Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-04-22
DAILY EVENING STAR
CONGRESSIONAL BELLIGERSNcY.

CONGRESSIONAL BELLIGER SNcY. Is
The Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia North American says:
There has been no fatal duels among
members of Congress since that between
Mr.. Cilley and Mr.. Graves, in 1885. In
lS42 occurred difficulty between Mr..
Wise and Mr.. Stanly, which would pro.
badly have produced duel, but for the
arrest of both parties and their being
bound over to keep the peace. The next
serious difficulty was between Mr.. Yancy
of Alabama, and Mr.. Clingman, of North
Carolina. Mr.. Y. gave Mr.. c. a per.
sonal affront during the discussion OF
the annexation of Texas, and when ap.
pealed to for explanations, made tn,
pointed reply, explanations elsewhere. ;
They were demanded elsewhere, and no,
being satisfactory, meeting and ex.
change of shots took place, without dal,.
age to either combatant. 1 .-a ..-y-E.
The next affair was that between Mr.,
Stanly and Mr.. Inge, of Alabama The
latter gave the insult, refused to retract
was challenged, and accepted. After az
exchange of shots, without execution
the parties were satisfied" 49,
Probably the next affair in the order
of time was the personal quarrel between
Mr. Benton and Mr.. Butler, in which,
after the :" lie" was given with great
acrimony of manner in the Senate. chal.
lenge was given, but the difficulty was
adjusted by apologies and regrets.
During the excitement which ended
with the Compromise of $50, two
personal affairs arose which nearly ap-
preached a duel, and produced a pro
found sensation. The first was that be-
tween Col. Bissell, of Illinois, and Col.
Jefferson Davis. Col. Bissell had made
one of the most impressive speeches ever
heard in the House on the sectional aues-
ton, during which he denounced, with
much severity, certain pretensions ad-
vanced in behalfof the Mississippi troops,
in the battle of Buena Vista. Col. Davis,
then in the Senate, had commanded that
regiment In the battle. He demanded a
retraction of the assertion of Col. Bissell.
A correspondence ensued, which ended
in challenge and its acceptance. The
weapons selected were muskets, and the
fight would certainly have taken place,
had not the parties and their friends very
opportunity discovered that they were
quarrelling about nothing at all.
In the spring of 1850, Mr.. Duer, of N.
York. said he believed Mr.. Meade, of
Virginia, was a disuniopist. at is
false" and "you are a liar" were i'm
mediately exchanged. A challenge, its
acceptance, interposition of friends, re-
fractions, and reconciliation naturally
followed.
[ have omitted an occurrence between
Mr.. Clay and the late Vice President
King, which produced at the time
wider and deeper sensation than any
other of the same nature which led to
no actual conflict. At the extra session
Of 1S4l, after the great triumph of the
Presidential election, Mr.. Clay saw that
through the detection of Mr.. Tyler, the
fruits of triumph of the previous year
were likely to be snatchpd from the hands
of those who won it, and was somewhat
less amiable than was habitual with him.
la one of his least complaisant moods,
MIR. King had declared, in substance,
that f. Z. Blair was as much entitled to
confidence and respect as Mr.. Clay him.
self. MIR. Clay indignantly denied it,
and, think, pronounced the assertion
false. Mr.. King quietly remarked, "I
have nothing to say" and sat down.
The next day challenge was given, the
challenger being fifty-eight and the chal-
lenged party sixty three years old. The
advanced age of both parties should have
been guarantee against any really hos
tile intentions; but they were entertained,
and the disagreement was arranged only
with great difficulty.
Such is brief record of Congressional
belligerency for the last thirteen years.
1t is obvious that, while the habit OF
quarrelling'remains, the practice of fight
ing is going, or rather bas gone out OF
date. During that whole time, but two
have ended in actual resort to the field.
Nobody has been killed, nobody winged,
nobody hurt. In short, the custom is
aniquated, and has become outlawed, no
less in manners of the age than in the
statute of the land. The practice be-
longs to an age when personal proweSs
was essential to the success in the pub
lie service, and was test of fitness for
leadership. The age of chivalry has
passed, and many incidents of the sys-
tenn are looked upon as ridiculous and
barbarous, which, in their day, were
proper and necessary.