, 1860-04-19

- L"1S.4AAt~a -01+ Ass A. AAf4S@A1
-:sfsJor|s friends arc indignant beyond meat
"ure. They are in bad pred;cament. They
provoked quarrel without reason. They were
compelled 10 sacrifice Pryor's- life or recede.
and lhey ver! wisely did tho latter. Mr. Potter
was in, earnest. and they knsw 1t. He ia one
bou61 and bravery, while q: the sumo time be
detests this 6arbarous mode Of settling difficult!
ties, but will not allow himself to bo bul!led.
Pryor's position Is an unfortunate ore. Every
une pities him, but thinks bis retribution well
deserved. We hope it will also prove benef-
al.-This probably ends bsaggodocio and bull
I iyism On the Aoor Of the House for the present
session, and is perhnps the best thing that could
| have happened. The first Northern man nbw
that shows the white feather, need look for no
r sympathy 3whateYet: -
Pfyor's position is still worse, from Tie fact
'hdr1d sdeel bonne Je~fs since; IL which he ap-
pearcd as secdnd, he appointed for his p.inci-
'al, ri1es, pistols and 5oie Eniees in SUCCESSION,
! which wcrf accepted, his principal being killed
ut the iirst shot. This wns, If possible, more
finhuman and ru1sar:". taan- -Nr. Potter's prop
osilson. and upon this fact, Ar. Potter informs
me, he bnsed his choice.
: - ,iFfon oetassnaal"ta Forueys Psesa:1
The discussion in reference to the Potter and
Pryor d'iienity IS kept Up in oil circles with un-
hour is, whether the bowie knite il eny more
"vu!gar:" cnchristian or savage than the pistol,
1.-The edouble-barre!eled gun, the ANAL sword. or
the rapier. The friends Of Potter are multiply
ing data and strengthening themselves by going
back to the code Of honor in the days Of
chivalrE. aud coming down to the present era.
They allege that the -bntt}e axe was The favor
lte weapon II the tournaments Of old, and
Was. used By the brayest md most polished
knights Of the middle ages. They contend rbat
the small'sTurd exercise continues n be used
in France, End the broad~swor in Germany,
n d Z fEA 1fnntR&a %tE%
duly and carefully arranged beforehand. They
argue further, That the bowie knife, being
southern production, has been for many years
rcgarded az ~ inproyea. ent upon al that it is
! worn ty many Southern gentlemen; and that
to this day the Arkansas toothpick is regarded
Of many Of tie mos; ardent advocates Of Tie
Southern code Of honor. Among a. large num-
Der Of the Southern men this riew Of the bowie
! knife question is heartily sustained. I forbeaF
| tue use Of names, but have heard several dis
tinguisbed authorities quoted in proof Of these
| temarks.
Had Broderick accepted the knife, in pl.ce Of
! the pi. to1, he would hare had an even chance
| for his HES but; being opposed by an expert,
/ By one who. to use Col. Bakers language IN his
eloquent eulogy, understood the trick Of the
pistol" and being himself noyice in the use
Of that weapon, he went 10 tie field, as he lett
the Atlantic shores. profoundly convinced that
he would be compelled 70 yield up his 1ito for
I his principles. TIE wh6Ie code; na it IS upheld
! in the South, IS harbarons practice, and have
not beeu abe to draw the distinction between
| that huma1 which sends human soul unan.
olnted and uussrined into eternity; ry bullet,
and that other system which destroys life with
ian ordinary bowie knife" The bioodiest
transactions Of remote md Of recent date, some
/ resulting from sudden quarrels and some detib-
e1a.ely preazranged, have taken piace in The
Southern States. Tue terrible duel between
Pleasan.s and Ritchie, near Richmond,
not many years ago, was fought With pis:
AcCarty. duel, also q Virginia afair was
fought upon . basis of thig character
McCafty presented 10 bis adsersaTy.,he choice
Of three modes Of arbitration; first, thai they
should both leap from the Capitoi; second, thai
they SHOULD stride barrel OF ~gunpowder, and
apply SLOW match TO IT !; and third; that they
should take muskets, place the muzzles close t.
! each others breast and fire. The latter pro.
position was accepted, as the most humane aud
least "vnigar; and Nccarty's llfa was saved
BY hls adversary's weapon missing fire, while
The lat:er passed to his final account witt
formal duel viii! knives lately took place il
Sc~ Orleans, and it is alleged that two of tht
l. southern members Of the present House en-.
| ga:ea in q fearful conflict with the ordinary
bowle knife. those who know say that t5ert
is u manual by which the use Of tie ,bowit
Ah!lo 70 EA1A6Aeut III Pa&At4 auStA -u8ulb, Hit
! il is uotoriopa that many Of those Who carr,
this instruments Of death use it with as nuci
dex.erity as the Indian uses the bor 0: :hs
scalpiug knife. ''"- - =" -
IT, Washington Correspondent y. Z. Evening pozt.]
r.. Some Democrats claim that Pryor WAS per
fectly ri.h. in declining brutal set-to viii
knives, cad that it 1sas not within the scope G
his intention when he gave the challenge; bu
there are other Democrats wl.o declare it t5ei
opinion 1iat Mr. Pryor, a,tor seeking to shet
the blood of Ar, Potter, should not have oh
I f-joetcd to the mode OF warfare, or, having done
20. should y. more modest in the House Of hi:
reputation as duellist.
! The edltoria1 in lhs Herald of yesterday, un
der the caption of"Pryor Showing the Whit
Feather" raised storm Of wrath among th
}'"chiyairy,' and it il said that Pryor himsel
will take summary vengeance upon Mr.. Bennett
the next tine he comes to Washington. Asth
the organ Of the most advanced type Of pro-sla
very doctrine the Herald has large circula.io,
among southern men; it is, III fact, the nerspa
per for the political niggcr-drivers;" hene
their great Indignation upon reading the Reral
editor1al. The course pursued by''the chiral
r." in the matter is ito accuse hlr. Potter O