New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-16
The CiiI-y Durl.

FROM ttc 1sOgEy sJtt9S ~ Hb"fV"D'
.'Vho were the parcin,or dIryvho ~ cIei IN
,trror For year. MI WISE rested under tins ippuution
Again @"1 ANN "hn %sy Aa an, S ai. n5 q" s
the blood # CIey A. a W. . was oI i@efa o to ca5"
"s rsex CIV i wa. the er l,,igatp Of The duel G
managed TO IT'S fatal terminat" n'd had cnned NE chn
hand TIM, nlufe drlppet wih the blood OF murder.
1'he Irbunc rnUscs look back iEtn The history Of Tn.
duel aud seeks iuy the buIden Of guilt rs victim J.
complains that ar. Cdegrcnssd "a fs@t t7'A Hr Ne
We arc often amazed at the rccklcssncss with
which the leading Loco Foco presses viii assert
the most gl;rlng taschoods. When, 'okere,
have we mplained that Dir. Cllicy refused
to fight with Mr. Webb 2" Never, We should
have honorcd, praised him for refusing TO fight
with Webb or anybody. We certainly think he
should have fought with Webb if anybody, both
because his controversy was entirely with Webb
and of his own making, aud because as popu
Iarity appeared to be his object, Webb was clearly
the man for him. Graves WAS unwltimgy In
VOWED i'll the trouble, with 40 i'll feeling toward
any party, and only anxious 10 escape with honor.
This Cloy might easily have allowed and should
have done lie had only TO receive Webb'S
note, which was courteous aud peaceful and
answer it like frank, true man, stating in sub
stance ,phat he had said about Webb and
,ohp he had said ii, and declining any rcspon.
sibility to any man for his acts Rcprcscn-
tatiyc Of the People. The whole Country would
have applaudcd this course. Or, if he had re-
solved to refuse Wcbb's note, he had only 10
say in writing, as MIR. Graves understood hun
10 say verbally, that, without implying any dis
ho r.rlp,rI Ia INV
PLANTATION (savo 10 his constituents Of his acts
as Member of Congress, and there tie matter
would have rested, al least SO far rs Mr.. Graves
was concerned But Cillcy fell into the hands of
bad advisers, and q most dcplorabc tragedy was
the result On the heads OF ;hosc advisers his
blood rests cyermorc.
The Atlas states mtruly tina, Mr.. Wise charged
Mr. Clay with having instigatcd the pucl--or
being responsible for it. Mr. Wise indeed, when
stung by disappointment at his failure 10 be
chosen Speaker of the last Wing Congress
(Which he attributed to Mr.. Clay's influence and
goaded by the reproaches Of Mr.. Adams respect.
ing his agency in the Dncl, SAID that
With regard to the preIminate, of%; duel,
advice. but that OF h'ghsr better and more distinguished
man lAlr. Clay that was relied on.
But this cbution OF phrcn2y is contradicted
by notorious and indisputable facts. The gist of
the charge against Mr. Wise WAS that he and the
other Second might and should have settled the
dificully-thcrc being TO i'll viii between The
partics-if not before, al lcas; ate! the FIRST fire
1t was the extraordinary icrocity OF three delib-
crate rife shots from each party that shocked the
nation, and called forth the denunciatons OF Mr..
Adams and Others. Blu, OF all this Mr Clay
knew no,hng-huew no: that the pIeliminaries
were settled until after the parties had gone out,
and on the first intinaton of Tie fact, he started
with friends in anxious ha.A TO separate them.
II he had but known wl,c,cVhc duel WAS TO be
fought an hour before it look place, he would
have prevented il Il! IN the power OF man. Hear
the explicit testimony Of Mr.. Graves in his letter
TO Mr.. Clay
Il DO not rccollec,naring the subject to you Nm
Ill the morning before ,he meeting when called a;
YOUR room, think with Mr. " isr, and exhibited 10
YOU the CORES pOndence, and perhaps detailed Tue
circumstances of the affair. | remember that Won
suggested 10 some modification ii tEH pag&seo.o-
CIV OF the challenge which had wriilca, by which
mildcr language was employed. aud Tie door WAS
collect we'll at The time yoa suggested the modica-
ton which believe was written 5y yourself on .no-
Their piece ofpspcr, you stated tiai vou thought iAe
matter ought to be and would be anicaby adjusted,
and in thus remember hir Wise concuucd with
you IN opinion. recolect this the better, ro0i tue
conviction, resting my mind a, the time, that there
were influences which thought SAL more i;!,it
than any OF NV TRENDS that initiated AGAINST this
view OF ..ie subject, some oil which ,hins men
toned 10 you N reply 10 your suggestion that
YOU thought the matter would DC adjusted without
a hostile meeting. adopted Your form, with hu;
little or no modification, and suppose DESTROYED H.
and that drawn BY myself.
"It is utterly uatrue that You eve. exhibited TO ne
anv wish that the meeting should take place. be-
li.ye had no friend in Washington who more re-
GREETED il. | seooect, alter Tic affair, when We
me, a, yonr hoardiag-houSe, YOU seemed 10 SymFa-
thize mos, deeply wi,h me IN my misiorlunes OF
wep, and were unable 70 u.tera word
Mr. Clay himself, Gas we see by e passage Of
bis statement on the subject which had escaped
our recollection, hut which We tind in the Neacark
Morning POST couects Mr. Graves on enc point,
where we followed the statement OF the latter hlg.
Graves did consult Mr.. Clay on the matter after