Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-03-23


seconds, and make such an example as shall deter
others from producing a repetition of this shock
ing catastrophe.
An eloquent sermon was preached in the House
of Representatives, to-day, i'll which an affecting
and appropriate allLson made to this melan-
choly affair. The tears trckled down the check
of the venerable Mr.. Adams who was present.
We rejoice to see the wing press treat the above
shocking affair" and those 'who could see those
boys try to murder each other" with becoming Sc
verify. If there is any character on earth we
ought to despise, it is the man who "went to the
cited field, for double murder armed" Nothing
that has disgraced and cursed our county, is more
shocking to the truly moral and religious part Of
community, than its duels 1t is affecting to think
of them, and still more so to speak Of them; but
when men request the honor and advantage Of our
vote it is our duty to inquire what claims have
they to such honor, and whether the principles of
morality and religion will allow US to assist in put
ting them in places Of power. In our remarks on
this subject, we hope to be guided by sacred re-
gard for truth, and to constantly remember that
we must meet what We say before the Maker and
Judge of all men. We inquire then, has the con-
duct of Henry Clay kn such as should prevent
every conscientious hamfrom giving hiubllis vote?
According to the statement Of George d. Prem
tice, the particular friend and biographtr of Mr.
Clay it appears, that when member of the Ken
lucky Legislature, he challenged Mr.. Marshall
"The challenge was accepted. The parties met
and the first shot exchanged without other ef~
feet than slight wound to Mr.. Marshall On the
nd IA ir1t riol Mr. eli
flesh wound in the leg, and the seconds now inter
fered and prevented continuance of the conbat.'
This is the statement of friend who is now la
boring for Mr.. Cay's promotion, by which it APP
pears that he was the challenger, and that two or
three times he deliberately attempted to take the
| life of fellow man.
In 1926, when Mr.. Clay was Speaker of the
House of Representatives, something appeared in
a paper published in Philadelphia, supposed to be
written by member of the House, at which he
took offence, and published card in the newspa-
pers which concluded with the following sentence:
81 pronounce the member whoever he may be,
base and Infamous caumniator, bastard and
liar; and if ne dares unveil himself and avow his
name, will hold him responsible as here admit
myself to be, to all the laws which govern and reg
ulate the conduct of men of honor.-H. CLAY"
1t is true, no duel grew out of this affair, but it
was not because Mr. Clay was not ready to fight.
But is the man, who, when occupying such a sta
ton, thus hurls defiance at the laws of God and
man, fit to be trusted with the dcstinies of this
great nation'
After this Mr.. Clay was appointed Secretary of
State, and took the following oath:-"l Henry
Clay do solemnly swear that will support the
Constitution '6fgthe United States SO HELP NE
GoD." Part of the Constitution which Mr.. Clay
thus swore to support, says respecting the Sena-
tors and members of the House of Representa-
tves, that ''for any speech or debate in either
House, they shall not be questioned in any other
place." and yet while under the solemn obligations
of that oath, Mr.. Clay sent a challenge to John
Randolph of Roanoake, for a remark which Mr..
Randolph made in a speech in his place in the
Senate Had Mr.. Clay been private citizen, this
challenge would have been violation Of the Con-
stituon; but being Secretary of State, and sworn
to support the Constitution as we have seen, he
added to that the crime of perjury. BY the news
papers it appears that Mr.. Randolph accepted the
challenge and met him on the Sth of April, and
that on the word ''fre" being given for the second
shot, "Mr. Clay raised his pistol and fired, and
the ball passed through Mr.. RandoIph's clothes;''
but this gray headed, feeble old man, was too gem
erous to take Mr.. CIay's life, because he had q
wife and children; and Preserved his fire, holding
his pistol perpendicuarly up, said, Il do not fire
at you Mr.. Clay and discharged his pistol in the
air." But according to his Biographer'S account,
it was not for want of malice, or deadly aim that
the blood of Mr.. Randolph does not stain Mr..
Clay's hands. He says: elm due time the parties
fired, and luckily for both of them, at least for
Mr.. Clay, Mr. Randolph's life was saved by his
gown. The unseemIy garment constituted such a
vast circumference that the locality of the thin
and swarthy SENATOR was at least matter of We
ry vague conjecture. Mr.. C. might as well have
fired into the outspread top of an oak, in the hope
of hitting bird he supposed to be snugly perched
somewhere among the branches. His ball hit the
centre of the visible object but Randolph was not
there, and of course the shot ddno harm and no
good' Here is evidence sufficient to satisfy eve
ny unprecedented mind, that Mr.. Clay made two de-
liberate efforts to murder his fellow men, and in
neither instance could he plead, us some others
have, that he was obliged to accept the challenge
or be called coward for in both instances he
gave the challenge himself. But since these trans
actions Mr. CLAW has been candidate for office