Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-04-20
The Difficulty Between Nessrs.
Pryor and Potter.

Tho Din1culty Between BIessrs.
Pryor and Potter.
Abouta column and half of Yesterdays
National Inteiligelcer is occupied with the
correspondence between the Hon. Roger A.
Pryor and the Hon, John F Potter. in re-
lation to their late threatened affair of hon.
or" AS we have already given the main
points involved in this important CORES
pondence, as we don't believe the fate Of
the universe depends on giving it to the
reader at length, We subjoin few extracts.
After some preliminary correspondence,
Mr.. Pryor (throtgh his friend Mr.. CHS
man, demands Of Mr.. Potter ''the satisfac-
ton usual among gentlemen" Mr. Potter
replies BY referring Mr.. Pryor to his friend,
Col. Lander, to make the necessary arrangs-
ments. Now cosaes letter from Mr.. Ian.
der, in which he says:
- have TO stats that my principal, Hon.
John +. Potter, dsclaiming the particular
rules r Ct the code, will fight Hon. Roger A.
Pryor with the common bowie knife. at such
9 place, private ,oom or open air, in this
District, as we msy agree upon at time
to be fixed within The next twelve (l2) hours
by you and myself; distance four feet at
commencement Of engagement Two Sec
onds to be presen' to each principal Sec
onds restricted to one navy revolver each :
Knives Of principals Of equal weight and
length Of blade. Fight to commence at the
word three (3.) The calling of the tally
and word as between principal seconds I'd
be decided by turing piece of money!
|. To this proposition to fight with bowie
knives, Mr.. Chisn Jan chr. Pryor's friend
responds
''Not recognizing this vulgar. barbarous
and inhuman mode Of settling difficulties aa
either usual among gentlemen or consistent
with the notions Of civilized society, / must
without referring your communication to M
principal, Cor even seeing him, emphatical1
| ~ refuse to allow himto engagein it. When
ever your principal will reply to Mr.. Pryor's
demand in such way as may seem to BID
consistent with any fair and even most lib
eral construction of the rules of the code
whether particular or general shall bd
most happy to communicate to my principal
such RESPONSE"
To this Mr. Lander rejoins that his prin7
cipal detests and abhors the barbarous and
inhuman mode of settling difficulties 'susual
among gentlemen" termed & cling. He
then adds,
"Called upon by note to reply to your
principal, he aas made this ste cement. Al
his friend, I have presented it. You objec,
to the terms They were such as would a.
lone enable ny principal, who is uracquain.
ted with the usual weapons Of duelists, tt
meet your friend on equal terms. He valves
assertion that he will defend himself wher
ever assailed He even goes so far as to b.
willing to name time. place and acsapons
when at this stage of TIE affair you appea
TO the strict terms Of the code, and expires
yourself dissatisfied There is but one ra
suit. I disclaim any of The scruples whic1
have actuated my friend. Mr.. Potter. Dit
fering with him as much as man can il
politics, I believe with him that every Amer
lean citizen is entitled to the full expressioI
Of opinion. therefore present myself il
his place, without restrictions"
| To Mr. Landers offer, Mr.. Chisman I'd
plies that neither Pryor nor..himself have AMI
quarrel with Mr.. Lander, and, therefore
respectfully declines to take him as a subst]
tute for his principal. Mr. G. terminate
the correspondence with the regret that the
have been unable to adjust the matter be
tween their principals in the manner '.usu
al among gentlemen, which manner, 'thoug
your principal detests and abhors IT, a
'barbarous and inhuman, wonld seem tt
men of plain sense not more so than fgh
with bowie knives"
Mr.. Lander, however, again writes, say
ing !:
81 beg to assure YOU, without cdnsultin!
my principal, that he will protect himsel
with honor wherever assailed. It also be
com es my.duty to inform you that Hon. job
r. Potter did not know Of my offer to ap
pear for him."
Thus closes the "ofHcial" oorreapon debc
between the two congressional heroes, bu
Mr. Chisman adds as sort Of appendix
further explanation" He gives first
note from Mr.. Pryor, which; at the solicita
ton of Messrs Lamar, keitt and Miles
was not delivered to Mr Potter by Mr.
Chisman, although the latter was Urgent
requested by MIR. Pryor to do So In thi
letter Mr. Pryor declares that he is "no
seeking to restrict the liberty Of speech 9
Mr.. Potter, as his friend. Mr.. Lander, charge
but only intended to vindicate his own char
acter against al aspersion," &c In con
cluding this letter, Mr.. Pryor protests a
gainsu the terms Of combat offered by Mr.
Potter, but accepts them, and authorize
Mr. Chisman to 6x the time and place.
TIE second note of the appendix is an
other letter from Mr. Pryor to Mr.. Potter
written on the return of the former to Wash
ington. In this Mr.. Pryor says:
Although your proposed terms of com
bat were rejected by my friend without con
ference with me, yet have no ALTERNATIVE
now but to submit to his decision. | find
however, in your rather significant and EN-
phatic proclamation Of a purpose to defen
yourself against attack, some faint possibil
ity of settlement of the controversy between
us. Acting on that suggestion, beg t
inform you that if you will, within the mex
three hours, namea particular time and DIES
fignate some place. out Of the thoroughfare
and most frequentcd portions of the city
with view to escape interruption and to a
void injury to other persons-I will affor'
you an opportunity to redeem the vaun
with which you parade your resources 0
self-defence."
| Fortunately, while Mr. Chisman was Of
his way to deliver this closing letter of Mr.
| Pryor, he heard of the arrest Of MIR. Potte