The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-03-29

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ed hands, Mr.. r. remarking, 'sir, | give you M
e hand, which was received bySMr. Clay, and tn
n affair thus happily closed"
M,--But look here; Mr. Clay's Biographer il
his Appendix, page 292, notices this duel. and say
J. Mr.. Clay regrets this incident He gives an ex
tract from Mr.. Clay's address to his fellow-ctzen
e soon after the duel in which he says, Il owe it tt
e the community TO say, that whatever heretofore
G may have done, or, by inevitable circumstances
Y may be forced TO do, no man holds in deeper alb
horrence than do, the pernicious practice of du
elling. Condemned as il must be, by the iudg
and philosophy, to say nothing of thereligion
OF every thinking man, it is an affair of feeling
about which we cannot, although we should, rea-
son. The true corrective will be found, when all
shall unite, as all ought to unite, in its unqualified
prescription
d. had observed that passage and reflected
upon it. Twill endeavor'to give the views il sug-
gests.
l. To kill in aduel is MURDER, by the laws
of God and man.
z. According to Mr. Clay's reasoning, mur-
der OF this sort is to be excused because it is san
affair otJeeiing." Otherwise he is without ex-
cuse.
3. All malicious murder is san affair offeel-
ing," and is excused on the same ground.
A. How can all unite "in its unqualified pro-
scription," when men like Mr. Clay, whom So
ciey recognizes as lis leaders, apologize for the
crime and persist in commttingt!
Go far r.o,o
dress, Mr.. Clay avows that he "may be forced''
to fight again. What is his ''deeper adherence"
worth, with this avowa on his lips'
o. Is it not the surest way to arrive at that sun
qualified prescription" which Mr.. Clay says is
"the true corrective" for ssaH'' to unite in the
""nquaEf,d prescription from the high offices
OF the country, of all who are guilty of this awful
crime?
M-Ib believe the blood of no murdered man is
upon Mr.. Clay's head.
d. am not certain ofthat. But be that as il
may, it is no apology for Mr. Clay that he did not
succeed in his inurderous design. The reason why
the blood Of Randolph does not rest on his head,
is thus lightly given by his Biographer, pages 299
300, viz: "ln due time, the parties fired and luck
lily for both OF them, or at least for Mr.. Clay, Mr.
RaadoLph'S life acas saued by his goacn The
unseemly garment constituted such a vast circum-
ference, that the locality of the thin and swarthy
Senator was at least, matter of very vague con-
lecture Mr. Clay might as well have fred into
the ouspread top Of an oak, in the hope of hitting
a bird he supposed to be snugly perched some
where among the bran ches. His ball hit the cen.
TIRE Of the risble oec, but Randolph was not there;
and of course the shot did no harm and no good. /"
This shows that if the blood of Randolph does
not rest on Mr. Clays head, it is not for lack of
malice or of deadly aim.
M-Butyou say you are not sure that the blood
of the murdered does not rest on Mr.. Claws head;
what did you referto?
D.-To the murder of Mr.. Cilley in 1888.
M.-Why, Mr.. Clay had nothing to do with that
D.-You are greatly mistaken; he was Mr..
Graves adviser from the beginning. until he went
out TO fight, and was clearly an accomplice in the
murder
M.-What authority have you for that'
D.-The authority of Mr. Clay's particular
friends, and of Mr.. Clay himst!f You may re-
member that Mr.. Graves, of Kentucky, was the !
bearer of challenge from James Watson Webb,
o Mr.. Cilley, for words spoken in debate. Mr.
Illley verbally declined accepting the challenge
or reasons which were entirely satisfactory to Mr..
Graves. But upon consultation with Mr.. CLAY, it ,
vas determined TO require Mr.. Ciley to put his ;
easons in writing, and to state among other things
hat he considered James Watson Webb gentle. c
nan. This he refused to do, because he could not
n conscience, and fornoi admitting that to be true
chich he kne,c to be false, Mr.. Graves challenged /,
nd killed him. And this he did under the advice {
# Henry Clay, as shall show.
Here lis letter from Henry Clay to A. Wise, /,
ated Feb. 2s, 1912, in which Mr.. Clay says:
81 did not know that Mr.. Graves bore note :
rom Col. Webb to Mr.. Cilley until after the dev-
ry of the note, and after Mr. Graves received !
rom him verbal answer In that stage of the :,
ransaction, for the first time, Mr. Graves commu-
icated the matter 10 me, and congratulated him :
the fact OF that answer being perfectly satisfac-
Dry, and such as to absolre him from all oJliga- .
ion to pursue the affair further.-"On CONVEX :
ng together, we both agreed that, to guard against
iture misunderstanding and Misrepresentation, it !,
'as desirable that Mr.. Cilley should put in wri- ;.
ng what he had verbally answered.
Upon this advice Mr.. Graves required writ :.
N statement from Mr.. Cey, containing con- ;, !
ssson that Webb was gentleman, and not being q
Die to obtain it, he returned to Mr. Clay for fur :.
Ter counsel. In reference to what then passed, !.
lr. Clay says in the same letter.
"When, on the day preceding the duel, Mr..
raves, in company with you, came to my room,
was informed that he had determined to challenge
Ir. Cilley. and he showed me the challenge
hich he had drawn. Upon reading it, thought =
closed the door to all accommodation, stated that
,jection, and setched draught in my o,cn hand ::
riting, which would admit of an amicabe adjust =
ent" '"