Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-03-28
THURSDAY MORNING. MARCH %, 1914.

| replied my dear friend, (lor ours
was sort Of posihumous friendship, be-
qeath' d by our mothers.) al deeply re.
greet that you have mentioned this subject
TO me, for you call upon me to 60 TO the
field and to see you shot down, OF to as
sumo the responsibility, in regard to your
own HE, IN sustaining your determination
TO throw It away. But on this subject q
mans own conscience and his own bosom
are bis best monitors. will not advise,
but under The enormous and unprovokrd
pers nal insult you have offered Mr.. Clay
cannot dissuade. feel bound, howev-
er, TO communicate to Col. Tattnal
your decision" He begged me not t,
d. SO, and said. che was very much afraid
that Tsltnal would lake the studs and re-
fuse to 90 out with him." however
sought Col. Tattnal. and We repaired,
about midnight, 10 A.. Rand lph's loig
Ing, whom we found reaoiug Mitnn's
gr at poem. For some MON, MS lie did
u permit US to sly one word in relation
to the approaching duel; and he at one
commeucsd one OF those delightful erlt,-
clsms, on passage oi this Post, IN Which
ne was won't so enthusiastic ally to IN ulge.
After a paus, Coz. Tatinai remarked:
"Mr. Randolph, | am told that you have
determined not TO return Mr.. Clay's file;
must say TO you, my lear sir. if | am on.
~ to 60 out to see you shut down, you
must find some other friend" Mr.. Ran
d.lph remarked that II was his delcrmlna.
tim. Alter much conyers alton on the
subject, | induce Colonel Taltnal to al.
low Mr. Rando ph 10 t.ke his own course
US his with travail, as one 0: his frit nds,
nigh, lead to very injurious mIsconsu u,..
tons. A, last. Mr.. Randolph, smiling
said, "w+ll, Ta,tnal, promise you one
thing, if see the devil IN CIsy's eye, and
that with malice prepense he means TO
take my life, may change my m,nd."-
A remark knew be mer ly made to pro-
Ptia,e the snx,eties OF h,s friend.
Mr.. Cay and himself met at 4 o'clock
the succeeding evening. on the banks OF
the Potomac. But ne saw 40 devil IN
Clay's eye," Blu; a man fearless, and ex.
pressing the mingled sensibIiny aud firm.
n, IS which belonged 10 The occasion.
shall never forget this scene as long
as 1--we. 1t has be- n my misfortune 10
witness several duels. but never saw
oae, OF least in its sequal, so deeply al
fectng.
The sun was just sitting behind the
blae hills Of RandoIph's own Virglnia.-
Here were two If the most extraordinary
mn our country in its pr"digallty hau
Produced, about 10 meet in mortal COM
bd. Whilst Tattn i Vas loldn, Ran.
d lph's pistol, | approached my friend, |
b leved for tne last time; TO k his hand;
there was not in It's touch the quive,ing
OF one pu saton. He turned to me and
said, CLAY is calm, but not vindietve.--
hold my purpose, Hamilton, in any
event; remember this" On handing hun,
his pistol, Col. Taitnal sprung he hair
trigger. Mr.. Randolph said, "Tat,nsl.
although am one OF the best SHOTS in Vr.
gina, with either pistol or gun, yet
never fire with the hair trigger; besides,
| have thick buckskin glove on, which
will destroy the delicacy Of my touch,
aud the trigger may A. b. fore | know
whore am" But, from hrs great solici.
tud for his friend. Ta,tnal insisted upon
lie ring tie trigger. On taking lhtir pc
sltion, The fact turned out as Mr.. Randolph
anticipated; his pistol vent off before tho
word, wiih the muZzle down.
the nome nj this ev, nj took place, Gen.
Jesup, Mr.. Ciay's friend. called out tina,
he would Instantly leave the ground with
his friend, if this occurred again. Mr..
Clay at once exclaimed it was entirely
an accident and begged that the gentle
man might be allowed to 60 on. Ga the
word beng given, Mr.. Clay fired without
effect Mr.. Randolph dscbarging his pls,
toll in the air. The moment Mr.. Clay
saw that Mr.. Randolph had thrown away
h S fire, with a gush of sensibiliy, he IN
stantly approached Mr.. X. and said, with
an emotion ! never can forget, 81 trust
ia God, my dear sir, you are untouched;
after what has occurred, would not have
harmed you for thousand worlds. -
Deeply affected by this scene, could not
refrain from grasp,ag MIR. Clay by the
hand and said, "My good sir, we have
been long separated but, after the events
of to-day. l'ei that we must be friends
forever. we HutS UeeH so.
do not know that should have refer.
red to tits transaction, il did not believe
this last incident had no small influence
on an important public event in Mr.. Clay's
life. allude 20 the celebrated compro-
mise on the action of the tariff of 1928,
by the Senate of South Carolina.
need not recspliulste the circumstan.
ces which preclptated that MEASURE, or
the fearful situation in which the country
was placed; when Mr. Clay and Mr.. Cal
houu, standing as il We're, over the troub
led water, approached nearerto each 9TH
er to still the angry food. Apart from
all public considerations which could ad.
equately find their origin in his own pat
rlolism, | have always believed, although
PRIDE and delieacy have hitherto forbid
IN explanation, that the t'uch Of our
hands on the old balte 6-li, on The bank,
Of the Potomac. was nj without It's NIL
nent- on Mr.. CLAW, when uniting his ex-
e,,lons To those If Mr.. Calhoun, t. com-
pose this Sc m,ngly disastrous quarrel, he
took N anxious asd friendly estimate o.
what he deemed III dlfficult, oil NV own
postum. 8ul in the viclssilude of all hu'
mn things. how strangely The relations