Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-03-11
Correspondence Of the Mercury.
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, !

WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1852.
The passage at arms between Mr.. Rhctt
and MIR. Clemens commenced Yesterday, and
is continuing to-day. 1t has been 4 very
severe encounter, and the Alabamian, rs is
almost universally conceded, has come of
second best Mr. Rhett commenced very
calmly and dispassionately, considered the
position assumed by the Senator of $50.
and the Senator of 81 He did not indulge
in epithet of abusive terms, hut quoted
largely from the Senator's own speeches,
and more especially, from those in which he
assailed Foote for his apostacy, to prove,
that if he (Mr. R.) were" a traitor" and =" Il
knave," then the assaiant fell under the
same ban. He contcndcd, and Justly, that
the position of Footc and of Clemens was
identically the same, in point of fact, ouly
ehe former had the priority. That, therefore,
in these exposlions of the position of Footc,
made before his conversion to Compromis-
ing, Mr. Clemens had portrayed precisely
his own present position. He then coIated
copious extracts from these full of bitter
denunciation and withcring invectivc, in
which terms the most unmcasured were en-
ployed to signify his scorn Of any thing
like the Compromise of principle which
formed the basis of the Compromise.
These points were made SO strongly, and
the evidence adduccd was so conclusive Of
the trucking inconsistency Of the man who
now so 6ereey assailed those who stood
firm in the faith he had apostatizcd from,
that the effect was crushing. The audis7ce,
though unwilling to sympathize with "the
- n..I adv In,
overwhelming character of the retort, and
the utter discontinue Of the newly tledged
Unionist. He, himself, too, was conscious
Of the position in which he had been placed,
but strove to blusts7 it out Unable to an
swer by argument, or avert the weight Of
his own admissions, falling like an avalanche
on his head, he burst forth into storm Of
fierce and passionate invective. Ribaldry.
ridicule and coarse scurrility constituted his
reply he sought to divert attention from
his own inconsistencies BY making side is
sues of a personal character. In short he
followed again in the footsteps OF MIR.
Foote, in making just sucha speech as that
individual was wont to make, when III Il par
ticularly tight place. The language cm-
ployed was such as is seldom heard beyond
bar-rooms, or such other places Of public
resort, and if Senatorial, why the Senate
had better transfer its sessions to some such
congenial place:
The Southern Press, Of this morning,
sternly reprobated the character of that dis
cussion, and referred to the fact that such
scenes would not be tolerated IN the Coun-
ellis of the Indian Savages. 1t further in
timated, that if they were to be repeated,
lessons might be learnt from those aborigi-
nal Legislators. 1t IS to be hoped that this
point may be servneable; but the press
throughout the country, would do well to
stamp with reproba,ien, these pititul resorts
to abuse and scurrility, in default of better
materials for response. The apology set up
by Clemens for his course, is, that Mr. Rhc,t
introduced personalities in his rejoindcr, es-
pccialIy in referring to matters connected
with his course at home, and charges brought