Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-07-13

any negauved and IL Offensive import wholly disavowed
For my part do not believe that Mr.. Randolph used
such language In his speech have no recollection Of
having heard IL The pabshed report Of the speech a.
taken down by the reporters and revised By the speak
err contains nothing Of il Such gasconade was foreign
to Mr. Randolphs Character The occasion was not ono
which thse Of de6ances thrown out which arc
they will be despsed or to get an advantage In extracting
| challenge when there IL design to kill Mr. Randolph
had none OF these views with respect Mr. Clay lie
had no desire to fight him TO hurt him, gain cheap
character by appearing to bully him. He vas above ali
that and bad settled with him bis speech and
wanted no more do no. believe said; but there
was part OF tho speech which might have received q
wrong application and led tho erroneous report part
which applied to quoted passage In Mr. Adamss Pana-
ma message, which he condemned and denounced, and
dared the President and his friends defend His words
we're as reported unrevised ere plant my foo,; here
fling defiance right into his c President ~ teeth; here
throw the gauntlet to him and the braves Of his
peers to come forward and defend these linesr &c
very papable defiance this but vcry different from sum.
mons to personal combat and from what related to
feet OF ndstinct apprehension, and the be re.
gretted as AFTER having main inducing tho
| challenge, the disavowal could not stop
Thus the agreement for the meeting absolute; and
according the expectation Of the Principals tho meet
ing itself would be immediately; but their seconds from
me most audable feelings determined delay IT, with
the hope 10 prevent H. and did keep of week admit
ting to participation in the good work. as being al
ready prvy to the affair and friendly to both pares The
challenge stated no specific ground OF offence specified
no ekcepuonaoie words IL was percmptory and gener
al for an unprovoked attack his mr. Ciay's) c6aac
ter and dispensed with explanations BY alleging that
the notorsy and indsputable existence Of tho injury s
perseded the necessity for them or this demand
was bottomed report Of the words spoken-a verbal
report the full daily publication Of the debates having
not then begun-and was Of character greatly to cIas,
perae Mr. Cayt stated that in the Of the debate
Mr.. Randolph said
"Thata letter hom General Saazar the Mexican Min.
'er al Washington, submitted by the Executive to the
Senate bore the earmark Of having been manufactured
or forged by the Secretary OF State and denounced the
ADMINISTRATION as corrupt coalition between the puritan
A Randolphl held himself personally responsible for all
that he had said" ~ 49,
Thi. vas the report to Mr.. Clay and upon which he
gave the absolute challenge and received the absolute
acceptance. which out all inquiry between the nrn
cpas into the Of the quarrel The seconds deter
mined to open it. and to attempt accommodation, or
peaceable determination o: the difficulty In CONSEQUENCE
General JesuP stated the complaint note to Col Tat
nall, thus
The injury of which Mr. Clay complains consists in his
that Mr. Randolph has charged him having forged or
manufactured paper connected with the Panama mission
he has applied to him in debate epithet of black
leg The explanation which consider Necessary is that
M Randolph declare that he had intention of charging
Mr. Clay either in his public private capacity with forc
ing orfayng paper misrepresentation any fact and
also that the term blackeg intended to apply to
TO this exposition Of the grounds of the complaint, Col
Tatnall answered: WI
Mr.. Randolph informs that the words used by him
IN ocoae were as follows: That thought would be In
my power to show evidence sufficiently presumpys 70
sasiy Charlotte County jury that this invitation was
here-that Salazars letter struck me as
bearing strong likeness in point OF style TO the 9th, pa.
pers did not undertake TO prove this but expressed nv
Suspicion that the fact was So applied the Admins
aeon inc epithet, -dplOmacblack legged Ad-
minsuauon' Mr. Randolph, in giving these words ss
those uttered by him in debate unwilling afford any
explanation as to their meaning and application.
