re THE PUBLIC.
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 re THE PUBLIC.

 bad hoped not to be obliged to appear aeein before you in selfdefence, but cir culnstances have compelled me to do so.-- l hope. however, that this will be the last tine, forit is no pieassire 10 me to trumpet ! my name forth F. the columns of news paper.

 Immediately on fte appearance of tie communication signed < Nale.n l applied myself to tracing to their source the calu.n- nies which had been disseminated concern ing me, in tfis place. Their author was stated 10 ne as a certain JAMES ". ROBIN SON, called, bJ coa4desg, an Attorney. knew of no reason which that man could have for slandering mo, as we had never exchanged two words, nor had l ever was ed two words upon him. Unwilling, thefan.1 fore, to believe that had been rightly in- formed. l applied at once to him, in the fol- lowing letter, which l mailed for Loean's Post-enice, Pope county, on tue 7th of March last,

 I:sa.rsE ReeK, March 7th, 1894. JAMES ". ROBINSON, Esq

 SIR-Y You will sec itf the Advocate of to- day, a paragraph, under the shape of a communication to the Gazette, signed Va!e and my answer to 1t.

 The object of this letter Is 10 require of you an answer to the following questions. Did you communicate to any person in Lit tie Rock, and especially to R. r. FINN, any thing upon which that communication might have been based, contradicting, or re- pugnant to the statements in my answer Did you say to any person, particularly to R, F. FINN, that ] had been convicted and punished for any crime since l have been in Arkansas!

 In making tl.is inquiry, l would not be understood as asserting that you have SC done. l have been so informed, but itrests upon dubious testimony. l would not, on such testimony, accuse you of any deyia- ton from truth or honor-and my impress sion now is, that you did not so wantonly l mis-state the truth. l shall be happy tc learn that l am not mistaken-for l have not known nor do desire to know you as an enemy. You will sec, of course, that have no alternative except to inquire direct 1 ly of you, and you will therefore see the 1 necessity of an immediate answer.

 Should you not reply 10 this letter in af firmafion or denial, shall consider you as answering, hy your silence, in the afiirnla. tive, and shall proceed accordingly. Yours, &c. Immediately on the arrival here of Mr Robinson, addressed him, through friend on the 21d of March, copy of the above letter, informing him that my friend wouIe call, later,in~tke evening, for an answer lie read 1t, however, at once, aud replirc that he must consider on it.o My ffieno said that ito time for consideration was ne. eessary--that the questions affected my character, and could easily he answered. He still replied that he must consider or it--that he had domestic business which he must first attend to-"

 l Now, in the first place, if he had not stated what he knew to be false. or at least what he did aot know to be true, concerning me, he could at once have answered in the negative. The very fact that he required time to consider, proves that he was rightly accused.

 i in the second place, explicitly inform ed him, that unless he answered my letter, either in affirmation OF denial. should con- sider bim as answering, by his silence, m the afi1motiue. Since then, he has attend ed two Courts, and passed nearly week in this place.

 It therefore becomes a duty due to my self, though 1t may be an unpleasant one, to declare to the world, that JAS. W. RoB- TYSON $, bgg his ossa admission, base LIAR and c SLANpERBR.

 ALBERT PIKE.

 April II, 1884.