The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-26
SENATORS DOUGLAS AND FITCH

ny secure US the trade of all the produce brought
!! the road JOHN S. WILLIAMS.
| SENATORS DOUGLAS AND FITCH.
The following correspondence which was yester-
day spoken of in our Washington despatch is pub
! lished in the Washington Union:
WASHINGTON, Jan. q, 1859.
SIR: To-day, in secret session of the Senate
you offered me an affront so wanton uprovoked
and unjustihable that am obliged to infer it must
have been the impulse of momentary passion, and
not of deliberate generalization This note is writ
ten for the purpose of aording you an opportunity
OF saying whether or not my conclusion is correct;
and further of affording you an opportunity of re-
tracing the offensive language which Won Tins
gratuitously and unwarrantaby applied to me.
Respectfully DC, noro1
Hon. GRAHAM N. FITCH.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1859.
SIR: Your note of yesterday was handed me
this morning. In reply, have to say that you
yesterday made charge that the latey-sppointed
federal officers in Illinois were corrupt dishonest
men-or words to that effect. You knew nv son
to be one of those officers, and you could not ex-
pect me to hear such charge without prompt de-
NAL OF its truth. / pronounced it to be- to your
knowledge, untrue. Y GU subsequently, so modified
it as to satisfy me that you excepted nv son from
the general charge, although you did not name
him. and made no further issue with you that
subject. When, at subsequent period of your re-
marks, you attributed to me statements which |
had not made, | requested that in quoting me you
would do so truthfully. These remarks were GER
tainly not deliberately premeditated," but they
cannot be qualified correctly as the "impulse of
momentary passion" The first was prompted by a
determination to defend the honor and character of
my son, as dear to me my own, against an attack
so general in its terms as necessarily to include
him; and the second was the exercise of nv right
to rectify Misrepresentation of my own remarks.
Respectfully, &c,
G. n. FITCH.
Hon. S. A. DOUGLAS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22-9% p NJ
SIR: our note of this date has just been placed
in my hands. l admit, without hesitation. your
right and duty to do justice to the reputation of
your son. At the same time | maintain my right
in the discharge of my duty senator, to comment
freely and fully the character of executive ap-
pointments, especially in my own State. | deny,
however, that my general remarks in relation to
the HIST of Illinois appontees, confirmed by the Sem
ate during absence, could be fairly interpreted
to embrace your son. When you seemed so to con-
strue them, | promptly replied that what had said
OF the Illinois appointments true as a general
rule, but that there were exceptions, among whom
L recognised some of my friends Abiding
particularly to your son, added that | had moth
ing to say in regard to the merits of his appoint
ment, choosing to leave that question where placed
it by my remarks to the Senate during the last ses
sion, in your presence, at the time of his confrma
ton. You now admit that you understood this ex-
PLANTATION to exempt your son from the application
to withdraw the offensive language, but on the
contrary, at subsequent stage of the debate when
apoogiZing for breach of senatorial decorum YOU
expressly declared that you had nothing to retract
thus appearing, in my apprehension, to reaffirm
the Objectionable words.
AS to the other ground of offence admitted in
your reply to my note, have to say that did not
understand you to assume to correct me in quo
tatlon OF your language, as | was unconscious of
making any such citation but repeat the original
offence in another form; otherwise, would have
made proper response the instant.
This explanation, which is due alike to US both,
on the points presented in your reply affords you
another opportunity of Withdrawing the offensive
words which you admit you applied to me in yes
terday's debate.
Respectfully, &c,
S. A DOUGLAS.
Hon. GRAHAM N. FITCH.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1859.
SIR: Your note Of last evening handed me
at II NJ, to-day. Your explanation in regard to
my son being noo explicit, have no hesitation in
saying that if you had excepted him from your
charge, or not made it general, would not have
deemed myself warranted in repelling it an the
,oords of which you complain as offensive, and
which, In consequence Of your explanation, | now
withdraw.
am also informed by your note that if you had
not been mistaken in relation to nv remarks on the
subject of your Misrepresentation of nv sentiments
you would at the instant have made a proper re-
Spouse. This likewise enables me to say that, in
my closing remarks explanatory to the Senate ofmy
share in an exciting debate upon a subject not rele-
want to anything before that body and the respon-
sibiity for the introduction of which rested solely
with you, i should have withdrawn, l now do
the second Offensive remarks, if YOU had made
the same satisfactory explanation then you have no,o
made Respectfully &c
G. N. FITCH.
Hon. s. A. DOUGLAS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. "a, 1852
SIR: Your note of yesterday has been received:
and while accept your withdrawal of the words to
which have taken exception, | owe it to myself to
protest against the idea you seem to entertain, that
my note of Saturday was intended as precedent
and inducing condition of the redress which | soi-
cited, instead of being, | certainly designed it.
merely responsive to the specifications in your re-
ply to my first communication.
In regard to the introduction and relevancy of
the matter In the debate out of which this difficulty
arose, cannot think that proper subject of dis
eussion in the present correspondence.
Respectfully, &c,
Hon. GRAHAM n. FITCH.
WASHINGTON, Jan. "a, 1859
SIR: our note of to-day was received at liz
A NJ 1t is not for me to Judge the motives which
dictated yours of the 22d. can ONLY saw that nv
answer was predicated upon the explanations it con-
tanned. If your explanations are disavowed nv
withdrawal must likewise be disavowed.
Respectfully, &C., G. N. FITCH
Hon. S. A. DOUGLAS.
WASHINGTON, JAN "a, 1852
SIR: am averse to prolongng this controversy
after gaining the substance of my demand; but I
cannot close without responding to your last note
by saying that it is immaterial to me upon what
you predicate your withdrawal, since have guard
ed against amisapprehenson of my position.
Respectfully, &C., S. A. DOUGLAS.
Hon. GRAHAM n. FITCH
ST.; THoMAs.-A letter to the Journal of Commerce
dated Jan. 5th, says:
6, The market for American imports continues dull.
sales are OF retail character only, preventing any
reliable quotations. Stocks abundant
The weather during the past month having been
unusually rainy and unreasonable, it was appre-
hended it might be followed by sickness. There
nave however, been but three four cases of fever
ana out one death since that of Mr. Torbut our late
consul. The shipping is quite free from sickness.
, Lewis Gould killed Eliza Lawrence in Pough-
keepsie, New York, Friday night by striking her
II, IN the stomach with an The two had been
lying together for some years as man and wife,
Inc murder had caused great excitement.