The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-20
the ANTICIPATED DUEL.
PRYOR OF VA, AND POTTER OF WIS.
Pistols and Co1Kee Preferred to Bowie
Knives,
A SH ARP EBAT

In the House of Representatives, on
Wednesday last, the following scene trans
pired:
Mr.. Pryor, Dem.) of Va, rising to a
question of privilege, read from the Globe
report concerning the difficulty of Thursday,
and quoted the following:
Mr.. Pryor, advancing from the democratic
side of the House towards the area where Mr..
Lovejoy stood: The gentleman from Illinois
GLovejoy) shall not approach this side of the
House shaking his fists and talking in the way
he has talked. 1t is bad enough to be COM
PEELED to sit here and hear him utter his trea-
sonabie and insulting language; but he shall
not, Sir, come upon this side of the House,
shaking his fists in our faces.
Mr.. Potter: We listened to gentlemen upon
the other side for eight weeks, when they de-
nounced the members upon this side with vic.
lent and offensive language. We listened to
them quietly and heard them through; and
now, sir, this side shall be heard let the conse.
quences be what they may.
Mr.. Pryor: This is the point l make. Let
the gentleman speak from his seat, and say all
under the rules he is entitled to say; but, sir,
he should not come upon this side shaking his
fists in our faces, and talking in the style he
has talked. He shall not come here gesticu-
!
Mr.. Potter: You are doing the same thing.
Mr.. Pryor, after this reading, said it was
due to himself to say, on that occasion he
did not recognize the honorable member or
hear any word from his lips; nor was he
singular 10 this oblivion of his presence.
The newspapers, in giving separate accounts
of the proceeding, made no reference to his
presence, but finding him reported in the
Globe, he would admit the member was
here. He discovered that the member had
interpolated the record in manner touch
ing personal relations in most material
regard. The member had interpolated the
words "Let the consequences be what they
may;" and "you are doing the same thing"
Then, again, after the words, as taken down
by the reporters, 81 do not think that side
of the House has right to any where
gentleman shall speak," the gentleman adds,
"and he shall not"
Mr.. Potter, (Rep.) of Wisconsin, was
very much surprised to hear the gentleman
say that he did not see him on the occasion
alluded to, but he had no right to say the
gentleman did see him. He stood within a
few feet of the gentleman, and after Mr.. Pry-
or had made the remark. As to Mr.. Love
joys shaking his fist, he (Mr. Potter said:
You are doing the same thing" He had
right to do what he did, and other gentle
men did the same thing. 1t was perfectly
natural, where there were so many talking,
that the reporters should not have heard dis
tinctly all the remarks.
Mr.. Pryor replied that the member might
have been here, but he (Mr. Pryor. did not
see him. He did, in two instances, substi-
tute one word for another, in no respect
changing the sense of his meaning, and not
putting himself in more heroic attitude.
He understood the gentleman then to say
that on that occasion he (Mr. Pryor,) in q
ruffianly and violent manner, approached
and gesticulated towards the member from
Illinois, Mr.. Lovejoy.) Was he to UNDER
that any menace or offence?
Mr.. Potter replied that what he meant
was this Il: While the member from Vir-
ginia was making the charge about Mr..
Lovejoy, shaking his fists, he (Mr. Potter
said, very naturally, You are doing the
same thing" Mr.. Potter said that he de-
precate the shaking Of fists on one side as
as much the other, and he stood by
what he had said. He considered that
member has the right to correct his
remarks from the notes of the report.
ers and to supply omissions. He would
ask Mr.. Pryor whether he (Mr. Pryor did
not erase his Mr.. Potter's) remarks after it
was put in by the reporters? What right
had he to do this without consultation with
him? 1t was liberty no gentleman should
take with another and be (Mr. Potter
would suffer his right arm to be cut of be-
fore he would do it.
Mr.. Pryor-The gentleman wants to
know by what authority erased matter
he interpolated. I erased no word the re-
porters had written, but felt authorized to
erase the unwarrantable and impertinent in
terjection made in the notes of the reporters.
The gentleman stands by bis language. I
understood him to give me the liberty of
constituting his remarks as 1 choose
Whether or no he will stand by it the sequel
will prove. Laughter on the Republican
side
Mr.. Dawes, (Rep.) of Massachusetts,, said
that be heard Mr.. Potter make the remarks.
Mr.. POTTER INVITED OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
A dispatch from Washington, dated the
18th, says that soon after the above COLO
guy, Mr.. PRYOR dispatched through Mr..
H1NDMAN, of Ark, note to Mr.. Potter,
asking him to leave the District to receive
written communication. Mr.. POTTER
replied that as Mr.. PRYoR's note contem-
plated avoiding the penalties in the Dis
trict, and as his (PorTER's) disqualification
was contained in the Constitution of Wis
consin, he could not leave the District. On
this, Mr.. H1NDMAN, who was oblige: to
leave for Arkansas, handed Mr.. POTTER a
peremptory challenge from M. PRYOR,
dating his note Virginia.
Mr.. PRYOR'S SECOND THINKS KILLING MAN
WITH BOWIE KNIFE INHUMAN.
A despatch dated the 13th-Friday last
gives the following additional particulars:
Col. Lander, who had been designated by
Mr.. Potter as his friend, handed, after q
lapse of twelve hours, note to Mr.. CHS
lam, Mr.. Pryor's second, accepting the chal-
lenge and naming common bowie knives as
the weapons, and to fight in the open air,
with two friends, each armed with Colts
pistols. Mr.. Chislam protests against this
form of weapon as absurd, barbarous and