New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-14
DAVIS AND WILSON IN THE SENATE

Public sentiment proclaims that the most AFRO
CANT man in the United States Senate is jefferson
Davis. Nor does there seem to he much doubt
that in debate be is the most nsolent and nsufera
bic. The offense consists not so much in the words
used, as in the air and mien which he assumes
toward opponents. He was never thoroughly
backed down." and backed out " from any pO-
stion he bad assumed $50 far is publicly knOwn)
except once, and that was when he challenged the
late Gov. BisseD, of Illinois, for words spoken in
debate in the House Of Representatives, some years
ago, tboy being members of that body, and
then refused to meet him Gust as Pryor baS now
refused to meet Potter, under the allegation that
the weapons selected by him-muskets-were unu-
sual, and not within the puryiew Of the Code"
The fact that he had needlessly fastened this
qusrrel upon BisseI aud the belief that he had
challenged him with the expectation that, being
Northern man, he would decline to acknowledge
himself within the jurisdiction of the CODE and SO
would refuse 10 go upon the field; and, finally.
DAvis's refusal to rsoot him when, unexpectedly,
his hostile message was promptly entertained, led
rejecting minds to the conclusion that at bottom,
he was coward. Though this opinion was very
generally adopted at the time, injustice may have
been done to his bravery. However, it will doubt
less turn out to be true that no really courageous
man, who deliberately pushes quarrel with an
other to the extreme point of q challenge, will
ever retreat. under the pretense thai the weapons
selected are unusual, e., long IS they are Of 30
common description as muskets, rifles, or bowie
knives.
No article of the Code is better recognized than
that the challenged party shall havs the selection of
weapons. This right becomes nugstory, and prac-
tcally, no power of selection at ALL if the choice is
limited to one kind of weapon, viz, pistols. SO
long, then, as the challenged party keeps within
the range Of ordinary weapons, it is pretty clear
proof that the challenger is poltroon and a cow
aId and lacas the nerve and the pluck to meet the
crisis which he has voluntarily invoked, if he de.
cliues TO fight with any of the weapons which are
commonly carried by sportsmen and soldiers. It
was probably, reasons akin TO thos we have stated,
that led the Congressional associates Of Bsaell and
Davis, ard the country generally to the adoption
of the opinion that, in that controversy, Davis
showed the white feather.
The belief that he is not of that class of really
brave men, who are slow to get into quarrels, bur
once in, go through to the end in the face of all
conceivable consequences, has been strengthened
by the oft-noted fact that, since he entered the
Senate he has been apt to. offer insults to those
members of that body who no knows repudiate
the dueling code, while he has been chary about
aIousing the ire of those who he kne held them.
selves ready to act upon its sapganary requistions
We will OF stop to enumerate the instances within
our recollection, whore Mr. Davis has attempted
in debate, to put stigma upon Senator'S of the
former class, and when called to account for it in
parliamentary mode he's refused to give any ex-
plaustion, and has added insult TO tho injury by
intimsting to his antagonists that they had their
remedy under the Code. OF course, no higher ev-
dence than this is needed TO prove Jefferson Davis
the veIiest of towards.
But Davis was enectaaIy put down in the Sem
ate Chamber on Thursday last, by M Wilson of
Massachusetts,, during a debate concerning the
schools in the District Of Columbia A bill being
pending to levy taxes to support these RcboOs Sem
ator Durkee moved an amendment providing that
oil persons who paid taxes should have the right to
Rend their children to the schools. In other words:
that those negro parents who were taxed to sup
port the schools should be entitled to have their
offpripg instructed therein. Mr.. Davis not only
opposed the amendment, but insisted that il was
offered az an intentional insult to the sayeholding
tide Of the Chamber. MIR. Wilson argued in favor
of educating all the children in the District Da-
Wis replied with rare ntoenee and eff ontery, and
was most Extensively personal toward Wilson,
auntlng him impbedly with being no gentleman be-
cause he offered insults TO his associates IN the
Senate, and then would not give them the "satis-
faction which one gentleman has the right TO de.
''mand of another" The reply Of the Massaahu-
sets Senator was so pungcpt and powerful, 30 dc.