Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-08-04

and with those lively feelings OF humanity foI
| which he has ever been prOperbiaI, quietly
looked on, and watched with a lynx-eye the
department Of the combatants. At the frs
fire neither party was injured. Their PISTOL,
were again loaded, and when they were or.
dercd TO fire, the young man, not the relative
Of General Jackson, discharged his pistol IL
the air. and refused firing a, his anita gonist.. -
The relative of the General fired, and his bal
lodged in the leg OF ms opponent, who stood
calmly before him; and sill declined firing al
his adversary. Urged on by General Jackson
the relative insisted upon third shot, but the
other party obstinately refused, VIXEN the Gen
eral, tho gh but All invited guest" inter
! ferred his influence, and bade the relative
blow out the brains Of the ID coward y
rascal,' as he had violated the rules Of the
court Of honour, and did not deserve to live.
The order was obeyed, and the young gentle
man was cody murdered upon the ground. -
So much for General Jacksop's humanity.
We must repeat again, aud again, that we
are not the apologIs5 for the duelist; on the
contrary, we woud condemn him as
soon as any other person would; but in the
case Of Mr.. Clay, vs.. Humphrey Marshall,
there is much 10 be plead in mitigation. Mr.
Clay had been pursued with all tn malice
and vengeance that human malignty could
! suggest; he behcld a man whom he had new
or injured, and who was excited TO action by
Jealousy and envy ,and all OF the bascr passions
which agi.ate the bosom, at work, to destroy
the superstruc:ure of his reputation, that he
might be enabled 10 build up his fortunes
This he beheld till his INJURIES became
insuppor,able, and as IA last resort for re-
dress, he called upon him TO make the amends
honourable or hold himself personally re.
spons.bie for his conduct.
II is true, Nr. Clay might have avoided the
due; aud il it had pleased him, hc might have
held his opponent in silent contempt, but had
he undertaken this, he knew too we'll what
would have been ti.e consequences. He lived
in a country, where the barbarous custom OF
duelIing was held to be sacred, and where he,
who will not seek redress for his injuries in sin
gle combat, is denounced as a coward, and
spurucd from the circles of society; -- scoilcd
and hootcd at, and contcmEed, and despscd.
lie was Young AMI aspiring; he looked for
ward for promo ton, and for the attainment of
that distinguished post Of honor which he now
SO ably fills: and he was aware that there was
no remedy LEFT him in The hour of his cmerCcn-
cyl he was but too well assured that he mus
either fight Mr.. Marshall or sink forever. OF
the two evils, he chose what he considered 10
be the least; and as his traduccr would not
afford that redress for an unpro, oked injury
heapcd upon competitor, which he could
have made. without furnishing his fair fame,
he called him to the field, as a last resort.
We regret most sincerely; that anything
should have ever compelled MIR. Clay to the
field; hut under al the circumstances Of his un-
happy affair with Mr.. Marshall, we think that
much can be plead in mitigation of the Of
fence; and if it were possible for man to be
justified at any time, for placing himself in
hostile attitude before has fellow man, Mr.
Clay would be justified in meeting Humphrey
Marshall.
1t is well known, by all who have noted the
passing events OF th.s country; that in what
ever personal difficulties Mr.. Clay has been in-
yolvcd, he has been driven TO them, by n Sc
rles Of almost uncSampled perse cufion, vindic-
tive, and unprovokcd. 1t is but little more
than two years, since John Randolph and his
satellites, partizans, and kindred conspirators,
commenced their attacks upon the Secretary
of State; and with the most indcfati igabe in
dustry, ondeavoured to fasten upon him,
the condemning sins Of moral and political
corruption; n;-charged him with having betray-
1 ed his trusts, and with crimes amounting al
most to high treasoE; and these charges they
| have propa gated and promulgated, with the
most determined zeal and anxiety, with the
vain hope Of bringing down to their own des-
| picable level, one ofthe greatest of statesmen,
| and the best of men:--a man, the memory OF
whose virtues, and the lustre of whose deeds in
benali oI hls country, will be cherished, when
his opposcrs gro.el with their native dust, and
siu...y "a, ,oi goiiuiI,.,ss the dueis IN winch
General Jackson has been engaged, have
originated in different vay;-they originat-
ed in disputes had at the gaming-table, the
cockpit, and the race-course; in those broils
| winch are incidental 20 u life OF vice and dis
! sipaton.
As for Mr.. Clay, we do not wish to deny the
| fact, that he is a man Of strong-of ardent
feelings, easily excited, and called into a.ction,
bv An insult; but vet he is mild and pacific in
his disposition. always ready to forget and for
give an injury, when proper acknowledgements
uni recantations are nude; and in all the re-
| lations Of life. either private citizen or as
| a statesman. he cxercises those charities and
| indulgencies, which nre always sure to mark
the man Of elevated mind; the gentleman
and the philanthropist.
Let his enemies rail OH to their hearts con-
tent. let them rcvle the Secretary as much
and as often as il may please them; and thoy
will yet find, to use the language of Sir VIII
liam Draper, that "they gnaw against file."