Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-18
FOR rHE OHIO sTATE JOURNAL.

very important case of assault and battery.
Mesms Editors: =.
Ii is, believe, somewhere asserted by my
lord Coke, that cases the most trivial, frequent
ly in the law, present questions the most I'm
portant, & that the matter at issue often dwin-
dies into mere mite in contemplating the mag
ntude of the principles to be settled in the de-
cision.
The case now TO be communicated, however,
is not exactly of this character: for whether we
consider the personages engaged in 1t, or the
circumstances under which the assault was
made, or the manner in which II was conduct
Led, or the consequences that may flow from it.,
we shall perceive that it is all important and en-
] titled to the most "GRAvE" consideration.
The personages engaged in II were the hon.
orabIc William Benton, of The Senate OF the U.
States, and the honorable Robert Pugh, knight
| of the stage whip, and mail-carrler between
Washington and Wilmington in this state. IT
appears that his "honour' CT the Senate, in re-
turning to his constituents Of Missouri, prefer
red private conveyance for himself and his
family over the "corduyoy turnpikes," and
through the ruts and mudholes of Ohio, to the
elegant and easy accommodations of that luxu-
ny Of modern travellers, the steam boat. Wheth-
er his "HoNouR" adopted the private mode OF
conveyance from economical considerations, or
whether it was for the purpose OF mIngllns
with the people of Ohio, and feeling the public
pulse upon the constitutional question, the Fa-
mama question, the ever-and-anon Presidential
question, or the wran glings and gross personal
| tiles Of the Senate, or the schemes of fermenta
| ton and division which were projected III the
ten miles square during last winter, to subserve
the purposes Of private pique and personal am
| bition, cannot saw But be that as il may, he,
on horseback, and his family in the carriage,
| had made out, God knows how, to progress as
far as a few miles beyond Washington, the seat
| Of Justice for Fayctle county, when struggling
over one Of YOUR abominabe long narrow "cor
duroy tnrnpikes," (Which kept me In q contin-
ual fret when passed them few days after
wards,) he there met full in front his HONOUR"
Robert Pugh, mail carrier Of the United States,
with "four-in-hand," surrounded with all the
"pomp and circumstance Of Office" his whip,
| his trumpet, &c. The "HoNouRABLE" Senator
! fifty yards in advance Of his private carriage,
ordered this knight of the whip to turn off the
track. He, no doubt, feeling his importance
<too was in no hurry to do so, till he should ar
rive at particular place, which he perceived
some little way ahead, presenting the opportu-
nifty Of doing it with facility and safety 10 both
parties. The Colonel however, whether he
had been put out of temper Gas certainly was
by your corduroy turnpikes, which would yex
even Job himselD or whether like his friend
John Randolph. of Roanoke, he had not got the
better of the irascible feelings created during
| the late turbulent session Of the Senate, can
not tell; bat so it was, he became impatient Of
the Knights delay, to obey his order he accord
inely commenced to whip off his horses, to
clear the track. This could not be for mo-
ment brooked by this "fourin hand" comman-
der, who has about him all that pride, boldness
and acquired decision and enterprise which
mark the hardy race Of the west, from the
ephemeral captain Of the "broad horns" who
| proudly struts the deck ofhls fiat bottom boat,
bound to w-Orleans, up to "old hickory"
himself-the "honourabe" Robert POUCH there
fore, fired with Indignation at this uncourteous
conduct on the part Of the "honourable' the
Senator of Missouri, Immediately opened upon
HIM the artillery of his whip lash, and it is said
that like that of our naval heroes during the
late war, every pop "toid" But this war Of
whips and rafting ofsingle-trees * chains were
not without evident danger to the mail OF the
U. States, and especially to the life of the
passenger, who, in the midst OF the combat,
precipitately threw himself from the stage, and
made his escape into the swamp. In the mean
time, however, the knight of the whip had COM
PEELED the Senator "to haul off to reht," who at
the same time called upon his slave Mingo, to
I" bear down" upon the knight, which he did
i with club in hand, and rendered as efficient SER
vice to HI master on this occasion, as Tins is
reported 10 have done to Mr.. Randolph, in fur
nishing him with porter during the delivery up
on recent occasion of his six hours speech
in the Senate of the United States. And though
it cannot be said that this fearful odds" made
the knight blow a retreat, yet his horses Uere
driven or frightened from the track, and Mingo
and the Colonel left in quiet possession OF. the
deectable corduroy turnpike, who nevertheless,
smarting under the effects Of the lash, gave vent
to the most heartfelt denunciations OF VEN
geance, and declarations Of death, if he only had
his pistol.
Now the law question for serious considera.
ton is this, which Of these two servants Of
"Uncle Sam" really had the exclusive right 10
this long, borrow, rough corduroy turnpike?
Senator Benton was returning with his family
to the bosom of his constituents, to give an ac-
count of his public conduct during the late a
bortive and boisterous session OF the Congress
Of the United STATES, and stage.driver Pugh
had charge of The United States mail, for the
SAFE and TIMELY delivery OF which at Wash
ington he was responsible
pretend not Mcssrs. Editors, to be deeply