The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-09
oeiety and Politics In Washirgton-No. Is.

h In Washington by retailing HERALDs at the capital
and has propelled his way up until he has become
he leading bookseller in Washington, transmitted
/. 70 me tonight handsome bound copy Of Shaks-
peare. / have placed it upon the table, where
already reposes copy Of the Bible, the only book
have thus far found it necessary to travel with,
and which my wife slowed away in my carpet bag
when left Green Valley, New Hampshire, to come
to this delightful town. The presence of the Bible
has given pious turn to most of the letters which
] have written to the HERALD.
{ Shakespeare, from my casual reading Of his book,
since dinner, appears to have been man who
pretty well posted up for the ignorant Geographic
less time in which he lived. Had he have been per-
mitted to have held over few half centuries, and
delayed his entree into the world until the age
which produced such an illusrious trio as Franklin
e Pierce, John w. Forney. and Sam Green, Jr, we
then could have instructed Shakespeare. Some Of
&c Bhakspeare's remarks, however, will apply very
well to our era including this week especially His
ideas of fighting out quarrel are not bad. He had
friend named Touchstone, who had quarrel upon
seven causes, and then he and his opponent met
9 and separated We can beat Shakspeares time, for
q two of our friends have had quarrel but they
: made up on fifteen causes-eight more than
Touchstone and his opponent. But will give you
that of Sam Green. Jr.
Touchstone says: al did dislike the cut of GER
: tain courtier's beard; he sent me word, if said
his beard was not cut well, he was in the mind it
was. This is called the reto,t courteous. If sent
q him word again it was not well cut, he would send
me word he cut it to please himself This is called
r the quip modest If again it was not well cut he
3 disabled my judgment. This is called the reply
NrI. LII ~ oil ant In
S!swer spoke not true. This is called the reproof
gallant. If again it not well cut, he would say
OIL lie This is called the comntercheck qla,rdsome
sand so the lie cicumsantial and so the lie direct
Jaques-"And how oft did you say his beard was
Snot well cut !"
g Touchstone-" burst go no further than the lie
EScircumstantial he burst not give me the lie d.
|C!rect, and so we measured swords and parted"
III Jacques-"Can you nominate in order now the
sdegrees of the lie 7"
y Touchstone-"Oh sir, quarrel in print, by the
lbook. l will name you the degrees The first, the
etort courteous; the second, the quip modest; the
4third, the reply chursh; the fourth, the reproof
rvaliant; the fifth, the countercheck quarrelsome;
sthe sixth, the lie with circumstances; the seventh
the lie direct. All these you may avoid but the lie
Hdirect, and you may avoid that, too, with an if
Aknew when seven justices could not take up quar-
Efel, but when the parties were met themselves
prof them thought but of an If as, If you said So then
w said sc-and they shook hands and brothers.
IYour If is the only peace maker. Much virtue in if"
To convince you that old Shakespeare sensible as
atwell as correct, only say that Breckenridge
Rand Cutting would have both been killed and buried
utf-thus you see-if-if they had not made up on
the fifteenth cause. There has been tremendous
ftime here. President Pierce set Breckenridge at
Cutting and consequently felt so interested that he
[tgot me to go and see about it. He gave me letter
Ito Col. Monroe, relation of hs-that is, Col. Mon
roe being nephew of former President, Of course,
I2pOlitically speaking, he is sort of granddaughter
{Of President Pierce. | went to Jims room, (Cut-
ting called the Colonel Jim and suppose must fol-
Dow sut,) and he got me to assist. didn't have
&puch to do with the principals, as they were too
4busy keeping out of the way-running from pillar
TO post of to Baltimore--then over into 10 Gales
Rwoods-then down to Alexandria-over to George
ewn in canal canal. asgsaisng supervision. read
3ll the documents. There were fifteen letters. and
yet they made up and parted the fifteenth letter.
as Touchstone did on the seventh. The first docu-
1nent was letter from Mr.. Cutting to Mr.. Brecken-
Ridge, telling him that he had given him the counter
{heck qvarelscme which was Touchstones fifth cause
pf quarrel. To which Mr.. B. made response that
ne could not withdraw the charge until the cause
removed This reached the sixth, lie crcum stan
tal. Mr.. Cutting then responded in manner that
would have ended the whole matter If the second
Col. Hawkins-had delivered it. Then there were
lots of letters about weapons, and terrible disputes
llmong the friends and seconds. Breckenridge was
Heath on rifles at sixty PAGES, and Cutting could kill
mosquito at ten PAGES Gen. Shields said rife
WAS murderous weapon. At last, when the causes
pad reached No. l5, the parties got back again to
No. 5-the lie crcumstantial-and then they got
imong the ifs, and it all ended pleasantly. Mr..
breckenridge was satisfied, and SO was Mr.. Cutting,
who had as live fight eat if necessary. Brecken-
idge felt ashamed that he had been made catspaw
bf by Gen. Pierce to poke Cutting into his grave,
md Cutting was quite glad to be left alive to kill
pff the administration instead Of Breckenridge who
pad done him no HARM Shooting Northern anti
slavery members by Southern members is not a
business likely to pay in the long l. of course,
sported. every days proceedings to Frank but he
o. and that the parties had got back to the lie cir
tumstantal.
When this affair was all settled, it would have
one the parties hearts good to have heard the COM
nents OF the small private crowd that was assem-
pled around one of the Presidents CRATES. There
the President seated by the table, with his legs
Pierce Butler, who lives and sleeps in the White
iouse-has q room in it when he is here There
vas Capt. Magruder, who is one of our chaps, and
"well, l thought Breckenridge would back down.
think he is a real coward" said Frank.
:" Yes, SO l thought. He is a terrible coward"
aid Forney
"No, no-he is no coward !; / don't mean that by
ny means on the contrary know Breckenridge
be as brave as lion, and there is no back out in
hat breed. meant Cutting" said the President
"Oh yes, of course, / understood you perfectly
Eel. Breckenridge will fight his way through
thousand bayonets, but Cutting knew would show
he white feather" chimed in Forney.
"No, Forney, don't agree with you. Cutting
game |; he will fight in moment, at any odds.
II there is any back out at all, it has been done by
interference of the miserable seconds" said the
President.
always told you, Mr.. President, that Cutting
Fas brave. saw him lick a commodore in his own
Effce once. If there has been fight, it's the
econds that are to blame, as you rightly observed,
General" echoed Forney.
"Now, Forney, want you to take Sam and do
Chat told your said the President. Col Forney
hmped up, al d beckoned me TO follow him into Sid
vebsters room, at the extreme end of the building.
When we reached it he asked me to take a seat.
lays he, "Mr. Green, have great respect as well
regard for you."
Thank you,' says /, quite suspicously; and l
ept cycling him, while he continued The Presi-