Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-11

STATEMENT OF MESSRS PEYTON, WISE, y
LAND, GlLLET, n tlAMER, in the House Q
Representatives, Saturday, Fee. 4, in rciaHcn 10 "a aDi
entity trhich had occurred IN tic room NJ Me Select C"m
naitrc appointed 10 Investigate lie aGa:rs gf Tho Ere.
tic Departments.
Mr.. Peyton commenced by saying that the House
would bear him wilAess, that lie bad never heretofore
asked a similar indulgence, Eor ever annoyed It VIII
any thing personal to himself that had been said oil tin
out of doors, nor was it on Ills own account. individual
ly, that lie had at that tine asked The lndSigence thai
had been extended TO him b" the courtesy of the llnn5e
but lie thought IL was due to thu committee of which ie
was i member, ana due also to that House of which he
was n mcnirer, TO correcta statement which had a yp2rE'
ed IN the Official puper o.! that morning. The part OF the
article 10 which he referred, lie would read. MIR. 7. nc.
%cotdlnsly read The following porto" of all extract which
appeared IN The Globe of Saturday, from the New York
American:
''li his sta!emcr ut be true. or even approach the truth.
It ~ evident tiiat Il gross Outrage was committed b. Mr.
fryton towards 4 witness Summoned to testify brlu:e
the committee, AID therefor: under is protcciion; and Al
act oi such IL: rrsprc. To the committee Itself, az shotal
huyc subjected Mr.. PrYton-t u its s"rcrcEIrEGsu.e.
Ao%. as Il !ull and satisfactory response TO mat Stutr-
llcIlt, IT seemed ohly necessary 10 state 10 the House
what tGrk place III III" committee upon thai occasion.
Ills friend from Ohio. OR. ilau"c.l one -! he lAeuAvrS
ni ihr cr!n!nlilrr. q g"n!lrmau differing with hiriI III %.
i.t.cs, navel Il resolution of ccnsu!c upon hir. Whitney
for shat he Gid III Insulting MIR T., which rrsplutioa "ls
adr,lph hy the unanimous VOTE Of the committee Tie
cuinuiittrr. Just 10 l,scli, had also authorized ll!!n 10
puh!IS!l tn:l resolution, with What followed oil The jour
nal. aId which. as transcribed, he had Ill" rlg!:t IL lay
!r!"rc the House. by permission Of Tie co"lm!i:ce. III"
witness. Mr.. " litEry, after having been sent out, WAS
brought III, Tie resolution read IL Eum, his answer 10 The
iElrir"gatnry l;r"ir"unGrd L. him rcirrMd, is :!aac all
up.iuEy to- having IisiI!led The crnmittrr, took back his
answer, t"!" il NJ ~ presence of III" comI'ntitr", and then
uId there VTrccudCd. in u q1irL !niunrr, To- answer III" n"At
f!cat."n pr"Pouud:" 10 hin. irIs would she" whom
it was that all the cumnitl;c considered 10 be in tir
wrour in that lrnnsaci!vi!.
~irihaps. hGwsvt:. II might not be aiaISs for Mr. I. 10
stale 10 the House The whole occurrence, as every cen.
tic!n1T Upon that committee would, he had no DEATH,
substantially cG!fGh0ralr. He would I!rai. however, ~
ma,k, Ina. lAs matter has been mentioned III the Co.'S!
m!il:c sircr the publication Of Mr.. i.tn"Y E!u!&c i.
u:d II has been uuhcslia!ingly a"rr:cd; a"d every geHt:c
EIal present in The committee called upcn ~ testify 30
III" cGr:Cc'a' IS o. that &,alcurEi. that cTr:y alteration
MADE hy Whitney vas false il every plriIcu!lr. w;ih the
sin2!c exception 0. what related 10 the intrIruIitviy
ana lis answer.
Nj. r. friend from Virginia observed Yesterday, in
the presence Of The cc;nm!urr, that. wicn tIa matter
ca:a" up III lie House. he Should Gcn"uHcc the wI,lc
Statement of Ar Whitney Is false. and Cal! upon every
gvi.i; .nan present ~ say Il! II Was not essentially false IN
every particular. Every inrmI5rr OF The committee
would bear w!t"y!, % the fact ;iat Sir. Whitney. "! ie
before the cr:n"uittcr as It witness. hr:, up II III" u!r.
IIvii llcrrcu::r;ce rcirIr, d 10 lo'k Place. been treated
By Air. i. wi'h !ar courtesy due &" witness. ana cyca
tn Il .rnriy:Dam, w.!ii rs H'"n courtesy a. he could have
extended 30 li!rt Jusiic" MITS!ia!l L!u&t i. had IL b.'n
before the c. iIiirlti"C; ard. lie wu::Ii !idusiy CD!i'yS%, IT
tcq.!r,d no iltt!n tXrrci.. T.! philosophy. and pli.r"c.
too. 10 extend That COURTESY 10 hiul from HE coafS" al
conduct he h:d pursued towards M!. + i:";n tie vc!y
i.sst time he caGiC lG.p The ropii. Mr.. +. had pr"pp2n.
GuG - han. pcIiign$. sJIIG Sky questions, ana eat U:
that number he might have answered ten or Il d":Hm. or
less. Ills inann"r was tl?rnngh"Gt, dis!rsprctirl ~ .Mr
r&irc:nt; ir h. threw Grwm question alter question IN
ltn most com!";nDtuous manner, announcing thr!I as
lnuui:tivfill. Gu! refused tn answer lhrnl. SI!i Mr.. T..
