Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-28
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Congressional Duels. ,

Ihe new orR Times has revived the recoffe0-
tions of some of the more celebrated Congressional
affairs of honor Dpels have been fought :bymem-
bers of Congress from the very oommeneement.of
our existence as nation, but these. .afaiIs hare
been much less frequent than is generally suppos-
ed to be the case. In fact, all the Congf gfessionsl
challenges that have been sent, from the meeting
of the first Congress in Philadelphia, down to the
affair between Brooks and BurliDgame, do not er-
ceed twenty-five in number-not half 90 manyss
haye been fought BY members of the British Par.
lament. These are most remarkable facts, and
they show how absurdly unjust are the imptta.
ions and charges Of the English press on the state
of civilization in this county, US exhibited IN our
National. Legislature: The records will proYe
that there has been lsss ofipersonal violence and
fewer encounters in our Congress than there have
been in Parliament during the same number of
years, since the Declaration Of our Independence.
The first duel by a member Of Copgressson re-
cord, was that between Button Gwinnett and
Jackland Mcintosh, in 177.e They we're both of
the State Of Georgia, though Gwinnett only was
member of Congress. He WIS q sigpcr OF the pe-S
claratibn of Independence, and his antagonist was
an officer Of the arpy. The dispute was Of % per-
sonal nature, and the duel can hardly be called
Congressional encounter, as 1t did not grow out
of either party connected with politics. The next
affair of honor in which member of Congress was
implicated, occurred in 1877, and was strictly
Congressional, as it was occasioned by words
spoken in debate. The parties were Thomas
Blount, representative from North Carolina, and
Judge Thatcher, from Massachusetts. Tie chal-
lenger was Bount Who took offence Mt o verbal
criticism af aa expression he used, by thatcher,
who, onrecciYing the i4yitatiop to- Aght declined
giving an answer until he could write to his wife
and obtain her consents and there the matter drop-
ped. Scyen years afterwards, in j l604, Senator
Jackson, of Georgia, was wounded in o duel With
Col. Watkins. The cause Of the duel mas politi-
cal, but not a Congressional quarreh Inthe year
previous Jonathan Dayton, a Senator from New
Jersey, sent o challenge to Dewitt Clinton, then
o SeHator from New York, on account Of faa often.
sye remark of the latter in debate, for which he
made an apology that was read in the Senate. In
the year 1919, General Mason, a Senator from
Virginia, was killed in duef by his relatiye, Nc
Carly, also Virginian; but though the canse Of
the duel was political,it did not originate in Con-
gress.
The next affair of honor, in which member of
Congress was party, WAS the celebrated AFFAIR
of McDufee, of South Carolina, md Qol.s Gum
mings, of Georgia, which came off in the year
| 1922. The famous affair between Henry Clay and
John Randolph occurred four years after the Inst
in 1929. The next year Mr.. Vance, an ex-nien-
Der of Congress from North Carolina, was Killed
in duel by Mr.. Carson; q member from the,same
State Ten years afterwards, 1887, Mr.sDrom-
goole member of Congress from Eirginig;was
mortally wounded ina duel with Mr.. Dugger, of
the same State. In 1888 the:still freshly remem-
bered meeting took place between Jonathan Cilly,
of Maine, and William J. Graves, Of Kentucky,
both members of Congress, in which the former
was killed This tragical affair created affecting
in the public mind so repugnant to the due1o that
it was not until the year 1851 that another.aHair
of honor grew out of a Congressional quarrel,
when Mr., Stanley, of North Carolina, and Mr.
Inge, of Alabama, met aud exchanged shots with
out doing each other any personal injury and
then explained ana became -trlends. Two years
afterwards Mr: lnge #as, 'ne. second ot senator
GWlnn, oFCall1ornia, VINO Ionght Win ME- NC