The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-14

The ABOLITION PRESS UPoN THE HICKMAN
AND EDMuNDsON DFFICULTY.-Some of the
black republican journals of this city are
endeavoring to make an excitement out
of the recent personal conflict at Washington
between Mr.. Edmundson, of Virginia, and Mr..
Hickman, of Pennsylvania, arising out of some
offensive remarks of the latter made in the
House. These papers would represent it as.
another Brooks and Sumner assault, and at
tempt to draw the inference from this personal
rencontre between two individuals Edmund
son and Hjckman-that an organized assault is
designed by Southern members upon their
Northern fellow members; and they would hold
the entire South responsible for the hasty, foolish
and reprehensible conduct of a few individuals
charging the South with brutality, violence and
all that sort of thing, which is manifestly unjust
This recent collision, and the cause which pro-
duced it, is only evidence that some Northern
members, as well as some of those from the
mentary in their language.
In this instance Mr.. Hickman charged the
South generally, and Virginia in particular,
with cowardice, poltroonery, and so forth,
saying that the State of Virginia had been
frightened by seventeen white men, five negroes
and COW, or something to that effect-language
which Mr.. Edmundson, of Virginia, thought ns-
per to resent by a personal attack upon Mr.
Hickman, in which he was restrained by Mr.
Keitt and Mr.. Breckenridge, gentlemen who
have some experience in affairs Of this kind,
and who have learned prudence by that expe-
rience. Some time previous, Mr.. Pryor, of vir-
GINA, in the course Of speech, used unparlia-
mentary and improper language to Mr.. Kick
man, designating some statement Of his as
"false;" and because his conduct was com
mented upon in a moderate fashion, he became
savage, and abused every one that came near
him. A confederate from another Southern
State followed up the quarrel by moving the
expulsion from the House Of the reporters of q
paper which very properly and truthfully styled
Mr.. Pryor's language supplementary.
The truth is, that members of Congress,
frem the North and the South alike, are too
prone to make words used in debate on public
questions the subject Of personal difficulties,
than which nothing can be more absurd. 1t
would be well if speakers could conine them
selves within the limits of courtesy and parlia-
mentary rules, and it is most unseemly to de-
scend to offensive language in debating upon
great issues such as that now agitating the
country. Language such as that employed by
Mr.. Hickman was, no doubt, calculated to ex-
asperate Southern members; but our advice to
these gentlemen is, not to allow themselves to
be provoked into any display of personal vio-
,ence, which only serves to expose them to the
unjust and partial sensure of abolition jour
nails, which are only too glau q the opportu-
nifty to throw the onus of individual errorupon
the entire South, and misrepresent every affair
of that character as an evidence of Southern
violence and brutality, whereas. unfortunately
as far as Congress has furnished an example,
the charge should rest equally upon members
from beth sections Of the country,