Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-26
PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS.

|
In the Senate Thursday, Mr. MANGUM asked
the indulgence of the Senate to allow to him to
make apersonal explanation. friend yesterday
placed IN his hands newspaper into which he
Dut seldom looked. in which paper appeared let
ter from Washington containing most unustifa-
BILE assault upon him. He was not5 apt to notice
| such things ordinarily; but when there was evil
dence showing that they proceeded from higher
| authority than usual newspaper assaults he des-
red to notice it.
The paper was the New York Express. In this
letter 1t was charged that he had entered into
| coalition with the Senator from New York, (Mr.
SEwARD,) and that it was formed at dinner parties
with that Senator. This was false. He was charged
also with having been governed in certain recent
positions assumed by him with an aspiration for
| certain high office. This was false also.
| There another charge of more serious
character; it was that he had been guilty ofvenal-
| ty. That it had been arranged in a private eau
Gus with the Senator from New York that he was
to be placed in the chair at a certain assemblage
| and was to decide certain questions in particular
manner. His colleague knew that what he had
| recently statedas his opinion upon the Preside ncy
had been his convictions for more than a wear. -
And there was not Senator in the body who had
less influence upon his actions or opinions than
the Senator from New York, and that fact that
Senator would doubtless verify on oath He pro-
nounced the statements and allegations contained
in that letter to be false in the aggregate and in de-
tail; and he made this declaration with full avow-
al OF his responsibility to sustain it.
There was an attempt made in an editorial in
the same paper to smother up the author of it by
abiding to him as an occasional correspondents,
and as one who had been in Washington only a
part of the winter &c.
lie had no doubt as to who the author of that let
ter was On recent occasion he had heard the
identical language used in this Chamber; the
same thoughts uttered, and the same ideas thrown
out that were contained in this very letter in the
ErpresS He pronounced the statement made in
that letter by its author false in every particular
so far as they related to him.
When half way mendicant of an editor goes
about and gathers up such stuff to parade before
the public, there might be some excuse found for
him; but when one, who, by the freaks of fortune
is thrown into official position, and into places of
higher authority, there can be no apology for his
conduct.
Mr.. M. commented severely upon the conduct
of the alleged author of the letter. as one who by
his position, suddenly acquired, was enabled to 90
around to dinner parties, DC, and abuse hospi-
tally by disclosing what he heard and saw, and
who assumed dignity and Importance rolling
up and down the Avenue in his carriage, with
llveried servants, &c. did not deserve the counte-
nance and respect extended to all men of honor,
but should be kicked out of all society,"
He had no doubt as to who the author of that let
Ter was. He was one of the editors of the paper:
and that author pronounced guilty of one of
the most mendacions ofcaumnes and one utterly
lost to all sense of honor and propriety That au-
thor, said he, take to be member of the House
OF Representatives.
The CHAIR said the Senator was out of order.
Mr. MANGUM said he knew he was ont ofo,
der, but he was done.
REPLY OF Mr.. BRooKs.--In the House of Rem
resentatives, Friday, Mr.. Brooks having obtained
leave to make a personal explanation, went on to
explain the reasons why he fetcompeed to rise for
THIS personal explanation, he could in no other
way make the record in his Justification called for
by the record made yesterday in the Congresson-
al Globe, against him, in the explanation
Of the senator from North Carolina No news
paper comment upon that speech could be
transmitted to posterity-as this charge against |
nm would be, unless it was set at rest by a coun-
ter-eXplanation on his part of the official record
lie had little respect for that sort of chiyalry
which took remarkable care to measure its words |
by rules torbidding all possibility of personal of
fence being given, in its disagreement with gentle
men representing districts wherein public opinion
Justies another resort, and grows furiousy belli-
gerent and vugaily vituperative and abusive in its
''affalrs' with nothern representatives. He then |
called attention to his declaration, made when he
first took his place member, concerning his
temporary diconnection with all that might APP
pear III the columns of the New Y ork Express: and
explained the many embarrassments under which
he had labored in the Hall, owing to his connection
with the press when not here He had taken every
opportunity to prevent personal attacks upon mem
oers OF the House in his paper since he held a
seat on the floor. In the matter of this letter. he
remarked that he had seen it in manuscripts as it
had been written by another, and then went on to
show that he could in no way be properly held re
sponsble for its views for those of the editorial
which Cd L. I.
read in full until this morning in the Globe.
In commenting on the epithets which Mr.
MANGUM had seen fit to apply to him. MIR. b.,
he reviewed the difficulty of understanding lust
what constituted gentleman, and maintained
that few persons agreed in opinion on this point,
while it was certain that society at large differed
very slightly as 10 what did not constitute gen
tleman~ Thus he believed that, by very general
consent, it was written down that the man who
comes fresh from the billingsgate of the bacchan-
allan orgies of some midnight revel to yomt his
bile IN the Senate against member of Congress-
in another house, could, least of all. claim to be
as gentleman.
Mr.. b next reviewed the many charges made
against him heretofore, and argued that the most
important was the allegation that he had actually
married southern lady, unless it might be Mr.
Mangum's allegation that he was guilty of actual
~ keeping carriage which was driven on Penn
syivania avenue by negro servant in livery
lhongh he had been so confined by his labors as
to prevent him from putting his foot in his car
rage more than three times since he had had it,
he would not leave this branch OF the onslaught
On him without declaring that he would much
rather stand guilty of having a negro in livery to
lrive him, than himself to accept the place of a
southern driver an abolition Lcery to team head
ng for the presidency. Applause.
The Speaker here raped to order.
Nh. B., continuing, next apologzed for and with
lrew his former censure upon the Southern mem
'ers of the House for faultering in insisting on
having compromise wing candidate for the Presi-
lency. Those who had remained in the caucus,