New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-12
The Martyr C,lley,-Mr. Clay

People.
THE Martyr Ciliey'-mr. Clay
10 the Albany Argus of Tuesday lin accord
anoe with the hubi,usl tone and teachings Of thai
paper we find the following extracts from
speech at Granville by the Hon. 10. S. Boswofth
of this City;
cams e eos the TnIed States senuie bid
city Of Martin Van Buren, TO I'LL this mission with credit 70 inc
s sSun..y hi, moral chSacef No Fedem. d ~ IL
1 in a sSen 70
been instrumental sending hurnan beng To an untmey
,io Ss: no so nor orphan eSaren e fi
dreams # '0sen HFd POI n ee cold i bo
ixdieae the character Of James Watson be00 10 DC eaed
gentleman
Now this attack on Mr.. Clay because of his
vote against confirming Mr. Van Buren, as Minis
ter to England might just as well have been
directed against Mr.. Calhoun, or any one of the
eminent Loco. Focos who voted 10 reject him.
Mr. Bosworth knows very well that Mr. V. B
was rejected on account of the unpatriotic and
understandable instructions he gave to Louis
M,Lane, former Minister TO England, to urge
upon the British Government that the Admins
tration (of Adams and Clay which set up such
high pretensions with regard 10 the West India
Trade was out of power, and thatts assumptions
OUGHT no, to be remembered 10 the prejudice Of
the new Administration. To reprohate ihis most
extraordinary and I'M National sentiment, Messrs
Clay Webster, Frelinghuysen and other Wings,
voted to reject MIR. Van Buren,, as did Mr.. Cal
houn and several Loco Focos. Il became MIR.
Bosworth, then, to meet their objection, and not
pretend ignorance OF it's existence.
And now to the Ciley Duel, 50 magnanlmous
" thrust into the discussion as matter OF re
proach TO Mr.. Clay by this Loco-Foco llbeler and
BLACKBOARD. What had MIR. Clay TO do with 1t :
Let us recall the history:
Jonathan Cilley of Maine and VIM. j. Graves
of Kentucky entered Congress together on the
opening of the session in December, 1887. Mr.
Graves was Wing, Mr.. Cilley Loco-Foco
They had no acquaintance nor intercourse with
each o,her-of course, no difference Mr. Cilley
WIS an ardent, ambitious aspiring young man ;
Mr.. Graves cunstitutionally reserved and retiring
On the 18th of February, 1885, MIR. Cilley made
a speech rejecting very severely on j. w. webb
of TIE Courier and Enquirer. MIR. Webb prompt
" repaired to Washington and wrote perfectly
courteous and pacific note, asking an explanation
of the offensive language. This note ne asked
MIR. Graves to hand to Mr.. Cilley, and Graves
twho had recently been in this city, and been
treated with signal attention and hospitality by
the Wings here, and by Col, Webb among the
number) complied with the request Ci!ey de-
clined to receive the note; Mr.. Graves inquired
The grounds of this refusal. Cilley replied $50
MIR. Graves distinctly understood him) thst he
.,i6 not choose to be drawn into controversy win
Editors for what he might see fit TO say as hep
,esentstiye on the floor of Congress-and that
he did not rest his nonrecep,ion of the letter on
anv personal objection 10 Col Webb as gentle
VA, Mr.. Graves considered himself in duty
bound to be satisfied with these reasons, received
back the letter, and considered the affair al an
end. He asked, to avoid any future mislepfs-
sentation from other parties, that Mr. Ciley shouid
reduce his reasons to writing to which ne under
stood Mr. C. to assent, and they parted in perfect
kindness and mutual regard.
Most unfortunately, MIR. Ciey now fell into the
hands of bad advisers, and was induced TO refuse
statement in writing OF the reasons ne had given
verbally. The expected note did not reach MIR.
Graves. He wrote one stating the substance
IN. conversation, as ne had understood It, and
asking Cilley ii this was correct. Mr. Cilley de
MED that he had said any thing of the sort. he
had only, he said, refused Webb's note because
he chose TO be drawn into controversy with
him, adding that he meant no dlsrespect TO MIR.
Graves.
Here was MIR. Graves al once involved IN
dilemma BY want of candor on the part OF ms
opponent. Webb was good enough for Clley to
abuse, but not good enough to receive any expa
nation OF that abuse and this, not because of
Mr.. CilIey's position as Member of Congress
but because the man who had wantonly assailed
hirr =" did not choose TO be drawn into contro-
VI. with him :" Obviously, the man should
NJ, thought OF this before he made the first at
.as1 If il had been a black waiter at an oys-
,e,.cs.Isr whom he had thus ass,iled, he osght 10
bsy,, bs, n wiling to answer civil note inquir
from him.
But the unexpectedresponse of CilIoy to Graves
mad according to the least absurd portion OF the
laws of honor, so called now inextr'cabi,
;nvo,ved Mr.. Graves. Ii was idle for Cley to
aisdsin in empty words intentional d'srespect to
n, c,sy.s Ever since there were any law