The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-01-06
The Branch and Grow Affair ut Washing.
tOn...Branch'> s.IIOnOr'' Saved.

The talk Of hostile meeting between Mr.
Grow of Pa. and Mr.. Branch ofN. G., mem-
hers of Congress. for words uttered in .!.ba,.
has ended. as everybody expected. in no i-,ht
Mr. Branch making a very indecent exhihi-
tlon of himself without the slightest comp. n
sation therefor. |; will be remembered that
on Satur1a! the 24:h u,.Nr Branch, speak
ing Will, Mr.. Smith of Va. was upon ill.,.
floor, made the base charge against Mr..
Grow that IN the lust Congress he Grow
caused the defeat o. the post office bill in or
der toe mharra>s the administration and COM
pei an extra session. Mr. Smith refused t,,
yield the floor 70 NJ Grow for an immcL!-
ale reply. and the latter. obtaining it OF.
Thursday the ooh. the earliest momen, pos
Siblc. branded the charge as it deserved. as
false, unrarllaEcItary. aud ungentiemanly
AMID great excitement in the House. Mr..
Branch being thus thrown back upon his
muscle. waited until noon of the next da,
friday i'll the vain hope that the words
would be expunSed from the official globe
and then being disappointed. he had no
course left. according TO the codc.) but to
open the ball for hostile meeting.
About IL O'Clock on Friday. the Both. Mr..
Grow received a note from MIR. Branch. b.,
the hand of Gov. Winslow of North Carroll
ia. 1t was dated Doth. and requested Mr..
Grow to inform Mr. Branch where a comm,.-
nicatl..n in writing would reach him ou,sid.
the District OF Columbia. MIR. Grow, on
consultation with his friends. on whose iuds.
h.,u nnnnuoaI III.
matter what their decision might be. at :
O'Clock in the evening replied to the note Of.
MIR. Branch, justify ing his own course in ,h.
House, and announcing in plain Anglo Sax.
on language that the practice sf the code be-
ing violation of the principles of Christian
lty, AID considered Il crime under the laws
of his own State and by the National Lecis.
lature, of which he and Mr.. Branch were
members. he could not rece gnize it, but he
would defend his personal rights aud the
right Of the freedom Of debate under the
Constitution, whenever assaied
Two hours later friend of Mr.. Grows re-
cei,td note through a democratic source
that the police, ever faithful when called il
on such occasions. were on the scent for the
principals. Mr.. Grow, therefore, not wish
i'g to evade any responsibility that nigh,
follow his reply TO Branch, and not desir,n.
to bear the odium of rushing into the arms
of the law for safety, concealed himself from
the officers. MIR. Branch, less careful, aud
with, rhaps, less desire to be, was arres,c.!
the safe night, and put under bonds to keep
the peace. Sat,rda, noon Mr.. Grow was 4,
so arrested on complaint of MIR. Thomas of
Tenn, democrat and friend of Mr.. Branch.
and required to give bonds, although no eyi.
dence was adduced to show that he had any
intention to break the peace. The information
Of the police did not come from any of Mr..
Grows friends; But MIR. Branch's side. in
order to save as large piece of the "honor'
of their leader as possible. have trumped uu
story that "a hackman" hired by MIR. Grow
to convey him, at 3 O'Clock Saturday morn.
irg. to some neishhoring point in Marvland
was not faithful to the secret! What Mr.
Grow wanted hickman for at that hour of
the night does not appear; nor does it ap.
pear that he wanted such services at all.
Mr.. Grows reserved right of self-de:ence
made it obligator, upon MIR. Branch. accord
ing to the code, to give personal assault;
within twen;y-four hours if he designed do
ing So at ali. The city was therefore full of
rumors that PERSONAL---VERY. would be made;
but none transpired. Mr.. Grow was frequer,.
ly upon the avenue. and made 30 ATTEMPT,
during the day, TO avoid meeting his oppo-
Lent.
MIR. Branch having sufficiently shown the
white feather i'll these proceedings, his friends
have now fallen back upon the hope that ,hey
can at leas, make ii right upon paper, and it
was rumored that Gov. Winsiow of n. C.,
MIR. McQneen Of 5. e.. and Mr. Moore of
Ala, as the friends of Branch. would hold a
conference with Senator Wade of Ohio and
MI. Fenton as the friends of Grow. Whett,-