Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1853-12-09
AMMO 1870 JOHN q. ADAMS,
PRESIDENT BETWEEN
NH. CLAY AND MIR, RANDOLPH,

Il was Saturday. the first day Of
April. toward. noon, the senate not
lbslng that day Ia session, that Mr,
llstnloiph eamp 10 my room. .at Browns
,llulnl, and without explaining the
.feaaoa Of the question: asked me u |
,waa the blood relation Of Mira. clayY |
answered that WIS, and he immedi.
wtpIy replied that that pat an end 10
~ request that ho had wished 10 make
of me, aad lhun went pn 10 toll ma
that he had just received challenge
from Mr. cIay--had accepted it-waa
auady 70 90 out-and would apply 10
Col. 'rantall to be- hts second, Before
leaving. he told mo he would make my
lboaom the depository OF u seeroI which
he should commit 10 no other perponi u
was, that he did not Intend To lire Ut
Mr. Clay. lie told Il because he wan.
ted WITNESS OF his lntenlion, and did
not mean To tell II 10 hs second, or
anybody else; anI enjolned invlolablo
secrucy until the duel was over, This
was The frat notice had OF the affair,
The reum.tanee> Of tho delivery OF
Che challenge heard lrom dsn, jesup,
Mr.. clay's second. and they were 40
perfectly characteristics Of Mr.. Ran.
lolph. that give them IN detail, aud
In the generals own words;
81 was unable 10 see Mr., Randolph
until the morning Of tho first OF April,
when | called on him for the purpose
of delivering the note. Previous 10
preaensng Il, however. | thought Il
proper 10 aseerlain from Mr.. Randolph
himself whether the Information which
Mr.. Clay had reeelyed-lhat he con.
sidered himself personally accountable
for the attack on him, WAS correct, |
accordingly informed Mr., Randolph
that / was the bearer Of message
from Mr. Clay, IN consequence OF an
attack which he had made upon his
lprivats ss we'll rs public character In
the scnate-lhat | was aware no one
had a right 70 question him out of the
senate for anything said in debate. un.
less he chose voluntarily to waive his
privileges as a member of that body
Mr.. Randolph replied, that the consti
,stulion did protect him. but he woult
never shield hipaself under such sub
Herfuge as the pleading OF his privilege
as asenator from Virginia; that he die
held himself accountable To Mr.. Clay
but he said that gentleman had frs
two pledges 10 .redeem-one, that h,
had bound himself 10 fight any mem
.ber OF the house OF Representatives wh'
should acknowledge himself the au.
thor OF a certain publication in a phila-
delphia paper; and the other that h'
stood pledged to establish certain fact
IN regard 10 great man, whom hs
,wonld not name; but. he added, h,
could receive no verbal message
from Mr.. Clay--that any message
from him must be in writing. | re
piled. that was not authorized BY
Mr.. Clay toenter into, or receive, any
Serbalexplanatiens-that the inquiries
i had made for my own satisfaction
auu pun ny WV tespohsioiAsI
the only message of which | was bear
or, was in writing.
IL then presented the note and re
marked that i knew nothing of Mr.
Clay's pledges; but that if they existed
as he (Mr. Randolph) understood
them, and he was aware of them when
he made the attack complained of, he
could not avail himself Of them-thal
by making the attack, thought he had
waived them. himself. He said he had
not the remotest intention of taking
advantage of the pledges referred to-
that he had mentioned them merely to
remind me that he was waiving hi:
privilege, not only as senator from
Virginia, but as a private gentleman
that he was ready to respond to Mr.
Clay, and would be obliged to me if
would bear his note in reply-and tina
he would, in the course ofthe day, lool
ont for friend. declined being tn,