New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-16

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attack was upon Mr.. Hickman, whom be called, b
substance, . Lar, and, whes mildly reeutsd Z,
il by bis senior colleague, Mr.. Mison, repeated u
insult with menace, and referred Hickmaa for ~
dress to the CODE NotloDg after he set all tbs rule,
Of social decency at defiance BY an assault, siLs
vulgar and brutal, on the floor of the House, upss
the wife Of the editor Of one Of our city cote np
ries. The violent blows be received in rsturn n
this seandalous proceeding kept him rather quit
for while But, painting for notoriety, he made he
recent attack upon Mr.. Lovejoy, which LED, Is
plain path, to bis affair with Mr.. Potter.
The principles of this journal, in regard TO As
code recognized among duelish are well uads
stood, and need not now be repeated. We lssvs
tbose principles TO vindicste themselves, wAle "
contemplate, from it's own exceptional sts'd-poz
the peculiar case Of Mr. Potter
Doubtless, his prompt acceptance OF Mr.. PrJoFs
peremptory chsIleDge will DO condemned Sy mag
persons whose good opinion he would net Willingly
forfeit. All such persons should know that NJ
Potter 90 farfrom being duelist sincerely regssd
the code as relic Of barbarian. Bat, so bssesss
were the grounds, even within the canons OF n
CODE upon which Pryor challenged him to comsst
that he and bis friends believed that dsioesh
purpose was formed 10 take bis life, and that, hsrs
fore il was mere question whether he would tight
according to prescribed rules, or, deciinlns d'n
would subject himself TO the hazards OF 'tss4
assault. at an unRusrded moment, after tie naaaw
~ Edmundsop's attack upon Hickman. Reason,
not patent to all, but known to him, induced PSttsx
to believe that, if he declined the duello he wesA
be liable to assassination; and, therefore, he &c.
cspted Pryor's challenge.
But Mr.. Potter was actuated BY motives
higher and broader than any mere personal couGi
erations. We doubt whether q Drawer man ira
He has that calm, selfreant courage that alusu
measures its words and Deeds that never acts u2n
unreasonDg impulse, that moves forward to itsp>
sition after considerate estimate OF ultimate cos
sequences and, once having taken It's grousa
never yields it but with life. He felt thai. IN "a
case, deliberate effort was beng made to sacnan
freedom Of speech on the floor II the House q
Representatives, and TO dishonor aud disgrace -
Republican portion of the chamber; and that each
Of these interests was, for the time, committed 10
bis keeping, and was sough! to be imperlsd ia ks
person. He thereupon determined to meet the er.
eency and defend, at every hazard, his own right,
and the rights Of his constituents, and also, sal
more especially, the freedom Of debate on the Be-
publican side of the hail. which this pestient PgOf
and his brawling hackers had for four months been
trying to strike down.
The explanatory debate on Wednesday between
Pryor and Potter, respecting what occurred on tho
day Loyejoy spoke, was q eliminating point in tie
series OF Outrages heaped BY the Chyalry upon tie
Republicans from the commencement of the session
Thieves" traitors" murderers," "incea-
" diaries" were the common current Of epitheh
which had been poured upon them for week.
Lovejoy was repeling these assaults, with glowing
words and emphatic gestures. Pryor, advancing
toward him in the most insolent manner told lin
he should not stand in the area, in front of the
Chair, and shake bis fists in rufiisnly manner Of
members. Potter simply responded, I" You are
" doing the same thing" That Potter thus said,
and that it was faithful statement of what Pryor
was then doing, is UNREASONABLE. And for these
words Pryor challenged him. II is alleged 1t
Washington that the challenge was sent after q
conference between some ten or a dozen Demo-
cratic members, of whom Potter's COLLEAGUES was
one at which the opinion was expressed that Potter
would not accept challenge. If this be so, then
it is striking proof Of the otasserted fact that no
Southern man wfN' call out" NortherEer whom
he undoubtingly believes will respond to his call. Il
also presents in its true light the valor of RogsrA
Pryor. But, at all events, and whether the Of.
spring of q Democratic conspiracy, or the mere
impulse of the disgraced braggart who sent the
hostile missiye, it was an attempt to bully
and browbeat, and, if possible disgrace, every Re
publican who maintained and was determined to
practice freedom Of debate in the House. And most
efectually has this attempt been crushed BY the
undaunted conduct of John +. Potter.
OF Roger A. Pryor there can be but one opinioa
among sensible mem. He has been seeking fight
with somebody all Winter. He has had an oppor.
tunity to miDge in one On equal terms, and unda
the rules of his much-chefshed "code" aud b
has shown tie white feather. by one OF the recos
nized canons of that CODE everybody is authorized
to pest him as "a poltroon and coward" Itish
vain for Pryor and his patrons to attempt to creep
out of this dilemma through the small creyics
of the alleged UNUSUAL character of the weapons
proposed by the second Of Potter. Knives area
recognized, and not an unusual dueling weapon, u
all the States along the Mississippi Valley. We
care nothing about the custom in Virginia. Posss
lives in Wisconsin, near the Mississippi River, aud
is not amenable to the code as construed in VIZ
gioia, but rather on the banks Of that river.
But. we care nnthnn ahont tho .,raanona AZ.