, 1860-04-20

ko9cr 4. Pryor has made himself unenviably
notorious 10 this Congress, and as his career
no" seems to be finished, it is as well that his
nasIory oe written. Neycr acluated apparently
or any mgher ambition than to acquire fame
as bully and q lueliist. lie is good specimen
o. o. "hat is termed modern chira'ry- lie entered
the present Congress, which opened under some
excitement, evidently regarding it HIS a field cm-
incntiy TT for the display of his peculiar quail.
ties In hts first speech in the House he assai!ed
Mr.. Nelson Of Tennessee in terms rcry unco,lr-
teous, andin manner most insolent aud otfens-
ire. lie received from Nr. Nelson, gentleman
much his senior IN yeaFs, and mitch his supe-
rior in manners. learning snd dignity, castiea-
tion which everybody conceded was richly de-
served, and which would have taught man
ofless conceit ind moro sense lesson not to be
forgotten during one Congress.
He next assaulted Mr. Hickman in q manner so
indecent. and in terms so grossly unparliament-
arr, that his colleague, Mr.. M1ison, whose gen.
tlenaanly propriety everybody recognizes, tried
TO savc him from contempt aud di<gruce ly
calling him to order. But Pryor, true to bis
low instincts. rejected The friendly Interference,
persisted in his runinnly assault, nnd received
dignibed rebuke from Hickman, which would
have been Of service to anybody but Pryor, but
was lost On him.
,,1sns nts ns1t f. onss. wsf npo9 awoman with whose
rel, mad be vented his spleen By characteristic
attack, full Of vile epithets, which none but the
occupants ofthe lowest pothouses allow Them
selves to use. >.
Then came the scene with Loyejoy. Some
body made tue report of this affair in the GIoIe
to read that Loyejoy crossed the aisle On to The
democratic side, shaking his 6zts in athreaten-
ing manner. This WIS not true, in fact, rs he
did not cross to the democratic side.
1fpryor had designed merely to raise point
Of order US to Lovejoy s right deliver speech
from the area or as to any unparliamentarv
language used, hs would ha1e risen il bis place
and made his point Of order. rut he left his
seut and committed the same alleged breach Of
order, and assumed, in q violent manueT. to
dictate to Lorcjoy where he should stand. He
was met hy Potter, who stood directly in front
Of him, and not si1 feet from him, and who ad-
dressed to him the rcmark which he Afterwards
choEe to construe as ofensire, which air Dnwes
OF massachusetts, stated to tile house le heard,
and which several other members heard dis
t'nctlJ, although il WAS not caught by the re-
porter: Pryor, It is said, grew deadly pale, and
turned away and addressed the chair, and lis
subsequent assertion that he did not see Potter
nor near h'1n On that OCCASION, is Justly regard
Gu as ed6tertttge to corer the forgery he af-
terw1rds committed il altering the revised
rotes Of the reporter.
By the universal custom Of the House each
member corEects the reporters notes OF his OBJ
serrations, ond they are always handed to him
br the reporter for that purpose lie makes
/; them conform to whut he actually said, upon
| Ills own responsibility as gentleman and q
| man Of honor No one has ever before attempt
| ed to correct the remarks Of an opponent. But
Pryor Ind the etIrontcry, in defiance Of all gem
tlc!nanly propriety, 10 erase sentence in Pot
| tcr's revised remarks. Potter. on this coming
to lis knowledge, contented himself with re:
storing it, and it 70 appeared in the GloJs.
Pryor anxiety to get it out Was to jus.if; him
self for not resenting the language on the spot,
and he felt safer in committing the forgery, and
trying to justify it by saying that be did not
| sec Potter or heur the remark, than in assaut~
Ing Potter at the time. As he failed in his fraud
ulcnt conccalment Of the facts, and was forced
to face tue truth, he NEXT resorted to bullying,
upon the supposition that Northern man would
! decline challenge.
day last. His closing language then contained
| 4 threat, and at the same time be expressed his
! conviction Of bis own safety. in saying that
/ THE sequel vii! demonstrate whether or not
| Potter would stand by his words. He doubtless
| supposed that be could bolster his doubtful
! reputation for courage without risk Of personal
dxugcr by challenging Northern man. whom
scruples Of conscience, tie sentiments Of Lis
constituency uad the disabilities imposed by his
| Stntc constitution would unite 10 prevent IRON
| accepting challenge. 1t is said, loo. that be-
! fore proceeding to extretnities, he asked Pot
! ter's Democratic colleague whether he would
fight. and was told that he would no, accept Il
, cballeuge.
j! 1tis universally conceded that Pryor had no
! tuSus Jelti under the Code. That his threat to
| put his own construction on the language, and
let tue sequel demonstrate, excluded my expla-
| a1a1ion--tLat his second note was impertinent,
aud his sending peremptory chal1enE without
ccived to be offensive, IVES bullying and COW
| ardiy. The whole proceeding IVES evidently
founded on tue presumption that his antagonist
! was non.comtatant and would retreat il the
ftf IL