Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-02-01
GrecIey's Account Of the Diflicuity Be-
tween Himself and Mr.. Husts

Greeley's Account Of the Dificuity Be-
tween Himself and Mr.. Husts
have heard, Gncel came here, q good deaI Of
the personal Violence to which wab exposed, but
only one man HIS offered to attack me till Soday,
and he was 30 drunk that he made poor fst OF ii.
In fact, DO not remember that any man ever seri
ously attacked me till How. -
Twas conversing with two gentlemen on my way
down from the Capitol after the adjournment of
the House this afternoon, when stranger request
ed word with me. / stopped, and my friends
went on. The stranger, who appeared in the
prime Of life, six feet high and who must weigh
over two hundred, thus began:
us your name Greeley"
"Yes.n ggfr
y Are you a fion:combatanty
That is according to circumStances"
The words we're hardly out or my mouth, when
he struck me stunning blow on the right side Of
my head and followed It by two or three more, as
great-coat pockets, for Il had no idea that he was
abost to strike He staggered me against the fence
Of the walk from the Capitol to the Avenue, but
did not get me down. rallied AZ soon as possible,
and saw him standing several feet from me- with
several persons standing or rushing in between
US. 1 asked, "Who is this man? don't know
him" and understood him to answer, with an inn
pftcduOfl, ~ on III KNOW me soon enough, Ut
You'll know me hereafter" when he turned and
went down toward the street No one answered
my inquiry directly, but some friends soon came
up, who told me my assailant was Albert Rust,
M. @. from Arkansas. He gave no hint of any
cause pretext he may have had for this assault,
but must infer that it is to be found in my STRIFE
lures in Mondays Tribune letter Of Thursday eve2
ming last on his attempt to drive Mr.. Banks out
OF the feld as candidate for Speaker, by passing
lat
withdraw. thought that mean trick and said
so most decidedly: ! certainly think no better of
it, now that have made the acquaintance oft
author. #s6a
The bully turned and walked down along | ioi
lowed, conversng with two friends Crossing
Four-and-ahalf street, they dropped behind to
speak to acquaintances, and !, walking along to-
ward the National Hotel, soon found myself in the
midst of a huddle of strangers. One Of these
turned short upon mel saw 1t was thy former
assailant--and said, /" Do you know me now?n l
answered, Yes; you are Rust, Of Arkansas"
He said something Of what he would do, if i were
a combatant, and replied that / claimed no ex-
emption on that account. He now drew heavy
cane, which had not seen before, and struck a
pretty heavy blow at my head, which caught on
my left arm, with no other damage than rather
severe brtise. He was trying to strike again, and
I was endearoring to close with him, when several
not strike him at all, nor lay finger on him; but
il certainly would have been pleasure to me, bad
been able, to perform the public duty Of knob
| ing him down. i cannot mistake the movement
| of his hand on the Avenue, and am sure it must
have been toward pistol in his belt. And the
crowd which surrounded us nearly all Southern
as he doubtless knew before he renewed his attack
on me- "
Now, it would do to say that my structures on
Rust's proposition were harsh and provoking, If
his own friends had not spoken of it substantially
as did. But Mr. McMullen, of Va, who is vio-
lent pro-slavery Democrat, has repeatedly spoken
of it in public and in private quite as severely as
did. He igmatzed it In the House to-day 40 In
svting to Mr.. Banks and declared that he was
anxious to beat Mr.. B.. but would not insult him.
Mr. McMullen tried to speak of it in this strain
when he voted to lay it on the table, but the gag
rule prevented. In fact, it is notorious here that
Rust's attempt to rule Mr.. Banks to decline was
defeated because the better portion of Mr.. Banks's
adversaries, though they badly wanted to get him
off the track could not stoop to this mode of doing
it, Hear what Mr.. McMulen said of it in the
House to-day
However much, Mr.. Clerk, / condemn--as I'M
doubtedly do condemn, and as it seems to me
every gentleman should, condemn--the conduct
of Mr.. Banks in holding on to his position as d
candidate with unprecedented pertinacity, yet sir
or my purpose now, to condemn that gentleman's
course by formal vote Ny rule, sir, has been
all my life never to take counsel from my enc
miles, Mr. Banks has right to look upon the
Democratic party as his political enemies. We
are SUCH / declare myself one Of them and
do not believe that it is in accordance with that
courtesy that should characterize the conduct of
gentemes here, for this side of the House to at
tempt to dictate to the other side of the House.
That was the ground upon which placed my vote
in voting to lay that resolution upon the table. l
sought an opportunity to explain that vote at the
time the question was taken, but we were acting
then under the nefarious gag-law, and was pre-
vented from doing So"
This is the Globes report, which am conf
dent is far less strong than the language actually
used by Mr.. McMullen. / have clear recollec-
ton of hearing Mr.. M say that, while he was anx-
ious to beat Mr.. Banks he could not vote to insult
him. ., r eats5f.l.F *
presume this is not the last outrage to which
am to be subjected | came here with clear
understanding that it was about an even chance
whether should or should not be allowed to go
home alive; for my business here is to unmask
hypocrisy, defeat treachery, and rebuke meanness,
and these are not dainty employments, even in
smoother times than ours But shall stay here
Just 50 long as think proper, using great plain
ness Of speech, but eEdeavoring to treat all men
Justly and faithfully. ! may often Judge harshly,
and even be mistaken as to facts, but i shall al
ways be ready to correct my mistakes and to amend
my judgments. i shall carry no weapons, and en-
gage in no brawls but If rufans waylay and assail
me, shall certainly not run, and SO far able,
shall defend myself.