New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-04
A CHAPTER OF HISTORY.
Correspondence Of The n. Y. Tribune.
ST.. LOUIS, Monday, May %, 1855.

Coresponienee Of The y. Y Tribune.
ST. LOUIS, Monday, May %, 1856.
Among all the letters in THE TRIBUNE from
Kansas and its neighborhood, do not recollect
anywhere to have seen the true reason stated
why The ParkriHe Lnminary was destroyed aud
its proprietors presented with the alternative of
fight or violence. Let me briefly disclose it.
One warm day last Summer large crowd had
assembled at the town site OF Atchison in Kan
sas to attend sale Of lots. 'Dave" himself
was there, and as there was much whisky and
many friends, he got GLORIOUS" little earlier
in the day than usual So with much splitting
on his shirt and making himself generally IN ore
nasty than common, the Vice-President delivered
himself something after this wise:
Gentlemen, you make id fuss about Doug
las-Dougles-but Douglas don't deserve the credit OF
this Nebraska bill l told Douglas to introduce i'll
originated it, got Pierce committed TO IT, and all the
glory belongs to me. All the South went for t-al to
a man but Bell and Houston-and who are they
Mere nobodios-no iniuence-nobody cares for them.
1t happened that young man from Parkvle
was present-a friend of Atchison's, by the way.
When he came home he was sounding Atchison's
praises and repeating what he had said. Patterson
of The LHmRdry got him to write down the exact
words of the Vice. President, and the next number
contained verbatim report of portions OF his con-
yersation BY this time some of Dawes friends
were sober, if he was not. There was trouble in
the camp. The Platte argus, the Atchison organ,
came out with fiat denial of the language The
ParLyille young man replied over bis own initials
that lie heard and reported the words exactly as
they were published, and whoever should deny
them was discriminating his readiness to MAIN
tain the same against all Corners Meantime
cbiyalrous nephew of John Bell residing in St.
Louis had seen the report of Atchison's language
in The Luminary and had written him requiring
categorical answer to the question whether he had
used the language imputed to him concerning his
uncle The tone of the letter was strongly sug-
pestiye of "the usual satisfaction Dave evidently
thought his three hundred pounds of flesh too good
mark for pistol ball, and he accordingly replied
to the nephew that he had the most distinguished
consideration for his uncle and never said such
word about him-if he had said anything that the
living scoundrels had tortured into what they had
published, he begged that it might be passed by, as
lie was " in liquor al the time" And thus the Vice.
President escaped the vexation of personal respon-
sibility for his language. Drunkenness is not usu-
ally regarded valid plea for a lawyer to make In
behalf of client but it seems very good for VICE
President.
But the mischief was done, Notwithstanding.
Douglas looked glum about his stolen thunder.
Bell and Houston were not disposed TO any special
aabiliy toward the President OF the Senate, so he
sent his resignation and stayed away two or three
weeks after the meeting of Congress. Judge with
what bitter hatred he regarded The LUminary, and
when he could sway the Mob powe. how eagerly
he employed it to wreak his private vengeance