In this answer Mr.. Randolph remained upon his orv;
MI ground OF refusing to of the Senate for
words spoken within it. In other respects the
OF the words actually spoken greatly amelcrated the of
fensive report, Il and Insulting words ",oro;
and f1LsfgHQ being dsayoWed in c,c
used and are not to be found in the published
The speech was bitter philippe and intended t. be So
taxing tor Its point the alleged coalition between Mr. Clay
and Mr. Adams with respect to the election and their eff
forts to get up popular question contrary TO our policy
OF enhancement with foreign nations sending Min
listers TO the Congress Of the American States of nis
origin at the Isthmus Of Panama | heard IL ali ,,d
though sharp and cutting think might been heard
without any manifestation Of resentment by Mr. Clay
The part which he took seriously heart Of hay
ing the Panama invitations manufactured in his Office was
to my mind nothing than attributinu To him d;no
maac superiority which enabled him TO obtain from the
South American Ministers the invitations that he wanted
and not at all that they spurious fbrications A.
TO the expression 'backleg and purau il was merely
sarcasm to strike by .nthesis. aud which, being with
out foundation might have been dsregarded present
ed these views 70 the parties and they had come from
Mr. Randolph might have been sufficient but he was in
oxorable and would authorize word IN hc ala h.
yond what he had written
All hope OF accommodation having vanished the ssc
onds proceeded to arrange for the duel The afernoo
OF Saturday the sh Of April fixed upon for the time
M Viz
gns, above the Little Falls bridge wa, the place nis,o
weapons distance ten each party to he attend
ed by two seconds and surgeon and myself At liberty 10
attend as mutual friend. There TO be no practsn
with pistols and there none and the words conc
two" =" three, stop" after the word Gre " were
by agreement between the seconds and for the humane
purpose Of reducing the result near as possible IN
chance TO be given out in quick succession The Virc;
MIA side Of the Potomac taken the instance Of NJ
Randolph He went out r. Virginia Senator. refusing
to compromise that character and he fell In defence e
its rights, Virginia soil him she chosen ground IN
receive his blood. There was statute of Ibe STAT
against dueng within her limits but he merely went
out to receive fire without returning it. he deemed thai
no lighting, and consequently breach of her
This reason for choosing Virginia could only be explain
cd me- as alone the depository his secret The
weeks delay which the seconds had contved was about
expiring. 1t Friday evening or rather NIGHT vben
went Mr. Clay for the last time before The dnsj
There had been some alienation between US since the time
OF the Presidential election in the House OF Rspresena
tycs and wished TO give evidence that there was moth
ing personal in IT, The family WerO In the parlorcom
p'ny present-and some Of 1t stayed late The youngest
child believe James, went TO sleep on the SOFIA
stance which avaled for purpose the next dav Ms
Clay always since the death OF her daughter ,h
picture Of desolatou but clm convertible and without
the slightest apparent consciousness Of the impendinp
event. When all gone and she also had ei the mar
lo did what came for, and said Mr. Clay that not
outstanding our late political differences my personal
feelings towards him the formerly and that
in whatever concerned his life honor my best wishes
were with him. He expressed his qualification at the visi,
and the declaration and said II was what he would have
| expected Of me. We parted at midnight. -
Saturday the sth OF Aprl-the day for the duel-b.d
come, and almost the hour II noon and the meeting
was TO take place att l2 o'clock. had gone 70 see M
Randolph before the hour aud for q purpose and be.
Sides IL far the way, as he lived hall vay N
Georgetown, and We had to pass through that place 10
the Potomac into Virginia the Little Falls brdee
had heard nothing from him the point Of not ret1pn
ing the FIRE since the first communication TO that effect
eight days before had to doubt the stesdi
ness Of bis determination but felt desire 10 have some
fresh assurance ot AFTER so msny days delay and near
approach Of the trying moment. knew would no. do
TO ask him the queston-auy question which would imply
doubt or his word His sensitive feelings would be hur
am annoyed at It, So fell upon a scheme to get at tho
inquiry without seeming TO make IL. told him Of my
visit Mr. Clay henight beore-o the late sng-the
child asiesp-tbO unconscious tranquility Of Mrs. Clay
| aud added could not help rehecng how different ali
that might be the next night. lie understood me per-
fecy and Immediately said, with quietude Of look and
expression which seemed 20 rebuke unworthy doubt
nIsnN do nothing 10 disinrb MsaIep of f chli or ~.