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Letter to Editor
November 3, 1758
The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
In a letter dated November 2, 1758, from Portsmouth, Robert Traill responds to Benjamin Hallowell's accusatory letter of October 20, defending his own conduct and the reputations of two friends. He threatens to publicize the matter further in Boston and send a satirical portrait from England if accounts are not settled.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
PORTSMOUTH, NOV. 2d 1758.
Mr. Benjamin Hallowell
SIR:
Yours of the 20th ult. (void of Sense and Truth) came to Hand in course. The Contents I duly noted. Which though unjust with Regard to me; yet should not have taken any Notice of it, in this public Manner, had you not there basely and unfairly taken upon you to reflect on two of my Friends. Men whose Characters are so well known, that it would be needless for me to have said any Thing in Vindication of,-- had the Letter been wrote even by a Gentleman of Character.
Your Assurance in mentioning, or hinting at them Gentlemen disrespectfully, surprizes me; your Sense of Character is, less if possible, than your Common Sense, I find. It's true, I told you I would not put Pen to Paper about our Affairs, and that I despised you, &c. but what was the Occasion of it? why, your Reporting I had denied myself, and had shut myself up in Boston, after I had been five or six Days there waiting on you with all the Offers I could think of to induce you to settle our Accounts.
In Time I may answer it particularly: for the Present shall only send some Copies of it to Boston to confirm your Weakness and Baseness; and to justify my Conduct in exposing you to the World again in this public Manner.
On the whole, if you don't comply with my Advice to you, in mine of the 1st Instant, you may repent when too late; and depend on having a Picture sent you by the first Packet from England after my Arrival there, as my idle Time on my Passage Home shall be spent in drawing one. Your two last Letters to me will be answered distinctly in a proper Time. Sir, by Robert Traill.
His Grave, my Pen, has broken,
His Eyes, my Ink, shall open,
Unless, of Sense he shews some Token.
Mr. Benjamin Hallowell
SIR:
Yours of the 20th ult. (void of Sense and Truth) came to Hand in course. The Contents I duly noted. Which though unjust with Regard to me; yet should not have taken any Notice of it, in this public Manner, had you not there basely and unfairly taken upon you to reflect on two of my Friends. Men whose Characters are so well known, that it would be needless for me to have said any Thing in Vindication of,-- had the Letter been wrote even by a Gentleman of Character.
Your Assurance in mentioning, or hinting at them Gentlemen disrespectfully, surprizes me; your Sense of Character is, less if possible, than your Common Sense, I find. It's true, I told you I would not put Pen to Paper about our Affairs, and that I despised you, &c. but what was the Occasion of it? why, your Reporting I had denied myself, and had shut myself up in Boston, after I had been five or six Days there waiting on you with all the Offers I could think of to induce you to settle our Accounts.
In Time I may answer it particularly: for the Present shall only send some Copies of it to Boston to confirm your Weakness and Baseness; and to justify my Conduct in exposing you to the World again in this public Manner.
On the whole, if you don't comply with my Advice to you, in mine of the 1st Instant, you may repent when too late; and depend on having a Picture sent you by the first Packet from England after my Arrival there, as my idle Time on my Passage Home shall be spent in drawing one. Your two last Letters to me will be answered distinctly in a proper Time. Sir, by Robert Traill.
His Grave, my Pen, has broken,
His Eyes, my Ink, shall open,
Unless, of Sense he shews some Token.
What sub-type of article is it?
Persuasive
Provocative
What themes does it cover?
Commerce Trade
Morality
What keywords are associated?
Personal Dispute
Character Defense
Business Accounts
Public Exposure
Portsmouth 1758
What entities or persons were involved?
Robert Traill
Mr. Benjamin Hallowell
Letter to Editor Details
Author
Robert Traill
Recipient
Mr. Benjamin Hallowell
Main Argument
traill defends his actions and the characters of his friends against hallowell's unjust public accusations regarding unsettled accounts, threatening further exposure and a satirical portrait if not resolved.
Notable Details
References Previous Letters Dated October 20 And November 1
Mentions Waiting In Boston To Settle Accounts
Plans To Send Copies To Boston And Draw A Picture During Passage To England
Ends With A Poetic Verse