Wesley Corpus

To Edwal. Jackson, In Barnard Castle, Date: CITY ROAD, January 25, 1781. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1781) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR SIR, -- Yesterday, looking over the Monthly Review for last October, at page 307, I read the following words: Sir William's vindication [Lieut-General Sir William Howe had criticized Galloway’s Letters to a Nobleman, and cast serious reflections upon him. See Green’s Bibliography, No. 352; and letters of June 8, 1780, and Aug. 18, 1790.] (of his own conduct) is not a feeble attempt to rescue his reputation from the obloquy thrown upon it. Mr. Galloway’s book is here answered paragraph by paragraph, and several misrepresentations of important facts and circumstances proved. I cannot quite agree with this. I think (1) no unjust obloquy has been thrown upon it; (2) that his vindication is a very feeble attempt to justify his conduct; (3) that he has not answered in a satisfactory manner any one paragraph of Mr. Galloway’s book; and (4) that he has not proved any misrepresentation of any one important fact or circumstance. I think also that the account he gives of Mr. Galloway is a very feeble attempt to blacken his character; for a full confutation whereof I refer the candid reader to his own answer. As to the scurrility Sir William speaks of, I see not the least trace of it in anything Mr. G. has published. He is above it. He is no ‘venal instrument of calumny’; he abhors calumny as he does rebellion. But let him answer for himself; read only the tracts here referred to, and then condemn him if you can. -- I am, dear sir, Yours, &c. PS. -- I have been frequently attacked by the Monthly Reviewers, but did not answer because we were not on even ground; but that difficulty is now over: whatever they object in their Monthly Review I can answer in my monthly Magazine; and I shall think it my duty so to do when the objection is of any importance.