Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1884 — HENRY WARD BEECHER AROUSED. [ARTICLE]

HENRY WARD BEECHER AROUSED.

' f J' •'! - 7 nations of James F. Joy, of Detroit. Mr. Bpecher has given to the press the following letter; Gen. R. A Alger, Detroit, Mich. Dear Sib: 1 have just read your letter of Oct. 9, exhorting me "publicly to retract your (my) statements as you have in your zeal for the Democratic party, and the Democratic nominee, spread them before the whole county." When the heat of this canvass has passed, you will think that such language borders too near upon insult to be either just or wise. I beg vou to understand that I have nothing to do with the tiuth, or otherwise, of Mr. Joy’s statements to me respecting Mr. Blaine. The only question is: Did Mr. Joy make those statements? The transactions between him and Blaine through an intermediary may be mythical, or the intermediary may have been an impostor, or Mr. Blaine’s feelings may never have been hurt by any such requests, and Mr. Joy may never have been shocked at Mr. Blaine’s imputed answer; and Mr. Joy’s artless feelings being practiced upon by this intermediary, he may have expressed himself too severely about Mr. Blaine. Let Mr. Joy and Mr. Blaine settle all that. Did Mr. Joy make the remarks in my presence which I have published? It he did not, I have lied; if he did, Joy has lied. There is no middle ground; there shall be none. Either I heard it or invented it. Mr. Joy's second telegram to yon makes a languid and foolish denial, which I attribute to his not 1 aving seen or understood my statem nt. But it Mr. Joy has seen my statement and denied it, or if when he lands in New York he shall declare that no such conversation was had in my presence, then I have only to say that, whereas I did not Imagine that there could be more than one continental Mar, I am compelled to think that there are two. Please accept this letter as the only retraction and apology that I am prepared to make to you, to Mr. Joy, to Mr. Blaine, and to the Republican party. Olive Logan is living at Brompton, England, and. writing a novel.