The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1868-10-02
Mistellaneuns 5eleGtions.
DUEL BETWEEN CLAY AND
RANDOLPH.
BY JAMES PARTON.

II rfE BY JAMES PARTON. .. ,.
Mr.. Clay was Secretary of State at
the time Mr.. Raudol ph was Senator
from Virginia. John Quincy Adams
was. President of the United States.
John Randolph, too prone to. believe
evil of all men, and especially of his
political opponents, was persuaded that
Henry Clay had gained the office ne
then held by a corrupt bargain with
the President. He firmly believed that
Mr.. Adams had said to Mr. Clay, in
1897, when the election of aPresident
devolyed upon the House Of Representa-
tives:
n" Make me President AMI will ap-
point you Secretary of State, and you
as my successor"
Thus believing, it was hard for man
| of Mr.. Randolph's unscrupulous huency
to avoid betraying his belief. Accord
ingly, in April, 1928, in the course of
one of bis wandering, sarcastic haFan-
CUES, after insinuating that Mr. Clay
had forged a public document, Ran
dolph concluded with the following
words, in reference to a recent vote:
"After twenty-six hours exertion it
was time to give in. l was defeated,
horse, foot and dragoous--cut up and
clean broke down by the coalition Of
Blifl aud Black George-by the COM
bination, unheard of till then, of the
Puritan and the blsckleg."
Blifl and Black George are two char
acters in Fielding's celebrated novel of
"Tom Jones. Biifl being suiveling
hypocrite, and Black George an auda-
cious robber. Every one who heard
Mr.. Randolph use these words under
stood Blifil to be the Yankee President,
John Quincy Adams-Who, however,
was no Puritan, but a Unitarian, like
his father before him Black George
could be no other than Mr.. Clay, who,
in earlier life, was known TO have been
gambler, as most gentlemen Of the
time were. The passage Of Mr.. Ran
dolph's speech relating to the alleged
forgery was as follows:
p" A letter from the Mexican Minister
at Washington, submitted by the Exec
utive to the Senate, bore the ear-marks
of having been manufactured by the
Secretary Of State"
F On7readibg the report Of this most
unjustifsble speech, Mr.. Clay wrote
challenge and sent it by his friend,
General Jesup. General Jesup called
upon Randolph and informed him that
he was the bearer of message from
Mr.. Clay, in consequence of an attack
recently made upon him in the Senate,
both as a private and public man."
81 am aware said General Jesup,
"that no one has right to question
you out of the Senate for anything said
in debate, unless you choose voluntarily
to waive your privilege as member of
that body"
Mr.. Randolph replied that he would
never shield himself under the protec
ton of the Constitution. and held him
self accountable to Mr.. Clay. -ft
az am ready to respond to Mr.. Clay"
said he, '' and will be obliged to you if
you viii bear my note in reply; and in
the course of the day l VIII look out
for friend" ., ..
General Jesup declined bearing the
note, saying that he thought Mr.. Ran
dolph owed it to himself to consult his
friends before taking so important a
step. Me-. Randolph seized General
Jesup's hand, and said:
You are right, sir, thank you for
the suggestion; but as you do not take
my note, you must not be impatient
should you not hear from me to-day. |
I now think of only two friends, and |
there are circumstances connected with |
one of them which may deprive me of
his services; and the other is in bad |
health. He was sick yesterday, and |
may not be out to-day
General Jesup requested him to take
his own time, and bade him good |
morning, This was Saturday, April l, |
1928. Mr.. Randolph Immediately went I
to the lodgings of Colonel Benton, of
Missouri, and, upon finding him, asked |
him bluntly, without giving him any
reason for the question:
Are you blood relation of Mrs
Clay!"
Il am" said Colonel Benton.
s That, rejoined Randolph, 'puts an
end to request which wished to ask
of you" ''
He then related to Colonel Benton
the particulars of the interview with
General Jesup, and as he was taking
his leave he told Colonel Benton that
he would make his bosom the sole de-
pository of an important secret. He
said that he did not intend to fire at
Mr.. Clay, but meant to keep this in
tention a secret, and enjoined secrecy I
upon Colonel Benton until after the duel.
In the course of the day Colonel Tat
nall, of Georgia, conveyed Mr.. Ran
loIph's acceptance of the challenge,
which was eouched in the following
.erms:
"Mr. Randolph accepts the challenge
of Mr.. Clay. At the same time he
protests against the right of any minis
,er of the executive government Of the
Uuited States to hold him responsible
or words spoken in debate as Senator
rom Virginia, in elimination Of such
minister, or the administration under &
which he shall have taken office. Col {
onel Tatnall, of Georgia, the bearer of
his letter, is authorized to arrange with
General Jesup, (the bearer Of Mr.. Clay's
,boIlanoa \ tho tarns of tho rneatino tn .