Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1868-04-23

ph owed it to himself to consult hi!
friends before taking so important step
Mr.. Randolph seized General Jesup',
hand. and said:
"You are right. sir. / thank you fol
the suggestion, but as you do not take
my note you must not be impatient il
you should not hear from me to-day.
now think of only two friends, and there
are circumstances connected with one
of them which may deprive me of hi:
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, 1926. Mr.
Randolph immediately went to the lodg.
ings of Colenel Benton of Missouri. and
upon finding him, asked him bluntly.
without giving him any reason for the
question:
"Are you a blood relation of Mrs.
Clay?"
Il am" said Colonel Benton.
THAT" rejoined Randolph, ''puts an
end to a request which / had wished to
make of you"
He then related to Colonel the par
ticulars 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 depository of an i'm
portant secret. He said that he did not
intend to fire at Mr.. Clay, but ment to
keep this intention a secret, and eDioiued
secrecy upon Colonel Benton until after
the duel. In the course of the day Col
Onel Tatnall, of Georgia, conveyed Mr..
Randolph's acceptance of the challenge
which was couched in the following
terms:
Mr.. Randolph accepts the challenge
of Mr.. Clay. AT the same time be prot
ests against the right of any minister of
the Executive Government of the United
States to bold him responsible for words
spoken in debate as a Senator for VIrg.
ina, in elimination of such minister, or
the administration under which he shall
have taken office Colonel Tatuall, of
Georgia, the bearer of this letter, is
authorized to arrange with General
Jesup( the bearer of Mr.. Clay's chall.
enge. the terms of the meeting of which
Mr.. Randolph is invited by that note. I"
Some further correspondence the place
between the parties, relative to the cor
rectness of the report upon which Mr..
Clay's action was founded. Mr.. Ran
dolph admitted its substantial correct
ness. He acknowledged that be did ap-
ply to the administration the epithet puri.
Observation-Disclosures admin
sIraIion; but he peremptorily declined to
give any explanation whatever as to the
meaning or application of those words
Owing to several causes the duel did not
occur until exactly one week after the
challenge, during which the friends of
the parties did all that was possible to
promote a reconciliation, bat in vain.
Colonel Benton had been for some
:ime estranged from Mr.. Clay, owing to
political differences, but on Friday even
ing. the night before the duel, be called
upon his old friend and political chief.
to show him, as he says, tnat there was
nothing personal in his opposition. The
secret had been we'll kept, and no one
in the house knew of the impending
event.
"The family were in the parlor,"
ColOpl Benton related, company pres
ent, and some of il stayed late. The
youngest child, believe James, went to
sleep on the sofa. Mrs. Clay was, as
always since the death Of her daughters,
the picture of desolation. but calm, con.
versatile, and without the slightest ap-
aren't consciousness Of the impending
event"
When at length. the family and the
company had ali retired, Colonel Benton
approached Mr.. Clay, assured him that
his personal feelings towards him rem
aimed the same as formerly, and that in
whatever, concerned his life or hon.
or. Mr.. Clay had his best wishes
The Secretary of State responded cord
rally and at midnight they parted. The
next morning Colonel Bontan called up
on Randolph, chiefly anxious to learn
whether he sill retained his intention
not to fire. He tod him of his visit to
Mr.. Clay the night before-Of the lave
sitting-the child asleep-the uncOnsci-
ons tranquility of Mrs. Clay.
II could not help thinking" added
Colonel Benton. "how different all that
might be the next night"
Mr.. Randolph quietly replied, as be
looked up from writing in bis will:
81 shall do nothing to disiurbe the
sleep of the child or the repose of the
mother"
A few minutes after he sent his man
servant to the United States Branch
Bank to get nine pieces of gold-a scarce
commodity at that day, as at present.
The man soon returned, saying that the
bank had no gold Instantly, the mas
ter's shrill voice was heard, exclaiming;
"Their name is Legion! and they are
liars from the beginning? Johnny, bring
me my horse"
A few minutes after he was at the
bankcounter, asking the state of his &C
count. Four thousand dollars was the
amount of money which he bad IN the
bank, and he asked for it. The teller
took up some packages of bank notes, and
politelyasked him in what sized notes be
would have it.
Il want money!" rOared Mr.. Rand
Olph.
The teller, little puzzled, SAID. "You
want silverl"