Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-07-12

penoence OF debate the privileges oil the Senate,
the immunity of member, and the sanctity the |
Con titution. TWAS point which Mr.. Clay felt;
and the explanation which was lad between the |
mutual friends presented an excuse, If not justi-l
fication for his proceeding. Heshad beeninlorm-I
ed that Mr.. Randolph in his speech, had ayowed
his responsibility to MI. Clay. and waived his.I
privilege thing which, if it had been done,i
would have been defiance, and stood foran inyi-I
tation 10 Mr.. Clay to send a challedge. Mr. Ran
doph, through Col. Tatnall, tisayowed that inn
puted avowal, and confined his waiver of privil-
eye 10 the time of the delivery of the challenge,
and in answer to an-inquiry before it was deliver
ed.
The following are communications between the
respective seconds on this point;
elm regard to the protest with which Mr.. Ran
dolphs note concludes, it is due to Mr.. Clay 10
say that he had been informed Mr.. Randolph did,
and would, hold himself responsible TO him for
any observations he might make in relation to
him; and that Gen. Jes9pl distinctly under
note of Mr.. Clay, that he waived his privilege as
Senator.'
To this Col. Tatuall replied:
GAS this expression (did and would hold himself
responsible, &c.) may be construed to mean that
MIR. Randolph had given this iLtimatlon not only
before called upon, but in such a manner us to
throw out to Mr.. Clay something like an invitation
to make such CALI have, on the part of MIR.
Randolph, 10 disayow any dispositions when ex-
pressing his readiness to waive his privilege as
Senator from Virginia, to invite, in any case, a
call upon him for personal satisfaction. The IN
Guiding paragraph of your note, presume, is in
tended to show merely that you did not present a
note, such as that of Mr.. Clay 10 Mr.. Randolph,
until you had ascertained his willingness to waive
his privilege as Senator. This infer, as twas
in your recollection that the expression of such
readiness on the part of Mr.. Randolph was in re-
ply TO aninquiry on that point made by yourself.'
Thus an irriting circumstance in the affair was
virtually negatved, and its offensive import wholly
disavowed. For my part, donoi believe that Mr.
Randolph used such langra age in his speech. l
have no recollection of having heard it. The pub
lished report OF the speech as taken down by the
reporters and not revised by the speaker contains
nothing of it. such gasconade was foreign TO Mr..
Randoiph's character. The occasion was not one
| in which these sort of defances are thrown out,
which are either TO purchase cheap reputation
when 1t IS known they will be desplsed, or
to get an advantage i'll extracting challenge
| when thele is design to kill. Mr.. Randolph had
none of these views with respect to Mr. Clay. He
had no desire TO fight him or to hurt him, or gain
cheap character by appearing 10 bully him. He
was above all that, and had settled accounts with
| him in his speech, and wanted no more. do not
believe il was said; but there part of the
speech which might have received wrong aPpli-
cation, and led to the erroneous report: a part
which applied TO quoted passage in MI. Adams
Panama message, which he condemned and de-
nounced, and dared the President ant his friends
to defend. His words were, as reported unrevi-
sed: tHere Ipant my foot; hese fling defiance
right into his Che Presidenrs) teeth; here throw
| the gauntletto hin end the bravest of his COM
peers to come forward and defend these lines
n very pululnDle ueIlance tnlS, DuL very ult-
ierent from summons to personal combat, and
from what W as related to Mr.. Clay. 1t was un-
fortunate report doubtless the effect of an indisA
tlnct apprehension, and the more 10 be regretted
as, alter having been the main cause inducing the
challenge, The disavowal could not stopti..
| Thus the agreement for the meeting was abso-
Lutte; and, according to the expectation of the
principles, the meeting itself would be immedi-
ately; but their seconds, from the most laudable
feelings, determined TO delay it, with the hope 10
prevent it, and did keep it off week, admitting
to me participation in the good work, as being
already privy TO the affair and friendly to both par
ties. The challenge stated no specific ground of
offence, specified no unexceptionable words. II
was peremptory and general, for an Compromised
attack on his (Mr. Clays) character" and it dis
pensed with explanations by alleging Ina. the no.
to1ety and indisputable existence OF The injury SUI
perseded the necessity for them OF course this
demand was bottomed on report of the words
Spoken--a verbal report, the full daily publication
of the.debateS having not then begun--and
of character greatly to exasperate Mr.. Clay. 1t
stated that in the course of The debate Mr.. Ran
dolph said:
"That letter from General Saazar. the Next
can Minister at Washington, submitted by the Ex-
ecutive to the Senate, bore the ear-ark of having
been manufactured or forged by the Secreta OF
State, and denounced the Administration as cor
rupt coalition between the puritan and the black
| leg: and added, at the same time, that he (Alr.
Randolph) held himself responsible for oil he had
| said.' ~
| This was the report 10 Mr.. Clay, and upon
wnlCn ne gave the absolute chnlIenge, anu recelv-
ed the absolute acceptance, which shut out all in
quiry between the principles into the causes ofthe
quarrel. The seconds determined TO open it, and
| 10 attempt an accommodation, or peaceable de-
termination OF the difficulty. In consequence,
| General Jessup stated the complaint in note to
| Col. Tatnall, thus:
'The injury of which Mr.. Clay complains con-
sists in this, that Mr.. Randolph had charl ed him
with having forged or manufactured paper Lcou
| nected with the Panama mission; also, that he has
applied TO him in debate the epithet of blackleg.
The explanation which i consider necessary is
hat MIR. Randolph declare that he had no inten-
ton of charging Mr.. Clay, either in his public or
private capacity with forging or fnlsifying any pa
per, or misrepreSenting any act and also that the
term blsck-leg was not intended to apply to him.,
To this exposition OF the grounds ofthe COM
plant, Col. Tatnall answered:
"Mr. Randolph informs me the words used
| by him in debate were as follows: THAT thought
it would be in my power 10 show evidence suf-
ficently presumptve 10 satisfy a Charlotte (coun-
ty) jury that thisi invitation was manufactured
here-that Salazars letter struck me as bearing
strong likeness in point of style 10 the other pa
pcrs. did not undertake 10 prove this, but ex-
pressed my suspicion that the factwas so. ] APP
pied to the administration the epthet puritanic-
diplomatic black legged Administrations Nh Ran
dupb, in giving these words as those uttered by
lin in debate, is unwilling to afford any expla-
nation as to their meaning and APPLICATION
In this answer Mr. Randolph remained upon
his original ground of refusing TO answer out of the
Senate for words spoken in it.. In other respects
the statement otthe words actually spoken great
~ amellorated the offensive report, the coarse and
insulting words, '.forging and faisitying,' being
disavowed, as in factthey were not used, and are
not 10 be found in the published report. The
speech was, better philippine, and intended 10 be
so. taking for its point the alleged coalition be-
tween Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Adams with respect to
the election, and their efforts TO get up popular
question contrary to our policy ofDon-entangle-l
ment with foreign nations, IN sending ministers TO
the Congress The American States OF Spanish orr
ginat the;lsthmus [ + Panana. Il heard il all, and
though sharp and cutting, think itinight have
been heard without any manifestation of resent
mentby Mr.. Clay. The part which he took so
seriously to heart, that of having the Panama in
vitntions manufactured in his Office, was tony