passed on Monday
morning, the 18th. DR.. Merryman handed
me Mr.. Lincolns last note when by our
selves. 1 remarked to DR.. Merryman that
the matter was now submitted to US and
that would propose that he and myself
should pledge our words of honor to each
other to try to agree upon terms of
amicable arrangement and compel our
principals to accept of them. To this he
readily assented and we shook hands
upon the pledge. It was then mutually
agreed that we should adjourn to Spring
field and there procrastinate the matter
for the purpose of effecting the secret
arrangement between him and myself.
All this kept concealed from Mr.. Shields.
Our horse had got little lame in going
to fremont and Dr. MerryTnan invited
me to take a seat in his buggy. I accept
ed the invitation the more readily as /
thought that leaving Mr.. Shields in Ire
mont until his horse would be in better
condition to travel would facilitate the
private agreement between DR.. Merry
man and myself. I Travelled to Springfield
part of the way with him and part with
Mr.. Lincoln, but nothing passed between
us on the journey in relation to the mat
ter in hand. We arrived in Springfield on
Monday night. About noon on Tuesday, to
my astonishment. a proposition was made
to meet in Missouri within three miles Of
Alton. on the next Thursday: the weapons,
cavalry broadswords of the largest size:
the parties to stand on each side of a bar
rier and to be confined to a limited space!
AS I had not been consulted at all on the
subject and considering the private un-
derstanding between DR.. Merryman and
myself and it being known that Mr..
Shields was left at fremont such a prop
osition took me by surprise. However,
being determined not to violate the laws
Of the state. declined agreeing upon the
terms until we should meet in Missouri.
Immediately after called upon DR.. Mer-
ryman and withdrew the pledge of honor
between him and myself in relation to a
secret agreement. I started after this to
meet Mr.. Shields and met him about
twenty miles from Springfield. It was
late on Tuesday night when we both
reached the city and learned that DR..
Merrynan had left for Missouri, Mr.. Lin
coin having left before the proposition
was made. as DR.. Merryman had himself
informed me. The time and place made
1t necessary to start at once. We left
Springfield at II o'clock on Tuesday night
Travelled all night and arrived in Hillsbor-
ough on Wednesday morning, where we
took in General Ewing. From there we
went to Alton, where we arrived on
Thursday. and, as the proposition re-
quired three friends on each side, 1 was
Joined by General Ewing and DR.. Hope
as the friends of Mr.. Shields. We then
crossed to Missouri. where a proposition
was made by General Hardin and Dr.
English (who had arrived there in the
meantime as mutual friends) to refer the
matter to, I think, four friends for a set
tlement. This I believed Mr.. Shields
would refuse and declined seeing him, but
DR.. Hope, who conferred with him on the
subject. returned and stated that Mr.
Shields declined settling the matter
through any other than the friends he
had selected to stand by him on that
occasion. The friends Of both the parties
finally agreed to withdraw the papers
Temporarily to give the friends of Mr..
Lincoln an opportunity to explain. Where
upon the friends of Mr.. Lincoln-to wit.
Messrs. Merryman. Bledsoe and Butler
made a full and satisfactory explanation
in relation to the article which appeared
in the Sangamon Journal of the I'd, the
only one written by him. This was all
done without the knowledge or consent
of Mr.. Shields. and he refused to accede
to it until DR.. Hope, General Ewing and
myself declared the apology sufficient and
that we could not sustain him in going
further. think 1t necessary to state fur
ther that no explanation or apology had
been previously offered on the part Of Mr..
Lincoln to Hr. Shields and that none was
ever communicated by me to him nor
was any ever offered to me, unless a
paper read to me by DR.. Merryman after
he had handed me the broadsword proDo-
sition on Tuesday. heard SO little Of the
reading Of the paper that 1 do not know
fully what 1t purported to be. and I was
the less inclined to inquire as Mr.. Lin
coin was then gone to Missouri and Mr..
Shields not yet arrived from fremont. n
fact, I could not entertain any offer of
the kind unless upon my own responsi-
biltty, and that I was not disposed to dc