animals.
Does any one smile at these last counts? God save you from ever being
obliged to beat in a game of chess, whose stake is your life, you having
but four poor pawns and pieces and your adversary with his full force
unshorn. But if you are, provided you have any strength with breadth of
will, do not despair. Though mesmeric power may not save you, it may
help you; try it at all events. In this instance I was conscious of
power coming into me, and by a law of nature, I know Winters was
correspondingly weakened. If I could have gained more time I am sure he
would not even have struck me.
It takes time both to form such resolutions and to recite them. That
time, however, I gained while thinking of my retraction, which I first
wrote in pencil, altering it from time to time till I got it to suit me,
my aim being to make it look like a concession to demands, while in fact
it should tersely speak the truth into Mr. Winters’ mind. When it was
finished, I copied it in ink, and if correctly copied from my first draft
it should read as follows. In copying I do not think I made any material
change.
COPY.
To Philip Lynch, Editor of the Gold Hill News: I learn that Gen. John B.
Winters believes the following (pasted on) clipping from the PEOPLE’S
TRIBUNE of January to contain distinct charges of mine against him
personally, and that as such he desires me to retract them unqualifiedly.
In compliance with his request, permit me to say that, although Mr.
Winters and I see this matter differently, in view of his strong feelings
in the premises, I hereby declare that I do not know those “charges” (if
such they are) to be true, and I hope that a critical examination would
altogether disprove them.
CONRAD WIEGAND.
Gold Hill, January 15, 1870.
I then read what I had written and handed it to Mr. Lynch, whereupon Mr.
Winters said:
“That’s not satisfactory, and it won’t do;” and then addressing himself
to Mr. Lynch, he further said: “How does it strike you?”
“Well, I confess I don’t see that it retracts anything.”
“Nor do I,” said Winters; “in fact, I regard it as adding insult to
injury. Mr. Wiegand you’ve got to do better than that. You are not the
man who can pull wool over my eyes.”
“That, sir, is the only retraction I can write.”
“No it isn’t, sir, and if you so much as say so again you do it at your
peril, for I’ll thrash you to within an inch of your life, and, by–,
sir, I don’t pledge myself to spare you even that inch either. I want
you to understand I have asked you for a very different paper, and that
paper you’ve got to sign.”
“Mr. Winters, I assure you that I do not wish to irritate you, but, at
the same time, it is utterly impossible for me to write any other paper
than that which I have written. If you are resolved to compel me to sign
something, Philip Lynch’s hand must write at your dictation, and if, when
written, I can sign it I will do so, but such a document as you say you
must have from me, I never can sign. I mean what I say.”
“Well, sir, what’s to be done must be done quickly, for I’ve been here
long enough already. I’ll put the thing in another shape (and then
pointing to the paper); don’t you know those charges to be false?”
“I do not.”
“Do you know them to be true?”
“Of my own personal knowledge I do not.”
“Why then did you print them?”
“Because rightly considered in their connection they are not charges, but
pertinent and useful suggestions in answer to the queries of a
correspondent who stated facts which are inexplicable.”
“Don’t you know that I know they are false?”
“If you do, the proper course is simply to deny them and court an
investigation.”
“And do YOU claim the right to make ME come out and deny anything you may