The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-04-17

among gentIemen, termed dueling. He re-.
presents his constituents In the following
manner: He asserts and maintains his risht
to preaent on the floor Of COngress within mar
liamentary rules, any matter which he be.
lieves TO be correct
Called upon by note to reply TO your priu.
cipal, he has made his statement. As his
friend, have presented it. You oniect to the
terms. They were such as would alone en- :.
able my principal, who Is unacq uainted with
the usual weapons OF duelists. to meet vour
friend on eq ual terms. He will not 70 ont Of
this District TO tight q duel. He valves the
usual last resort Of tho non d duelist-the m.
sertion that he will defend himself wherever
assailed. He even goes so far as 70 be willing
to name time, place and treopons, when. at this
stage Of the affair, You appeal to the strict
e,;nss terms Of t1code. and express yourself dis
There is but one result. disclaim anv Of
the scruples which have actuated my friend.
Mr.. Potter
Differing with him as much as a mau can in
politics. believe with him that every Ameri.
can cltizen Is entitled to the full expression Of
ithsrsfore present myself in his place with.
out restric tions.
1 have the honor to be, very rswspecttuIly.
Hon. T. p. Chisman.
WASHINGTON, April 13, 1860.
SIR: Neither my friend, Mr.. Pryor, nor my.
self have any personal quarrel with you. l
take any advantage of your courteous offer to
substitute yourself in Mr.. Potter's place. As
Mr. Potter, "who Is" as yOu state, unac-
quainted with the usual weapons of duelsts." ;"
cannot meet my friend ION "a ual terms" in the
District of Columbia, except with the "com-
mon bowie.knife," (Which mode Of fighting
have refused to accede to- and rs he twill
not 60 out of this District to fight duel, - and,
moreover, "waives the usual last resort Of
the non d uelist, the assertion that he will de-
fend himself wherever assailed,' must ter
inmate this correspondence with the express
sion Of my regret that we have been unable
to adjust the matter between our principals
In the manner "usual among gentlemen
which manner, though your principal " de-
tests and abhors it," as barbarous and inhu-
man." would seem to men of plain sense not
more 50 than a fight with DO wie- knives.
have the honor to he, very respectfully,
4. p. CHIsMAN.
Col. f. w. Lander
WASHINGTON, April 13, 1905 A. NJ.
SIR:--I received your last note at half past
O'Clock, this morning. In it you reiterate
your assertion that your principal shall not
meet Mr.. Potter with bowie knives, making
assurance doubly sure.
have to CORRECT an impression have ap-
parently conveyed in my last let,er-an e4-
preston also referred to in your note. 1t APP
pears that my statement that MIR. Potter
the assertion that he will defend himself
wherever asgailsd "-has led yop to believe
that he will not defend himself If assaulted
This is a mistake. II for the time he waived
AZ he could, at the disposal OF MIR. Pryor, in
regard to a personal combat, by no means be-
lieve that he will not defend himself.
i beg to assure you, without consulting with
nv principal, that he will protect himself
with honor wherever assailed 1t also becomes
my duty to inform you that Hon. John F.
Potter did not know Of my offer 10 appear for
him.
mere expressions of opinion upon a mode OF
adjusting difficulties, the propriety of which
we are not discussing, Aaye nothing to offer
in reply.
have the honor to be, most respectfully,
Hon. T. P. Chisman.
CARD FROM MR.. .CMIsNAN.
In further explanation OF Mr. Pryor's po.
sition in the controversy with MIR. Potter,
deem 1t proper to make public the following
notes, which, though never delivered, have All
essential bearing on the transaction. The
first note was handed to me by Mr.. Pryor in
Alexandria, and at his urgent entreaty
agreed, against my own judgment, to deliver
1t to Mr. Potter, but which, on reaching Wash
ington, in feference to the earnest and unani-
nous rem .ns trance of the Hon. Messrs. La
mar, Keitt and Miles, determined to take
the responsibility Of Withholding:
VIRGINIA, II O'Clock, April l3, 1859.
SIR: avail myself of the earliest moment
after Il report from my friend, Mr.. Chisman,
to send you this note.
In consequence of the impossbility of COM
municating with me, my friend has been COM
PEELED to proceed without conference in the
several stages Of this controversy. He has
acted in my behalf from the highest impulses
of honor, aud in obedience to the rules which
govern the conduct OF gentlemen in the settle
ment of personal difficulties. Nevertheless, /
cannot abide his decision.
Before formally accepting your terms OF
combat, must repel the intimation conveyed
In the note OF your friend, Mr.. Lander. to the
effect that am seeking in some way to restrict
your liberty Of speech as Representative. l
do not question your privileges in that regard.
l only intend to vindicate my own character
against an aspersjon which you interpolated
without warrant in the official report Of the
debates in the House Of Representatives, and
for which you refused any apology.
Protesting against the terms OF combat you
ofier-lst because they do not afford me the
"satis fac ton usual among gentlemen" which
of my challenge; 2dly, because they are inhu-
man, atrocious, and repugnant to all the SEN
timents Of civilized community 3diy, be-
cause, by reason of your greatly superior
size and strength, they deny me every condi-
tion Of equal neutrality-suspicious.. l do
accept your terms, and will fight you as you
propose.
arrange the details of time aud place.
Before concluding must assure y"u that
in the use Of every weapon save one-the pis.
tol-you have at least as much experience and
expe tness rs myself
TO this note require reply in your own
name.
have the honor to be, very respectfully,
ROGER A. PRYOR.
Hon. John +. Potter.
Mr.. Pryor, on returning to Washington, be-
Ing unable TO find friend who would carry
the above note, handed me the following, which
l agreed to deliver to Mr.. Potter:
APRIL IA, 1860.
SIR: seize the earliest opportunity after
my return to this city and an examination OF
the correspondence between Mr.. Lander and
Mr. Chisman in reference to the difficulty be-
tween us, to respond to the lntimation con-
veyed In your seconds last note.
Although your proposed terms OF combat
ws yss no now
submit 70 his decision. ! find, however, in
your rather significant and emphatic procla-
nation of a purpose to defend yourself against
attack, some faint possibility of . settlement
OF the controversy between US. Acting on
that suggestion, beg to inform you that II
you will, within the next three hours, name .
particular time and designate some place, ont
Of the thorouGhfares and most freQuented
portions OF the city-with view to escape in-
terruption and To avoid injury to other per-
sOns-I will afford you an opportunity to re-
deem the vaunt with which you parade your
resources Of self defence.
Your obedient servant,
RO0kR A. Pryor.
My friend Mr.. Chisman, will deliver this
note. II. "A. +.
Hon. John F. Potter,
When on my way u deliver the above to Mr..
Potter, to my surprise was anthoritatively
informed that he had been arrested and put
under bonds to keep the peace. After this, I
could Of course present NO such commun ica-
liOn to him. +. r. CHISMAN.
EXPENSES or BOsroM IH l0G0-The report
of the City Auditor, in relation TO the estima-
ted expsnsss Of the various Departments for