Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1907-04-25

z ~. or more gentlemen, to be selected
Dy yourselves, VINO shall consider the ar
fair and report thereupon for your con,
sloeratlon. JOHN ]. HARDIN. q
"R. w. ENGLISH
TO this proposition General Whiteside
agreed. 1 declined doing so without con-
sulting Mr.. Lincoln. Mr.. Lincoln re-
marked that. as they had accepted the
proposition, he would do so. but directed
That his friends should make no terms
except those first proposed Whether the
adjustment was finally made upon these
very terms and no other let the following
documents attest:
Missouri Sept. % 1872
Gentlemen - All papers in relation to
the matter in controversy between Mr.
Shields and Mr.. Lincoln having been
withdrawn by the friends of the parties
concerned. the friends of Mr. Shields ask
the friends of Mr.. Lincoln to explain all
offensive matter in the articles which ap-
peared in the Sangan1on Journal of the
I'd. 9Th and 18th of September. under the
signature of 'Rebecca' and headed Lost
Townships
1T is due to General Hardin and Mr..
English to state that their interference
was Of the most courteous and gentle
manly character.
JOHN D. WHITESIDE.
"WM. LEE D. EWING.
1T. M. HOPE"
Missouri Sept. %. 1872.
"Gentlemen-Al1 papers in relation to
the matter in controversy between Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Shields having been
withdrawn by the friends Of the parties
concerned. we. the undersigned friends
Of Mr.. Lincoln, in accordance with your
request that explanation of Mr. Lincoln's
n lott ion, fo
the Sangamon Journal of the I'd, 9th and
10th OF September be made take pleasure
IN saying that, although Mr.. Lincoln was
the writer Of the article signed 'Rebecca'
IN the Journal Of the I'd, and that only.
yet he had no intention Of injuring the
personal or private character or standing
OF Mr.. Shields as a gentleman or a man
and that Mr.. Lincoln did not think nor
does he now think that said article could
produce such an effect, and, had Mr.. Lin
coin anticipated such an effect, he would
nave forborne to write 1t. We will fur
Their state that said article was written
solely for political effect and not to graft
~ any personal pique against Mr. Shields,
for he had none and knew Of no cause for
any. 1t is due to General Hardin and Mr..
English to say that their interference was
OF the most courteous and gentlemanly
character. e. II. MERRYMAN.
"A. +. BtEDsOE.
"WM. BUTLER"
Let 1t be observed now that Mr. Shields
friends after agreeing to the arbitrament
OF four d1s1nterested gentlemen, declined
the contract. saying that Mr.. Shields
wished his own friends to act for him.
They then proposed that we should ex-
plain without any withdrawal of papers.
This was promptly and firmly refused,
and General Whiteside himself pronounce
ed the nSnprS wifh6ro
duced a note requesting US to "disavow'
all offensive intentions in the publica-
lions, etc., etc. This we declined answer
ing and only responded to the above re-
quest for an explanation.
These are the material facts In relation
to the matter, and I think present the
case in a very different light from the
garbled and curta1led statement Of Gen.
eral Whiteside. Why he made that state
ment know not, unless he wished to de-
tract from the honor Of Mr.. Lincoln.
This was ungenerous, more particularly
as he on the ground requested us not to
make in our explanation any quotations
from the "Rebecca' papers: also not to
make public the terms Of reconciliation
and to unite with them in defending the
honorable character of the adjustment.
General w. in his publication says. 1.-THE
friends Of both parties agreed to with
draw the papers Temporarily to give the
friends of Mr.. Lincoln an opportunity to
explain" This I deny. I say the papers
were withdrawn to enable Mr. Shields
friends to ask an explanation. and I ap-
eal to the documents for proof of my
POSITION.
BY looking over These documents it will
be seen that Mr.. Shields had not before
asked for an explanation. but had all the
time been dictatoriy insisting on a re-
traction.
General Whiteside in his communication
brings to light much of Mr.. Shields man.
ifestations of bravery behind the scenes
| can do nothing of the kind for Mr.
Lincoln. He took his stand when I first
met him at fremont and maintained it
calmly to the last without difficulty or
difference between himself and his
friends.
I cannot close this article. lengthy as it
is, without testifying to the honorable
and gentlemanly conduct of General Ew-
ing and DR.. Hope nor indeed can I say
that I saw anything Objectionable in the
course of General Whiteside up to the
time Of his communication. This is so
replete with prevarication and misrepre-
sentation that cannot accord to the gen.
eral that candor which ! once supposed
him to possess. He complains that I did
not procrastinate time according to agree
ment. He forgets that by his own act he