The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-07-22

what a terrible tongue Benjamin had,
and he followed him out of the court
room and said:
"'Look here, Mr.. Jew, / want to tell
you something. If, when my trial
comes off, you say one word against my
character, I'll Kill you in your tracks,
"Benjamin saw those big eyes ready
to jump out of Toms head. and said:
"'Mr. Hawkins, shall not want to
have any difficulty with you, SIR
"They did not convict Henderson,
and Tom never came to trial.
81 reckon you never heard of Tom
Henderson's connection with the Fitch
and Stephen a. Douglas trial, did you? ?
That has never been published, to my
knowledge; but it was a remarkable
episode in the preface to the reb allion.
You see, it was coming on toward the
political Convention of 1860, and Doug
las had all the strength, SO that it was
hard on to certainty that he would be.
nominated, and crowd out the Buchan-
an party. got sure information of the
nightly caucuscs of Slidell, Jesse u.
Bright, Howell Cobb, Benjamin, and
that faction in Washington-for they
met at Cobb's house chicfly-and one
day it came to me straight as a wire
that they had determined to force
Douglas into fight, and that it had
been proposed that Sldell should insult
Douglas in the drinking saloon of the
Senate, and if he resented it, shoot him
down. l wrote to Douglas at once, but
knowing his habits so we'll, of leaving
letters unopened for days and weeks to.
gether, sent the letter to friend, and
commanded him to make Douglas open
it and peruse it, that he might be pre-
pared. And in this letter / said: If
you are pushed TO the wall, telegraph
for Tom Hawkins, of Louisville"
"Well, / came on from the South
soon after that, and went up with
George Pugh to see Douglas. There we
found nobody to pay much attention tc
us. Douglas seemed absorbed with
something else, and looking out of his
library, across the hall, l saw Roger A
Frior and Albert G. Brown, of Missis.
sippi, step into another room. l asked
no questions, but came away, and soor
afterward started for New York. Wher
L got TO the Relay House there wa
about three minutes delay, as the West
ern train had just come in, and l saw
get out Of it and step toward the Wash
ington train-who but Tom Hawkins? =?
'Tom, l cried, what are you doin!
here?'
"'What are you doing away from
Washington p said Tom.
"'Going to New York
"'New York! what? Do you ge
me here and then run off to New York
Douglas has sent for me. The fight
onn
"I'll get off my baggage at Balti
more,' said /, 'and return to Washing
: ton tonight
"And with that the trains steame
contrary ways.
: 81 found out The matter at Washing
!. ton that same evening. The conspirf
t tors had arranged to force an insult VI
= on Douglas, and then, if he challenged
t he would lose the vote of the North.
a he refused nobody in the South woul
k touch him. The creature Of the cor
It spiratOrs to insult Douglas was G.
:. Fitch of Indiana--still alive, | belicy
:, and he had done it, in executive Sc
/ sion, the day before reached the cit.
r Douglas had demanded retractiOn {
;, fight, and Tom Hawkins had bee
is sent for.
It 81 found the Douglas household a
is warm for the duel. Mrs. Douglas an
If the Cuttses and everybody were boun
st to see Stephen out. His wife said /
Is might lose the Presidency or anythin
Y before he should be beaten by jess
J. Bright and old Bucks myrmidon
The billet dour had been passing all da
,r between the Buchanan headquarters
n in the Vice Presidents rooms of Il
m Capitol and one of the committee room
q. where the Douglas men sat in coune
n. The messenger for Douglas was Rog
m A. Pryor and for Fitch, Judah p. Be
,r jamin.
le 1.-THE Fitch gang were Slidell, wi
as was the arch conspirator, and bloo
Or thirsty as bat; Bright, who was jea
I'd Gus of Douglas, and despised him, Col
~ &c. When Judah p. Benjamin, the sc
ond day came into the room with anot
to er letter, and, among Richardson, of l
at inois, Pugn, Pryor, Brown, and the re
an saw Tom Hawkins gancing at hiT
IL they say he shrank back and turn'
W pale. Then he put out his hand in
IN sycophantic way and said:
tn ".'Why Mr.. Hawkins, Pm very gil
d. to see YOU.
es "We all met that night, and To
rs went in place of Pryor, to arrange t
IN. particulars, and force fight or peaC
ut We knew that it was coming to blo
if by Toms big eyes. And they wrote
as retracti on. He had it in ten minutes
id 1--WE arranged to try Douglas cot
m age by telling him that the duel was
ms come off next morning. Tom, W
an was a simple-hearted fellow, raised
,ut lection to this, and refused to have an
~, thing to do with it.
he "We entered Douglass library, a
I'D there he stood, with as pleasant a SIN
gh as ever l saw, waiting to hear the
ful suit.
lat 'Mr. Douglas said /, 'how do y
feel"
W. avery well. What is the news?'
CO. "'You are to go to the field tom
lie, rom morning at five o'clock, and flg
of with hot.gups.'
lst "We all looked at him piercingly
hn see how he 4ood it.
"Very well, lie said. Make all
nd arrangements.'
NON IINIyn Liz, ,n,1 ln 4,