The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1860-04-19
Potter and Pryor.

sentative, Hon. John +. Potter and Hon.
r. A. Pryor, of Virginia, has already
been, and doubtless will continue to be
the subject Of various remark by the
press and the people generally. In Wis
consin, as well as in the Northern States
generally, public sentiment does not ia
yor dueling. The settlement of
personal difficulties and the yindication
of honor, should ordinarily be adjusted
by other means than personal violence.
The right of self-defense is hardly ques-
toned by any. Mr.. Potter disclaims
being governed by the code of honor,
which is recognized by the Southern
chivalry. The valiant Mr.. Pryor, seems
to have been startled with the idea Of
fighting with bowie knives, and excused
himself by declaring such practice to
be "absurd, barbarous and vulgar."--
On the score of barbarism or of Ell
quette if man has any blood he is will
ling to hazard being let off, it matters
but little whether it be done by bow.
lie knife or pistol. Pryor ia a practiced
duelist, which fact Potter well knew;
for an inexperienced combatant, Pot
ter probably supposed the bowie knife
better than the pistol.
The everlasting brag and swagger of
Southern men in Congress-; their con-
tinuod vulgar epithets and insults heap
ed on Northern men, has doubtless
drawn largely on the patience of every
peaceably disposed member: Very
likely it needed just such an exhibit
ton of dauntless courage as that of Pot
ter's, to make the brawling negro dri,
vars quail, and stink back into their
kennels. These southern braggarts are
always haunting Northern men with the
want of " pluck" but when the ire of
the Northerner is aroused, they vanish
The men of the Pryor stripe will sue
coed better by following the example of
Brooks, whose valorous deeds in at
tempting to assassinate Sumner, the
South has immortalized-Let Pryor at
some fit time come stealthily into the
Hall of Representatives, and watch an
opportunity when Potter is engaged
at his desk--then silly approach
behind him, and pummel him on the
head with heavy cane until life is near
ly extinct. Then the chivalry of the
sunny south, will vote him all sorts of
triumphal honors, and even southern
ladies will present him with profusion
OF bouquets and keepsakes as they did
Brooks.
Mr.. Potter regarded the right of free
speech, which had been assailed in Con-
gress, as one of the essential preroga-
tives of our American institutions, and
which must be defended at all hazards.
Regardless of personal consequences he
determined to vindicate this right-a
right which the south has been long
intent on depriving northern men.
The right of free speech has been re-
peatedly assailed in Congress by threats
ofviolence parliamentary rules have
been trodden under 70 OF, and the negro
drivers have sought to subdue the north
into silence in respect to the peculiar
institution.
Among all the pro.slavery rowdies in
Congress, none perhaps are exceeded
by Pryor ; his several attempts at get
ting up quarrel, since the commence
ment of the present session, are spoken
of Ply the N. Y. Tribune as follows -
ellis first encounter was with Mr..
Nelson, quiet elderly member from
Tennessee. He came out of this contest
crestfallen, and with the laugh of the
House ringing pitilessly in his ears. He
afterwards made most abusive assault
upon Mr. Sherman, usiug toward him,
and at time when that gentleman, from
the. delicacy of his position as a candi-
date for the chair, could not reply, Ian
guage that outraged all the canons of
parliamentary law and good breeding.
His next attack was upon Mr.. Hickman
whom he called, in substance, a liar
and, when mildly rebuked for it by his
senior colleague, Mr.. Millson, repeated
the insult with menace, and referred
Hickman for redress to the code. Not
long after, he set all the rules of social
decency at defiance by an assault, alike
vulgar and brutal. on the floor of the
House, upon the wife of the editor of
one of our city contemporaries. The vi.
oIent blows he received in return for this
scandalous proceeding kept him rather
quiet for while. But, painting for no.
toriety, he made his recent attack upon
MIR. Lovejoy, which led by plain path,
to his affair with Mr.. Potter.