.]:.G4i;i hat he vas 4 w;!m;*S beio7c Inc coInmIttcC:
would not, and di not. insult :"n.
Tie witness, !i9"rvcr. c"Atlmucd Mr.. Z, rI!St1hing
the feeling which prompted him ~ tolerate such Z c"uiar.
! presumed NJ lru-l!I Too far. lie Oh" W!trr*aj tiIauIh'
tie threatening trnuucia,ion hc had made III aIs 'ca!I.'
published IN Ia" uiicIai parc:, wherein lie GrITaILrd
personal satisflc,ion # MI. T.. la viz. pissed uIiI"..ccd,
that therefore. The assertion that he (AlI. Z was ah;. ID
lmr himself behind his consti :uiiGuai pg!yiic lrcS, WaS
tue; and, on the night Tie occurrence took place, A:.
L. having prrruunc.d 10 him the very question he bad
raised on tia, ii ,or, WhItnry thea committed the gross
iisu!t "hirl called down upon E:ai the unan:m"us G"I:-
su!r # the committee. The iGtrrTOCaturr Mr.. I. pro.
rolrnGrd and the answer 81 the witness we're US follows:
QntSii0n. Did you receive any letter 81 recommends
ton from i. 3. fancy, CT did he in any iianncr cnuu.
tcnaGCe or encourage yoa ~ applying Tor thu agency
coGitrInylatcG; Or did h" positively refuse 10 receive "
countcnanc" y"u IN that capacity while IL vas At tie
head Of the Treasury Department:
.inSrcr. | DECLINE answering i',s ln'crrAgatory; mere
prri"nllI! : as the Indsvidnnl pr"p1Gndiag Il las as'rclrd
positively and publicly that the substance Gf Tie Halter
part ut it is true, beginning with sur DID, &c; there.
fore, bring the party accused, | am not 4 proper witness.
tIi;k. it, justice, tina: lie individual VIM has Ul;.tI the
allegations should be called To Pro:ncr his proot:
N"w, the committee lad Il RICH; 10 call upon Whitney
fox prnul in y!itiOm t. .I:It stitriTcEt, lhnu.ii BIS tratI
rnn!Iy alr"r. whatever j. mimtl i.avc been, would nTt
| have been sufficient; but Mr.. Z. would have permitted /!
10 pass, since he did not choose 10 gI into a personal al,
lrIc.tinu with such ] 'Ian. lie looked upon Whitney
as shielded from insu!t Ly hi character. is much as il
mai dor wonIh be, unIrss corn;mg in personal collision
with him. Bat: upon the occasion referred TO, he &C
compaa:c! that rcsp"ns" Will! Il scowl, an indignant
G;uwn, and Il most insulting lock ii NJ. 7. which. per.
liapS. no gentleman observed but hiu;s@ii. Well, rTyH
then Mr.. r. tried to restrain himself: and he appealed !"
the clu;rlIan whether Whitney was to be permitted Ia
insult him in that manner. He then turned toward,
Whitney himself, and. walking up to him. told him that
r!lon.Gl he Ind before said that Mr.. Z. had shielded BIN.
self under his constitutional privilege, yet that, if he
dared to insult him (hlr. p TO hrs lace in that manner,
he desired no constitutional privileges. fer he would al
once cllagLise him. lie then dared Whitney 10 repeat
his insult. Mr.. 7. was greatly excited nj The Ting; and
wha, man %io had L SOU! fit 10 be saved, would not have
been excited:
In Whiincy's statement lie alluded to Mr.. P.'s having
ATTEMPTED to draw 4 ncapcn upon him. It was false
Mr.. j. IRE" II" weapon. Whitney himself put his hand
in his pocket as ii lie had intended t" draw Il weapon,
and Sir. +, il might be, then thrust his hand into his lr
srur. but drew no weapon. Every nan there thought
Whitney was armed; and his action seemed 10 shU% Is
if be vas preparing for attack. Not kno" ing his pnr'
pose. Sir. /. put his hand into his bosom. and. ut thai
nom,cut, his friend from Virginia, (Air. Wisr) int"rier
ed aid insisted that he should $ay 10 more or do more
hui 80 far from his having gone with Mr.. 7. 10 lie -.
re.s, To attempt 10 i~niiraida,e him in the manner stated
by looking at Him. it was totally false: AZ every Iucn5c:
OF the committee would testify.
Whitney was soon sent cot; and MIR. llancr moved
4 resolution nf ccnsure upon him for his Insult /" Mr.. /.
and shortly atrr this he &" came in, a~p"l"g;z"d - the
committee, tonk his seat. and was treated afterwards hy
Mr.. p. rs he had been before, with the most perfect res
pcct. Sir. p. also apologiZrd to the committee for having
| allowed himself mo,acriariIy to lose his temper.
Mr.. p. said he thought this cSp lana!!on: and this state
ment Of facts, due II the committee, 10 lis Chairman
/ :ad 10 TIE House. whose committee they were. All Ei
would add, in conclusion, was, Ina, he Si:ouId loGG upon
any man as deserving the epiiacis bestowed upon h!!!
in tir official paper who would insult i witness under cxa
tnina.ion; bnt, at 'hc snrc time, be env!cd not the wEe'c!
who. caiIuns and i~nseus!blc to every feeling Of honor
would nat resent ali insult, when assaiied hy 4 ru'Ja'