The Placer herald., 1857-01-03

redress of the wrongs inflicted upon Amerl-
can citizens of Mexico.
Congressional Duels.
Duels have been fought by members of
Congress from the very commencement OF
our existence as a nation, but these affairs
have been much less frequent than is gen
orally supposed TO be the case. In fact all
of the Congressional challenges that have
been sent from the meeting Of the first Con
gress in Philadelphia down to the affair be-
tween Brooks and Burlingame do not ex-
ceed twenty-five in number not half so ma
ny as have been fought by members Of the
British Parliament. These are most remark
able facts, and they show how absurdly un-
just are the imputatious and charges Of the
English press on the state of civilization in
this country, as exhibited in our National
legislature, The records will prove that
there has been less of personal 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 member of Congress on
record was that between Button Gwinnet and
Jackand Mcintosh, in l777. They were
both of the State of Georgia, though Gwin-
net only was a member of congress. He
was a signer of the Declaration Of indie
pendence and his antagonist was an officer
of the Army. The dispute was of a person
al nature and the duel can hardly be called
a Congressional encounter, as it did not
GROW out of any act of either party connec-
ted with politics.
The next affair of Honor in which mem
of Congress was implicated occurred in 1869
and was strictly Congressional, as it was oc-
cassioned by words spoken in debate. The
parties were Thomas Blount, representatives
from North Carolina, and Judge Thatcher,
from Massachusetts. The challenger was
Blount, who took offence at q verbal crti-
cisn of an expression he used by Thatcher
who, on receiving the invitation to fight.
declined giving an answer until he could
write to his wife and obtain her consent;
and there the matter dropped. Seven years
afterwards, 1904 Senator jackson, of Geor-
MIA, was wounded in a duel with Colonel
Watkins; the cause of the duel was political,
not a Congressional quarrel. In the year
previous, Jonathan Dayton, Senator
from New jersey, sent challenge to De
Witt Clinton, the a Senator from n. York
on account Of an offensive remark of the lat
ter in a debate, for which he made an apollo
gy that WAS read in the Senate.
In the year 1919, General Mason, a Sena-
Tor from Virginia. WAS killed in duel by
his relative, McCarty, also Virginian; but
though the cause of the duel was poitcal it
did not originate in Congress.
The next affair of honor in which men,
Der of Congress was a party was the celebra
ted affair Of McDuAie, of South Carolina
and Col. Cummings, of Georgia, which came
off in the year 1922. The famous affair be-
tween Henry Clay aud John Randolph oc-
cured four years after the last, in 1926.
The next year Mr. Vance, was killed in a
duel by Mr.. Carson member from the
same State Mr.. Dromgoole, member of
Congress- from Virginia was mortally woun-
ded in duel with Mr.. Drugger, of the same
State. In 1888 the still freshly remem-
bered meeting took place between Jonathan
CilIey of Maine, and VIM. ]. Graves, of
kentucky, both members Of Congress, in
which the former was killed. This tragical
affair created a feeling in the public mind
so repugnant to the duello that it was not
until the year 1871 that another affair of
honor grew out Of a Congressional quarrel,
when Mr. Stanley, of North Carolina, and
Mr. Inge, of Alabama, met and exchanged
shots without doing each other any personal
injury, and then explained and become friends
Two years afterwards Mr.. Inge was the sec
ond of Senator Gwin of California, who
fought with Mr.. McCorke a representative
of the same State. Though members of
Congress, the duel grew out of expressions
used by one of the parties at race-course
in California, where the meeting took
place.
In 1854 the affair between Mr.. Cutting
Of this city and Mr. Breckenridge, the Demo
cratic candidate for the Vice Presidency,
occurred, in which no meeting took place
from the difficulty of deciding which party
had given the challenge.
The next atfaii of the kind that occurred
is the one which now engrosses the public
attention.
The list of congressional duels is by no
means a formidable one; and considering
the virulence with which our partisan quar-
rels have been conducted, and the strong
sectional feelings which have always existed
among the members of our National Legis
lature, it is extremely meagre and favorable
to the moral character of our people. Du-
ring the past eighty years there have been
but few hostile meetings between our
leading politicians, while there has hardly
been an eminent British statesman who has
NOT hoora l,,a1.noroA in a AIlol DIT Cannirek