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Njillijication in South Cai'oliua, i8jo-i8j-f 739 I ought to observe to you that the seeming tardiness of my Letter resulted from a misapprehension of the time fixed for the Meeting be- tween Genl Blair and yourself It was reported here that the 2 81" was the day, which would have afforded ample time for my Letter to have reached its destination, and operated the purpose for which it was de- signed. I will thank you to hand the enclosed to Mr. McMonnis, to the publisher of the S° Times. It is the amount of my Subscription in ad- vance for the Ciiuntry paper. I take so many papers, and at present so many are sent to me, that I am constrained to consult the economy of time in reading them, by confining my subscription to those at a dis- tance to the weekly papers. Your own fire is so spirited and well di- rected that I should be disappointed not to see the Times at least once a Week. The effort of the federal cabal here to put the Collector of the Port ' at the head of the Govl of our City will fail, I trust by such a rebuking majority on the side of the S' right parly, as will teach Uncle Sam's of- ficers that it is as well for them to eat the bread he provides for them in quiet, — and to let the rest of the Community take care of the liberties and honor of the State. With my best wishes for your happiness and prosperity, I remain, with much esteem, very respectfully Your ob' Svt. J Hamilton Jr J. H. Hammond, Esq' P. S. I must beg you to present my kind regards to Cap'. Butler. ' If I had known that he was to have acted as one of your friends I should of ter to the Camden Journal, dated from Washington, May 30, Gen. Blair, a member of Congress from the district in which Camden was situated, expressed warm satisfaction over President Jackson's veto of the bill for the Maysville Turnpike Road, and declared that thus the system of internal improvements was completely thrown overboard, and that, with regard to the tariff, if South Carolina would exercise a little forbearance, all things would come right in a year or two more. Indignant at such moderation, Hammond com- mented sarcastically upon the letter in his paper, the Southern Times. Blair replied with a long letter of defense, ending with calling Hammond a blackguard. Thenceforeward the affair went on in the regular course so well described by Touchstone in a well-known passage. Hammond's next article in the Times ended with the declaration that "as far as the freedom of the press is committed to us, we shall preserve it, professionally or otherwise, if the General will signify an inclination for it." Blair's next letter to the Journal concluded with the statement that he " held himself responsible to any gentleman that felt himself aggrieved by anything that he had written." Hammond sent him a challenge which was accepted, and a meeting was arranged for August 18. The night before, however, the friends of the two arranged a reconcilement. It was agreed that all offensive expressions should be withdrawn, that a personal encounter was unnecessary, and that an amicable adjustment would be honorable to both parties. The Times and the Journal published the formal pronouncement of the friends, and " the incident was closed." ' James R. Pringle, collector of the port of Charleston, was put forward by the Union party as candidate for the office of intendant (= mayor) of the city, and was elected in place of Henry L. Pinckney, editor of the Charleston Merctiry, on September 6. 2 Pierce M. Butler, Hammond's second, afterward killed at Churubusco.