Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-06-18


Douglas seemed absorbed with something
else, and looking ont of his library,
across the hall, | saw Roger A. Pryor
and Albert G. Brown, Of Mississippi,
step into another room. | asked no
questions, but came away, and soon
afterward started for New York When
| got to the Relay House there was about
three minutes delay, as the Western
train had just come in, and | saw get
out Of it and step toward the Washington
train-who but Tom Hawkins?
tom" | cried, "what are you doing
here? " a-...l
What are you doing away from
Washington" said Tom.
Going to New York"
New York, what? Do you get me
here and then run off to New York;
Douglas has sent for me. The fights
onl
"Tll get off my baggage at Baltimore"
said |, and return to Washington to-
night.
And with that the trains steamed con-
trary ways. i rtaf
~ found out the matter at Washing
ton that same evening. The conspira-
tors had arranged to force an insult
upon Douglas, and then, ifhe challenged,
he would lose the vote of the North. If
he refused, nobody in the South would
touch him. The creature of the conspira-
tors to insult Douglas was G. N. Fitch,
of Indiana-still alive, believe-and he
had done it in executive session the day
before | reached the city. Douglas had
demanded a retraction or a fight, and
Tom Hawkins had been sent for.
II found the Douglas household all
warm for the duel. Mrs. Douglas and
the Cuttses and everybody were bound to
see Stephen out. His wife said he
might lose the Presidency or anything
before he should be beaten by Jesse
Bright and old Bucks myrmidons. The
billet dou1 had been passing all day be-
twixt the Buchanan headquarters, in the
Vice Presidents room of the Capitol,
and one of the committee rooms where
the Douglas men sat in council The
messenger for Douglas was Roger A.
Pryor, and for Fitch, Judah P. Ben
jamin.
''The Fitch gang were Slidell, who
was the arch conspirator, and blood
thirsty as bat; Bright, who was jeai-
Gus of Douglas, and despised him; Cobb,
etc. When Judah P. Benjamin, the
second day. came into the committee
room with another letter, and, amongst
Richardson, of Illinois, Pugh, Pryor,
Brown, and the rest, saw Tom Hawkins
glancing at him, they say he shrank
back and turned pale Then he put out
his hand in a sycophantish way and
said:
"why, Mr.. Hawkins, I'm very glad to
see you NntR
We all met that night, and Tom
went, in place of Pryor. to arrange the
particulars and force fight or peace.
We knew by his look that the thing was
serious They knew that it was coming
to be blood by Toms big eyes And
they wrote a retraction. He had it in
ten minutes. .s M
We arranged to try Douglas courage
by telling him that the duel was to come
off next morning. Tom, who was a
simple-hearted fellow, raised objections
to this and refused to have anything to
do with It. We entered Douglas library,
and there he stood, with as pleasant
smile as i ever saw, waiting to hear the
result.
Mr.. Douglas, said /, how do you
feelg 2
Very well. What is the newsT
You are to go TO the field tomorrow
morning at o'clock and fight with shot
guns, $3.50.
"We all looked at him piercingly to
saa how he stood III
Every well, he said, make all the
arrangements
I'VE watched him again, and he was
quiet as / ever saw him cheer
ful. Tom Hawkins could stand it no
more. He said:
"Mr. Douglas, they have retractedl'
Douglas drew sigh, whether of re-
lief or regret do not know. He was
splendid shot with fowling- piece, and |
he would have fought his weight in Wild !
cats rather than be crowded out of the l
path of his ambition. Hewas the greatest |
leader any party ever had, TO my mind. /
Do YOU want TO be introduced to Tom
Hawkins?"
"No," said /, without thinking about
it, "if it isn't offensive, prefer not to
know Tom Hawkinsl'