Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-04-19
CONGRESSIONAL nELL,eEREser.

heTs ol Congress since that between Mr.. I'll
lev and Mr.. Graves IN 1887. In 1912 oe-
CURED difficulty between sIs. Wise and Mr..
Stanly. which would probably have produced
duel. but for the arrest of both parties and
their being bound over to keep the peace
The uext serious difficulty was between Mr..
Yancy Of Alabama, and Mr.. Clingaan. Of
North Carolina Mr. y gave Mr.. G. per-
sonal affront during the discussions on the
annexation Of Texas. and when appealed to
for explanations. made the pointed reply. Eek
plantations elsewhere" They were demanded
elsewhere. and not being satisfactory. meet
ing and exchange Of shots took place. without
damage to either combatant
The next affair was that between Mr.
Stanly and Mr. Inge. Of Alabama. The lat
ter gave the insult. refused to reiract. was
challenged, and accepted. Afteran exchange
Of shots. without execution. the parties ware
satisfied"
Probably, the next affair in the order Of
time was the personal quarrel between Mr.
Benton and Mr.. Butler, in which. after the
elie" was given with great acrimony Of man
ner in tho Senate, challopge was given, but
the difficulty was adjusted By apologies ard
regrets
During the excitement which ended with
the compromise Of 1850, two personal affairs
arose which nearly approached duel and
produced profound sensation. The first
was that between Col Bissell, Of Illinois. and
Col. Jefferson Davis Col Bisscll bad made
one of the most impressive speeches ever
heard il the House 90 the sectional question.
during which be denounced, With much sever
ity, certain pretension advanced in behalf Of
the Mississippi troops, 10 tho battle Of Buena
Vista Col Davis, then in the Senate had
commanded that regiment in the battle lie
demanded retracton OF the assertions Of
Col. Bissell. A correspondence ensued,
which ended, in a challenge and its accept
ansc The weapons selected were muskets,
and the Eight would certainly have taken place
bad not the parties and their friends very ep
portunsly discovered that they we're quarrel
ling about nothing at all
In the spring of 1860, Mr.. Ducr, Of New
York, said be believed Mr.. Meade, Of Virginia.
was disupionist. 1T is false" aud you
are liar" we're Immediately exchanged -
4 challenge. its acceptance. interposition
friends, retractions, and reconciliation Datu-
rally followed.
have omitted an occurrence letween Mr..
Clay and the late President King, which pro-
duced at the time wider and deeper sensa
ton than any other Of the same nature which
leo to no actual conflict At the extra ses-
sion of ls4l. after the great triumph Of the
! Presidential election, Mr. Clay saw tpat
through the detection Of Mr.. Tyler. the fruits
Of the previous year were likely to be snatch
ed from the hands Of those who won it. and
was somewhat less aniable than was habitu
al with him In one OF bis least complaisant
moods. Mr.. King had declared, in substance,
that L. r Blair was as much entitled to con-
iidencc and respect as MIR. Clay himself Mr.
lay Indignantly denied it, and think. pro-
nounced the assertion false. Mr.. King
quietly remarked. Il have nothing to say.
| and sat down. The next day . challenge
was given, the ct6lenger being fifty eight and
the challenged party sixty three years old =
The advanced age Of both parti should
have been guarantee against any really
hostile Intentions; hut they were entertained
and the disagreement was arranged only with
great difficulty,
Such is a brief record Of gressional bel
ligerency for the last thi,teen years. II is
obvious that, while the habit Of quarrelling
remains, the practice Of Sighting is going o.
rather has gone. out Of date. During that
whole time but two have ended in actual re-
sort to the field Nobody has been killed
nobody winged, nobody hurt 10 short the
custom is antiquated and has become out
lawed no less in the manners Of the age than
in the statutes ofthe land. The practice be-
longs to an age When personal prowess was
essential to success in the public service. and
| was test Of itness for leadership The age
Of chivalry has passed, and many incidents Of
the system are boxed upon as ridiculous aud
barbarous which in their day we're proper and
necessary - Washington Corr~s poadeI u
the PHILADELPHIA 1merican.
! DEAFNESS.
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