The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-06-01
Hen,ea {. Gen. Iactson.

An the world has Hedin OF the dtidl} dalHlosl- f
,yh;ch once existed between these Two indiyi- t
All. and Of the celebrated street fight in which
-, c,raped parties, fierce as ten furies and
ALL, as he'll " had well nigh received a lcaden
.....,,, in 1913. We have Just met with the
tuo,ying Circular, issued by Col. Benton immc-
u,,eIy after the f9m was over; and we would
.,,,re II The facts be as he has stated them
bo,c could the affair ever have been aceommoda-
ADD without a material sacrifice of feeling and
honor ON one part or the other ? What shall
40 thin1 Of Gen Jackson organizing mob, and
c,dng them on to the attack OF two individuals
.,d,iog at public tavern7 What shall we
.,,,l> OF his honor, Iris magnanllaity and lds
courage, when we are told that surrounded by
E,n Coffee Capt Hammond, MIR. Donaldson
and Mr. HAYS, he leyelc1 his pistol At Senator
Rerton when Mr.. b. bad no weapon drawn, and
would most probably have killed him but for the
tmeIy fire aimed at the General by Jesse Benton,
and the confusion which ensled What CON.
el,,ion can we draw other than that 1t was the
intention of the five heroes TO murder the two
Hepton's. when we learn chat after jackson had
been shot down, Coffee and Donaldson doubled
o.. Thomas II Benton giving him five wounds
with dirks, whilst Hays and Hammond acted in
Ike manner towards his brother Jesse Benton,
one Of them beating him on the head while he
of dirk aimed at him by the otLer v Ii
did Col Benton say that at was the most Ou-ra-
epons ARRAY ever Witnessed in . civilized couii-
try - and w,ll did he characterize the state of
VOID the reach of censure and punishment when
NE tells Us that the attack vas made in tie
Bose where the District Judge had his itGg
bI.s y ana that, six days aftar it Eapp,nct, the
cill authority mad not taken cogh,Hadce OF
this horrible outrage - One OF two things must
have happened. Either Gu Jackson must have
made most humblme slcrince az b,s feelings,
u Senator Bcntoa must hase made most de-
gfaGug compromise Of his honor, TO produce a
reconciliation. We rather inlcr the latter, from
the lacl that Jesse Benton has never fois','athr
dutlage-tliat lie still hates Gen. ,Gacksan-and
that, regarding HIM aS an imnerious and blood
thirsty tyrani 'hereyer fortune gives nm Soye.
regn sway, he shuddc,S Al the bare idea Of see.
M him President of the United states How
en- conduct which has produced so deep, deadly
and irreconclleable hatred bet"een ecu. Jack
son and Jesse Benton, have influenced so slightly
the feelings Of Thomas II Benton, while lie yet
bears about him the scars of his five wounds
Il is PLAIN that he was the principal in the sccae,
and yet he is the first to forgive, as he eager to
reward the perpetrator Of the most horrible
outrage ever witnessed in a civilized country'4
Ii is clear that he received some deadly injury
from Gen. jackson, and that that injury wa en-
deavored to be sustained by shooting him down
IN the street, in open day, and yet lie pardons
the offender, and meckly kisses the hand that
was raised to murder him There art more
things in Heaven aud Earth than are dreamed
of in our philosophy" and this is not the least
nnaccountuble of them.
But the extract proves still more. If Colonel
Benton is worthy of belief {and We have gone
thr violence of temper ascribed to Gen. Jackson
Is not altogether ideal-and that the history Of
his early ttr in which we hear Of him rs tic he
70 OF the courtgreen, the cockpit Jnd the race
field, and as a street aud tavern bullv is frue
1larl, reader We do not state these things on
our own knowledge. We introduce our vii
ness General Jackson's friend, Colonel iomas
Hart Benton, and, after reading IS testimony,
sc hope the reater will enquire of h'Psclf win.
Cher a mind so constituted and trained Is capable
nj discharging the dates Of the Presidential
Office
BENTQN'S CIRCULAR
FraukHn. Ten. sept 10. ial3.--A difference
which hadbeen for soiac months brewing hctwcen
Gcncral Jackson and myself, produced on Sa-
turdly, the th inst. IL the town ot'Nasavllc, the
hosr outrageous ARRAY ever Witnessed in civil
Ged country In communicating this affair To
NY friends aud fellow Citiz Ms limit mysclfto
thc ,laiemrut OF few leading facts. the truth ot
which am ready 10 establish by judicial proofs.
l. lhat m, ,olfand my brother, Jesse Benton.
arriving IN Nashville on the morning of the al
nay, aud knowing Of Gen. Jackson's threats,
sent aud took our lod mgs in different house
iron the one in which he staid, on purpose 10 u
VOID HIM.
. nat the General and SOME of his friends
Came 10 the house where We mad put up, aud
commenced the attack by levelline pistol at IN"
when had no weapon drawn, and advancing up
"a win aquick paca, without giving me tune
O draw one.
3. That seeing this, my brother fired upon
zen JACKSON. WHEN be had got within eight OF
Ten feet Of me
d That four other pistols were fred in quick
'ncoeSslon one by Gen. Jackson At me; two
ny the At the General and one by Col Coffee at
me- In the course ofths firing Gen. Jackson
burt
D. The daggers were then drawn. Col COT
zee AND Mr. Alexander Donald,on made at ,na,
ana gave me i've slight wounds Capt Hun
,u'hd aud Mr.. Stol,leg HAYS, engaged my bro
.l''f who being still weak from the effects of
were Wound he had lately received in duel,
was not able 10 resist tSo men. They got him
Uo"h aud while Capt. Hammond beat h'm ON
Istd 4 -. Il Iii NJ