The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-06-15
Our Washington Correspondence.

| Our Washington Correspondence.
WARRINGTON, June l3, 1880
SOme .aceos~t ef the Tascs Cerics, DeporsSx and RI
dicuioss Scene in the Senate To- Day.
The friends of Mr. Clay have dreaded collision be
| tween him and Col Benton. They have admonishst
Mr. Clay that one object of Col Benton. would proba
be to get him into personal controversy for the pur
pose Of delaying or nterruptipg the regular proceed
iBgs upon the compromise bill Mr. Clay has been
therefore very circumspect and very discreet in tn
discussion Of all points with Col. Benton until thi
morning, when he was diverted of the track Of tn
bill, and hurried away into the very thing which
had been most desi to avoid-a quarrel with Col
Benton, up TO the fighting point
On the prese naton OF the California institution
with the message Of the President in February last
Mr Clay and Mr.. Benton hand In hand for ths
instant admission of California separate measure
and far did they agree that Mr. Benton moved the
message be referred to special committee and that
Mr. Clay should be the chairman This was brothsrly
love. Then it was that Mr.. clemens, of Alabama
thought a miracle had come to light The prophs
had predicted the day when the lion and the lamb
should lie down together and however he might have
doubted it before, that the great ger and
the great embodiment, Thomas IL. Benton and Henry
Clay, were found together in secret oommu MON
nothing seemed too incredible to defy belief.
But Mr. Clay soon discovered that California by her.
self was impractcable He surrendered to the
sity Of bined bill, Was made the chairman of the
has been conducting the measure through senate
with such skill and ability as to command the respect
even OF his most violent enemies and the unbouned
admiration VI his friends. tie has among other things
thus far with tact and adroitnsss defeated the tactics
and he arguments OF MIR. Benton, without suffering
himself to be diverted into controversy outside of the
merits 81 the bill.
The proceedings Of the day, however while they H.
lusIate the uLcessng vigilance Of his opponent,
that the Senator from Kentucky has his
hey ond which he for bear crossing swords aud
shiverins lance or two with mis- adversary And in
deed npt sho t1ft he ofs paul Mi
withstand in silence repe with isdifence. the
cessiveiy irritating language and manner OF the Sena
tor from Missouri His whole bearing, his imperious
voice and the merciless emphasis Of his language defy
any thing sht IT OF the meek and passive H. Seward
Henry Clay knows very we'll that ef all men he is per-
baps the last man to submit to such things
To gves birdseye view Of the quarrel to-day, lot
very briefly reca pit ulate it from the beginning.
firstof all, Nj Clay presented the proceedings Of
late mass meeting in St Louis. with some remarks
the sentiments Of the people. which brought Mr. Ben
ton into the controversy and quite spicy debate
the result.
Secondly, Mr. W. H. Seward, in some romark ks upon
the scndments to trke out all relating TO the Texas
boundary ON the bill charged that, by the combins
ton OF all the measures included in the PROMISE
the action OF the Senate upon the business VI egsa
tions had been delayed
Mr. Clay repeiled the accusation, and charged upon
the minority opposing the bill and upon their attempts
of various Kinds to defeat it, the waste OF time OF which
the friends OF the measure had just right to
plain. As the discussion went on,
Mr. Benton lsctured the Senator from Kentucky, for
assuming the privilege to lecture the Senate and to
Justify the opponents of this bill In their opposition,
he read strong SPEECH Of Mr. Clay. made in February
last in favor Of California by herself The speech
published in the Republic yesterday and up to this
publication. II seems the of
Mr. Benton The Republic. therefore, Is entitled to the
credit Of furnishing the ammunition for the grand
onset. to-day. in the Senate upon Henry Clay
After reading the speech Of Mr.. Clay through Mr..
