Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-17
THE ROUssEAU.GRISSELL AFFAIR.

The special Washington correspondent
of the Cincinnati Enquirer gives the follow
ing version of the affair between Gen. RoUs-
sEAU and Mr. GRISNELL on Friday last:
The assault Of Gen. Rousseau upon Mr. Grin
neil. which took place this afternoon. at the east
front Of the Capitol, Is the absorbing topic to-
night The accounts given Of the affair by the
parties themselves, and their witnesses, agree in
the main.
Prom these several accounts it appears that
after the House had adjourned Mr.. Grinnell was
seen passing out Of the rOtunda, through the
door leading to the east front Of the Capital fol-
lowed closely by General Rousseau
When Mr.. Grinnell had arrived near the steps
leading TO the ground, he was overtaken by Gen.
said, Mr.. Grinnell. l have been waiting four
days anXiousy for an apology from you for the
gross insult Of last Monday on the floor Of the
House" Mr.. Grinnel remarked, / have no
apology 10 make have nothing to gay"
General Rousseau quickly answered, =" III
teach you, sir. and at once applied rattan cane
rapidly upon the shoulders and face Of Mr.. Grin
nell, striking him once or twice upon the right
and left shoulders, and then upon each side Of the
face, when the cane broke.
Mr.. Grinnell then grasped General Rousseau by
the arm, remarkng. as he did so, " don't want
10 hurt you, sir" Rousseau, jerking away from
Grinnells grasp, replied. " Nor do / wish 70 hurt
you. sir, but | want to disgrace you, sir" All
right all right, sir" rejOined Grinnell, y on
down he picked up a piece Of the cane, and start
ing of again, said All right, sir"
The several witnesses give some additional col
lOquy, but the reporters themselves do not recOl-
lect any thing further than what is above set
forth, nor do the additional statements Of the
witnesses alter the facts as we have gwen them.
Whatever else was said was mere prolongatiOn
Of the cOllOquy, or some words that might empha-
size the remarks Of the parties.
1t docs not appear that any attempt was made
by the witnesses TO interfere while the combatants
were engaged in their pugillstic exercise, and the
whole thing was Of very brief duration.
General Rousseau has not been in his seat for
the last two days, but Just before adjournment he
seated in the House by the side of n member,
70 whom he made some allusion 70 the insult he
had received from Mr.. GTinnell, but did not
evince any passion or excitement.
Whether General Rousseau had determined 10
attack Mr.. Grinnell prior to the encounter does
not appear frem the statements of witnesses. but
General Rousseau himself states he had been in
formed on Tuesday last that Mr.. Grinnell had
promised to apologize, and was about to prepare
a written retractiOn of what he had said in debate
on Monday last. and therefore he waited until
to-day, and believing that sufficient time had
elapsed for the coming Of this proposed apology,
he approached Mr.. Grinnell.
Our dispatches yesterday contained the
action Of the House Of Representatives in
the matter, which was in the shape of reso-
buttons, alleging that Gen. r. had violated
the privileges of the House, and appointing
a committee TO Investigate and report"
The violation of privilege" is based upon
that clause of the Constitution, (Art. !, Sec.
g. which says that Senators and Represen-
tatives, for any speech or debate in either
House, shall not be questioned in any other
place" The resolution is preposterous non
sense, but in perfect keeping with the action
Of the Radicals throughout the present ses-
sion of Congress.
GRTNNELL grossly assailed Gen. RoUs-
sEAU, a fellow member of Congress, and
promised an apology but failed to make it.
Gen. r., properly believing that his assaiI-
ant had no right to make a personal assault
vile coward behind his membership in Con-
gress, after allowing him ample time for
reparation, took the matter into his
own hands and chastised him publicly
for his insolence. In this he was perfectly
right, and in doing 80 violated no "privi-
lege." lie simply committed "breach of
lnt peace, IOT WHICH ne was ildDle 10 GT-
rest and punishment by the courts just as
any other citizen, which is expressly put
down in the same Article and Section of the
Constitution IN which the privilege"
claimedis secured. Gen. r., was liable sim
ply as any other citizen and Harvested and
brought before the courts, had the right TO
justify his action by any facts that he might
be able to present through competent testi-
mony. Upon examination of the case before
the proper tribunal he might have been
punished or discharged as the court might
decide This is the whole law and constitu-
ton of the case.
Washington specials say that the
radical directory" feel greatly outraged and
may expel Gen. ROUSSEAU. f.such be the
case, he will be returned by his constituents,
with instructions to repeat the operation
with increased intensity, upon any one who
may seek to malign him and them by cow
ardIy attacks from the shelter Of so allied
privilege" of immunity, under false con-
struction of the constitution and laws