Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-04-27
POTTER AND PRYOR.

''The sequel will demonstrate,'' said Roger
Pryor, of Virginia. s'Let it demonstrated -
said John +. Potter, of Wisconsin. ssIt has
demonstrated, responds everybody everywhere.
The person who will peedlessly provoke con-
troVeFsy, and taunt has adversary with lack
of courage, and then on the fimsiest pretense,
peremptorily invite him to mortal combat, and
when his challenge is accepted, refuse to fight
on the allegation that the weapons selected are
unusual, they afording to each party an equal
advantage, must, by the general judgement of
men, be written down braggart and cow-
ard.
TO go back little. Roger A. Pryor brought
into the House of Representatives reputation
for rare skill in the dteLfo. His friends and
hackers also pretended thas he was man of ex-
traordinary steadiness of nerve, and Of the most
unquestionable courage. Early in the session,
he gave indications that he was eager 20 enhance
this reputation, and was ready to put his nerVe
aud courage to the trial, on all occasions, suit
able and unsuitable. Il was evident from tha
nntsns Of the eatrpasla far Ma Saa ksFshi1 that
the more turbulent and vltupeTatiVe class of
Southern members regarded Pryor as their or
gan and lender. He was thrust forward in every
ezlgency to utter the sharp sayings, to give the
lie, and deal 0at the general abuse toward the
Opposition side of the chamber. In these oc-
casions be openly or coVertly alluded to the
dueliug code, sometimes giving his opponents
to understand, in the most patrouizing style,
that he had no intention of invoking its aid, in
that particular instance, in his own behalf; and
then, again informing his antagonists, in the
haughtisst manner, that if they felt aggrieved
they bad their remedy under the code.
Following this general line of policy, and be-
ing careful always TO pick his quarrels with
those who eschewed the code, bis first encoun-
er was with Mr.. Nelson, quiet, elderly mem
ber from Tennessee. He came ont of this con.
test erestfallen, and With the laugh of the House
ringing pitilessly in his ears. He afterward
made most abusive assault upon Mr. Sherman,
using toward him, and at time when that gen.
tleman, from the delicacy of his position as
candidate for the chair, could not reply, lam
guage that outraged all the canons of parlia-
mentary law and good breeding. His next at
tack was upon Mr.. Hickman. whom he called,
10 substance, liar; and, when mildly rebuked
for 1t by his senior colleague, Mr.. Millson, re-
peated the insult with q menace, and referred
Hickman for redress to the code. Not long
after, be set all the rules of social deceney at
NSAdHCc OJ du doSAuli3 dlin6 FulSdE anu DTulai.
on the floor of the House, upon the wife of the
editor of one of our city ootemporaries. The
violent blows he received in return for this scan-
dalous proceeding kept him rather quiet for a
while. But, painting for notorlety, he made his
recent attack upon Mr.. Lovejoy, which led, BY a
plain path, to bis affair with Mr.. Potter.
The principles of this journal, in regard to
the code recognized among duelists are we'll un-
derstood, and need not now be repeated. We
leave those principles to vindicate themselves,
while we contemplate, from its own exceptional
Standpoint, the peculiar case of Mr.. Potter.
Doubtless his prompt acceptance of Mr. Pry-
or's peremptory challenge will be condemned
by many persons whose good opinion be would
not willingly forfeit. ALI such persons should
know that MIR. Potter, SO far from being du-
elist, sincerely regards the code as relic Of
barbarism. But, SO baseless were the grounds,
even within the caDons of the code, upon which
Pryor challenged him to combat, that he and
his friends believed that deliberate purpose
was formed to take bis life, and that, therefore,
it was mere question whether he would fight
according to prescribed rules, or, declining to
do so, would subject himself 10 the hazards of
street assault, at an unguarded moment, after
the manner of Edmundson's attack upon Hiek-
man. Reasons, not patent to all, but known
to him, induced Potter to believe that, ii he
declined the duello, he would be liable to as
sassination; and, therefore, he accepted Pryor's
challenge.
But Mr.. Potter was aetuated by motives high
er and broader than any mere personal coDsid-
crations. We doubt Whethera brayer man lives.
He has that calm, solf-reiiant courage that al
ways measures its words and deeds, that never
acts upon unreasoDing impulse, that moves for
ward to its position after considerate estimate
of ultimats consequences; and, once having ta-
ken its ground, never yields il but with life