Benton di sectcd It, commenting with tremendous en-
phass upon every salient point In Mr. Csy's remarks
Mr. BENror-The Senator from Kentucky goes on,
sir and says =" But do not think 1t would be right
to embrace In general motion the question of the xd
mission Of California, and all the other subjects which
treated OF by the resolutions upon the tsbleths
subject for example of the Of territorial
goverpm nts; the subject OF the establishmen Of
boundary line for Texas and the proposition TO
pensste Texas for the surrender Of territory say,
sir do not think IL would be right to confound to
combine all these subjects, and to throw them be-
tore one COMMITTEES, to be acted upon together l
think the subject Of the admission Of CAlifor.
mia ought to be kept separate and dsatinct"-
Yes sir he says he does not think II would be- right
to embrace sli these subjects in one bill And he
repeats IL that be does not think would be right
What IL not right air, must be wrong; and because IL
would BE- wrong to mix them together in this congo-
meratop he the admission Of California ought
be kept separate-ought to be kept separate tin very
| lcpd fos. ef y@ic~)
Mr.. CL4s-dn an under tone)- Any glass breaking
kept separate lie then what We see nov, tSs
procrastinstion. the dsls,, and, than sIl tbs
uncertainty which must follow this conglomsration.
(Nr Bsptons veice ~ the highest PitchJ Yes sir no
forssav then
Mr. CLAu-A little louder
Mr. Bssros-what Q see now, this DELAY
Mr.. CLu-A little louder
Mr., BHsTos This procrastinAtion this uncertainty,
be "a most bitter, aerce, and merciless lecture from
beginning TO end
hr Clay evidently struggled to keep himself cool.
and rather playfuy opened his reply, lie explained
the powerful reasons which had induced him aban-
don his original ground, and then changing from the
to the Offensive charged that in tho Of
the Missouri campaign last summer. Mr. Bsnton was
opposed 20 the admission Of California ms State
own that 1 have changed my original ground.
Mr. BError-A little louder,
~. a. I.t.s. A.k iii
ly chow the reasons which controlled me &c. &c
Mr. BrsroS replied BY reading from published let
ting California q State frem the day that Congress
adjourned without giving her territorial government
and thought that before an accusation Is made. the
proof ought to be ON hand to support It,
This was the turning point TO the whole controvsr-
~. And ve believe II st this criss that member
Of the House, nom the State Of Missouri handed to
Mr.. Clay letter addressed by j. W. Reed To Hon Mr.
Gren. Of Missouri. In which Mr. Reed says, that In
several private conversations last spring With Mr.
Benton be heard Mr. Benton declare himself tor vari.
GUS reasons opposed TO admitting California a. State
Mr. Clay vas willing to take the simple denial Of the
Senator IRON Missouri against this letter but he read
IL to show that he had made tn. accusation against
the Senator without some foundation In testimony
Mr.. bs-ros, (~rought up to q towering pA-sonl. said
the senator nom Kentucky would not get sn that
way snd Indignantly and yet very deliberately N
webbing svery vors cited the Lac Of libel. held Mr.
Clay ss the author sf ,hs letter In being ubshsr
In the Senate, and denounced II Infamous cslunny
G. Order" ~ord.r'l brand it as aniinf.mOus ca.
with iron hot from the are Of the furnace (rhs
vice-Pr.sidsnt called to ord.r)
Mr.. cis,-I send back IN. caiumny to its source,
Nth .corn and contempt TO be put In the cssket With
his other cslum nes
Mr. Br.rOs-oh, y,.: yOu may send !, back bu. you
got nrst G. Cries of " Order" " order,f1
AsprsTos.-well. this II q shameful scene.
Mr. Bsrror.-Yes. ~ is most dan nsble
General murmuring over the Senate chamber.
Mr. Wsrsrss. very greatly mortified at this anairJ
eyprcssed bis determination hereafter TO his vigil
lance 20 prevent the recurrence. of such scenes
hr. Has put in q fev jocoss remarks To- the sgs
at which senstors are to be permitted these speca
privileges; after which n " utterly useless to
conpnue In session any longer the senate adjourned
Now IRON this running account of this ridiculous
affair, u viii Be thai Mr Clay In the nrst place
laid himself open TO attack and that In rvp~ing the
attack BY reading that letter he only made In. matter
worse His Intentions vers peac-tu but his discre-
Ton ~as st fauit He vas provoked b. yond forbesr
ancs but that is the very point witch sdvsay
viii watch his advantage. We think the members of
the Houss have busbss TO interior. In the qusrrels
OF the senate, and the friesc Of Mr. Clay from the
House; hsd opiy kept his letter TO hm-~if the row
would not nave occurred to-da Let the members
Of the House attend TO their squsbbss, and tbey
viii have enough TO do Tsey have right to 60
over and tick up . fuss In the Senate