The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-11-12

say. Hdfo fcefSicu iiy cOtnHftSSt2s
for the SPECIAL and sole purpose,cf figffing
you; and | am now free to accrps or scsid
challenge and to fight. duelNsThe
public mind has become trauq..ii, aEssseil
suspicion of the further prosecutions ss siiff
quarrel having subsidized, we can neH
terminate it without being arrested by the
civil authority, aud without exciting
alarm among our friends =. I am
extremely anxious TO terminate at once
and forever thi, quarrel My friends
- and - are fully authorized to act
for me in every particular. Upon receiv.
ing from you a pied ye tn fight, they are
authorized and instructed at once to give
the challenge for me, and to make imme-
6iateiy every necessary arrangement for
the duel on any terms you may prescribe. :"
This note which fully betrays Mason's
infex ibility ct purpose, and which, it is
stated, was never read BY M Carly, was
written before any interview had taken
place between General Mason aud hi.
seconds. and was enclosed to them In q
letter containing positive Instructions for
their government. lie writes them: You
will present the enclosed communication
to Nr. John u 'Ca-sy, aud tell him at once
that you are authorized by ne 10 challenge
him, i'll the event of his pledging himself
to fight. If he will give the pledge, then
desire that you will instantly challenge
him In my name to fight Cue! with me.
Agree to any terms that he may
propose, and to any distance three
feet, his pretended fayor,e distance-or to
three inches, should his impetuous and
rash courage prefer it. To any species Of
6re-arms-pistels, muskess, or rifles
agree at once
Acting under these instructions, Ma
sons seconds called on M'Carty, as the
bearers of his challenge. M'Carty again
refused to receive any communication
from Mason, for the same reason as be fore
4 violent personal alteration then took
place between M't'arty and one Of Mason $
seconds, the latter insisting strongly that
the challenge should be received and
accepted, and the former obs,inately
declining TO reccivc It. The quarrel be-
came SO violent that the parties were near
lighting. At last, Mason's seconds having
threatened to post NJ Carty a, coward
unless he accepted the challenge, MCarsy
agreed to fight. 1t would appear from
this, that though Mason's friends in gen.
eral, and even one oe his seconds, .trove
to prevent the duel, il Was forced upon
M'Carty by the other.
If the spirit which animated Mason in
this unfortuua:c controversy was head;ons
and uhcompromising, tina, which impe.lec
VI Carly was apparently not the less so.
1t is said he would consent to no meeting
that afforded any possibility for tho escape
OF eithe. Reckless of his own life, he
determined that If he fell his antagonis.
should fall with him. lie therefore would
only consent to meet Mason on suc.: terms
a, must, in all probability, resul. in the
destruction OF both.
With this object in view in accepting
the challenge, his first proposal is said to
have been hat lie and Mason Sholld lean
together from the dome of the capitol
This was declined as wholly unsuuctioned
by the Code. He next proposed 40 light
on barrel of powder" (which was objec-
ted to," say the seconds, ''as not according
with established usages, as being without
example, and as calculated TO establish
dangerous precedent" He next proposed
to fight with dirks 10 hand.to hand
encounter. This was also declined tor
like reason. His final proposition was to
fight with muskets, charged with buck.
shot, at ten feet distance. These terms
were hardly less calculated to insure a
fatal result to both than those which had
been previously objected to; but, desperate
as they were, since they were clearly with
in Masons letter OF instructions, and
NE erl,a ma were unt cou>inerad U,s "a ioulatej
to establish a dangerou. precedent" they
were finally, with some notifications,
accepted. The distance, it was agreed,
should be twelve t. CT, Instead of ten, and
a single bail was substituted for buckshot
In extenuatioh of the unusual terms Of
combat proposed by M'Car,y, il is said
hat he was exceedingly averse to fighting
his cousin, and desired to escape The
acceptance OF the chaiienge, ii he could
possibly do SO without incurring the i'm
paIation OF cowardice and tha. he could
such terms as Mason's friends were not
likely to agree to. Mason appears to have
been aware OF his desire to avoid conflict:
for in his CORES spondence he seems to have
some difficulty iu extracting
from him pledge to fight. This pledge,
it seems, was given but even the desper-
ate terms finally proposed did not have
The designed effect Of causing them to be
re elected.
On Friday evening, the 5th of February,
the parties drove out to Bladensburg,
by their friends, that they