The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-03-19
MESSRS KING AND CLAY.

we give below from the Boston Post, the ac-
count Of an affair between Mcssrs Ring and Clay,
of the Senate. 1t is extremely to be regretted that
an alteration of this character should have taken
place between men occupying the position of these
two gcntlemcn--bolh Senators in Congress, and
one, the acknowledged, in prospcctu, candidate Of
the why party We can by no means justify Mr.
Clay's attack upon Blair, nor are VIC prepared to
justify Mr. Kings notice of that attack. If Clay
chose to disgrace his station, and his name, by
ungencmanly aud coarse language, it should have
passed unnoticed. On his own head would have
rccoied the blow. The character Of duest, is
not such an one as the people, of the North, res
pect
WasaingiOn, Tuesday, .Mrch, 8.
Dear Sir--1hc Office seekers and their friends
in your city my now allow themselves Il respite
from con ncturc in relation TO the Colectorshp of
BOslon-Governor Lincoln's nomination was sent
to the Senate to-day ,and will undoubtedly be con-
frm0d.
The Senate this morning resumed the consdera-
ton Of the resolution dsmissing Mcssrs Blair and
Rives as printers of the Senate. The debate was
carried on during the greater part Of the day in II
Ne'y o'"iiing hummer. Huntington. OF Connec,i-
cut, spoke nearly an hour III Favor OF the dismissal
and was followed by Messrs. Henderson, Walker,
Clay, Wright, Calhoun, King, Smith of Connect
cut, and Preston, bnt without coming to any def
mite result Mr. Wright has the floor for Tomorrow
The debate, however, will be of little usc-lhe
wings have the power to dismiss the printers. and
in violation of established precedent, iieu piH de H.
They always, You know, manifest great reverence
for precedenls that favor their side of question,
bu, no others are allowed TO have weight.
In the course of the discussion to day, Mr. Claws
illtemper gave rise TO n scene the like of which is
not oiiencd witnessed in the Senate. MIR King, Of
Alabama, in defending Mr. Blair from coarse and
>l'upcrayc attack made npon him yesterday by
Mr. Clay, sld substantially, that he had long been
acquainted with Mr. blair, that in his social rca-
tons of life, in his intercourse as gentleman, in
benevolence and purity Of character, he would in
his opinion, iayoraby compare with the Senators
on the other side who were inAcling stripes him,
&c. SC.
When Mr. King sat down, Mr. Clay arose, evil
identity much excited, and commenced his remarks
by gross and unprovoked attack on Mr. Smith of
Connecticut, abiding to him AS ga man who sis
over there in the corner" who was unworthy Of
his notice. He repeated what he had said yester-
day. which was that the Globe was an Infamous
man. lie lhcn Telerreu 10 Inc comparison mat MIR
King had made The Senator from Alabama, said
Mr. Clay, has compared me to Blair--that Bair's
character is equal to mine. This is foiSe it is
slanderous, base, adtaIse end cowardly deciara-
ton, and The Senator knous it 10 be So." The
mild and gcn,lemunly leader Of the administration
party in Congress then sat down. The eyes of all
were fixed on Mr. King, who arose and simple sta
ted, that, although he did not consider the Senator
from Kentucky unworthy ofhs notice, he had then
no reply TO make. About the hour Of adjournment,
Mr. Clay received challenge from Mr. King, by
the hand of DR.. Linn, of Missouri which he accept
ed, and Immediately left the chamber in company
with DR.. Linn Matters were thus you see, in
fair way of coming to foul termination, when Mr.
Origen Batcheldel, formy Of New York, mem
Der and corresponding secretary of the pence soci-
eiy, who, believe, has established himself in this
city for the purpose of overlooking the conduct of
our beliserent legislators in accordance with the
principals he processes, went before the magistrate,
made complaint, and the parties, Mcssrs. King,
Linn, Clay, were forthwith arrested, and put under
penal bonds of IS, 900 each to keep the peace
Thus stands the matter at present-but the general
opiolon is, that, unless Mr. Clay makes an unquiv-
ocal apology Cor the ungentlemanly rudeness of
which he was guilty, duel will take place in Viz
ginia or Maryland as soon as the Senate adjourns.