The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1857-05-14
DUEL OF RANDOLPH AND CLAY.
AS GIVEN BY GEN. J. HAMILTON OF 8. c.

zen. JeSup, as the Irlcnu OF MT. CaS,
stated that tue injury of which that gentle
man complained consisted in this that Mr..
Randolph had charged him with having
forged or manufactured paper connected
with tho Panama mission; also, that he
had applied to him the epithet black legs.
General Jesup considered it necessary that
Mr. Randolph should declare that he had
no intention Of charging Mr.. Clay, either in
his public or private capacity, with forging
or falsifying any paper, or disappearing
any fact and also, that the term Jlack legs,
if used, was not intended to apply to him.
Colonel Tattnall made the communica-
ton to Mr.. Randolph. His reply cut off
all hope Of any satisfactory adjustment of
the difficulty; 81 have gone, says he, as
far as l could in waving my privilege to
accept peremtory challenge from minis
ter of the Executive Government, under any
circumstances, and especially under such
circumstances. The words used by me
were, that l thought it would be i'll my
power to show evidence, sufficiently pre-
sumptive, to satisfy a Charlotte jury, that
this invitation was manufactured" hero
that Salaga,'s letter struck me as being
strong likeness in point of style, &c, to the
other papers. I did not undertake to prove
this, but expressed my suspicion that the
fact was so. l applied to the administra-
ton the epithet, "purtanic, diplomatic,
black-legged administration"
II have no explanations to givc-I will
not give any am called to the feld-I
have agreed to go and am ready to CO."
"The night before the duel" says Gener-
al james Hamilton, of South Carolina, ':AIr.
Randolph sent for me. found him calm,
but in a singularly kind and confiding mood.
lie told me that he had something on his
mind to tell me. lIe then remarked,
Hamilton, have determined to receive,
without returning, Clay's fire; nothing shall
| induce me to harm hair on his head 1
will not make his wife widow, or his chill
drcn orphans. Their tears would he shed
over his grave: but when the sod Of Vir-
ginis, rests on my bosom, there is not in
this wide world one individual 10 pay this
tribute upon mine His eyes filled, and
resting his head upon his hand, we remain
ed some moments silent. l replied, My
dear friend (for ours was a sort Of poslhu-
nous friendship, bcqucathed by our moth
ers,) deeply regret that you have mention
ed this subject to me; for you call upon
me to 60 to The field and see you shot
down, or to assume the responsibility, in re-
gard to your own life, in sustaining your
determination to throw it away. But on
this subject, a mans own conscience and
his own bosom are bis best monitors. l
will not advise, but under the enormous
and unprovoked personal insult you have
offered Mr.. Clay, 1 cannot dissuade. 1 feel
bound however, to communicate 10 Col
Tattnall your dccision.' lie begged me moi
to do so, and said 'he was very much afraid
that Tattnall would take the studs and re-
fuse to 60 out with him. I, however
sought Col. Tattnall, and we repaired abou
midnight to Mr.. Randolph's lodgings, whom
we found reading Milton's great poem
Fos some moments he did not permit us t
say one word in relation to the approaching
duel; and lie at once commenced one o
those delightful criticisms on passage o
of this poet, in which he was won't so en-
Enthusiastically to indulge. After pause
Colonel TattnalI remarked, Mr.. Randolph
am told you have determined not TO re
turn Mr.. Clay's fire; Wust say to you, m
f dear sir, if I am only to 60 out to see yo
shot down, you must find some other frient
Mr.. Randolph remarked that it was his d.
termination. After much conversation o
the subject, induced Colonel Tattnall t
allow Mr.. Randolph to take his own cours'
> as his withdrawal, as one of his friend
might lead to injurious misconstructions.-
. At last, Mr.. Randolph, smiling, said, 'Wel
Tattnall, l promise you one thing, if I,se
;. the devil ip Clay's eyes, and that with nj
" lice prepense he meaus to take my life,
may change my mind "a remark I kne
lie made merely to propitiate the anxieti
of lis friends. d,
\. "Mr. Clay and himself met at o'clot
,s the succeeding evening, Oh the, banks of tt
n. Potomac. But he saw 'no devil in Clay
a. eye but man fearless, and expressing, Il
e.. mingled sensibility and firmness which b
IF lqnged to the occasion,
f. ~ shall never forget this Scene, as lor
as I lire. It has been my misfortune
: I witness several duels, butI never saw or
ar at least in its sequel, SO deeply affecting.
X, +Thss sun was just setting behind the bl
e. hi1ls Of Randolph's own Virginia. Ht
e- were two of the most extraordinary IN
- r.