New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-18

man at O'Clock q. %. on Friday. TIL thep, Pot
Ter had kept carefully out Of the way of tie Police
Bat be tsat day went openly to the House of Rep
reseptstlvee, had occasion 10 address tho House,
aud returned openly to his lodgings after the adj
iournmsnt where be remained accessible to every
BODY the rest Of the day aud until late at night
Now, on Saturday, at il o'clock m, be was
arrested, by n Washington police officer and gave
bonds to keep the pesce That very officer, when
srrestirg him, said Z" have been to Alexandria
" to arrest Pryor" But this officer had no jaris-
dictiop in Alexapdrs, and so, must have gone there
for cone other purpose. 1t s kaorn that no friend
Of Potter moved in the business Of getting him ar
rested and it is fully believed that he was arrested
on the procurement of PryOr's friends, and by
man who had just before had an Interview with
Pryor.
Potter being thus placed under bonds of S5,OOO
TO keep the peace, and that fact being known TO
every body in Washington (or, the streets were
full Of this item of Dews), then Pryor suddenly be-
comes ferocious, and, through his friend Chsm,n
sends fiery missive to Potter, telling him to fetch
on bis knives andbegin; which noteis so ill-tmed
riaienops, that neither Cbisman, Keitt nor any
BODY else, viii deliver ii to Potter
Then Pryor, having doubtless obtained renewed
assurances that Potter vas tied last by his bonds,
rushes at him with another bloody missive, inviting
him to name time, place, &c, for street hghs
This note Chsman, who had Gf he is to be be-
,ieyedl refused TO even submit Landers proposal OF
bowiek knives to Pryor, because that mode OF hight
ing was vulgar. barbarous, inhuman, and "not
usual among gentlemen, or consistent with the
emotions of civilized tocety"-this note, inviting
street encounter with knives, swords dirks pistols
revolyers, muskets, clabs, or anything with which
men could murder each other in street braEl-
this note this dainty and gentlemanly Chlsman
tries to deliver to Potter and is only prevented be-
cause be is under bonds
Whoever will scan Pryor's last two letters will
see that they are the resultof deberstlon and care
ard were never written in tie haste and excitement
of bona fde effort to meet al antagonist in orta
combat. They are an attempt but too thn aud
transparent for the exgency, parry the contempt
and the rdcule that the writer and his hackers felt
conscious that everybody was at that moment
thrusiing at him.
But these notes are characteristic to the last.
The one wherein Pryor talks of Potter's "vAunt'
that he would defend bimself shows the braggart.
The other displays the craven. His antagonists
bands being snugly tied, Pryor wbimpers like cow
ardy cur about "the greatly superior size and
"sirer 9Th" Ofthe mau whom he hadlns1lted and who
had sought DO controversy with bim-falsely whn-
ing about Potters superiority too, in all that is e'
fental in haDd-to-hand contest with bowie knives,
because Pryor is much taller and longer-armed than
Potter, and ought to be strong enough to strike, if
foolish enough TO challenge.
But, both Pryor and Chisman, by this last phase
of the correspondence, have sunk so low that even
the contempt of decent men will tend to elevate
then-and so we leave them alone.