The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-02-11
{AaSsr sou yntelliselll,,f:&r. u:
"reminiscences Of the United States Senate.

tween Henry Clay and VIM. R. King, the latter
first elected United States Senator, Oct. 2S,
1919. reelected in 1923, 1929, 1885 and 1S41.
Up to his appointment as Minister to France,
he had served continuously for nearly twenty
five. wears. On his return he was elected tor
the term ending March 8, 1853, and but for the
break in the course would have served longer
successively, than any man who has ever oeen
sent to the Senate. For ten years ne was fres-
ident pro tenn. of the Senate, and no presidlng
officer was ever more exacting IN the enforce
ment of the rules. He Lacked the courtly
presence of fillmore, the ease OF manner n ana
melody of Mangum, and rapldlty OF ospatcn
with which George M. Dallas llghtened the
burdens of the service.
His PERSONAL controversy with Henry Clay
mas doubtless been quite forgotten. Feb s2O,
TS4I. Blair {: Rises were elected printers tcthe
Senats for the Twenty seventh Congress. They
executed the usual homo, with sureties, for the
psrformance of the work, regarding it as q legal
CONTRACT This election was made against the
protest of the Whig. Senators, who, when the
ballot was taken. withheld their votes, claiming
that the right of electing printer belonged to
sii,einconaiag Senate, which BY political changes
was sure to contain a majority of Wings
President Harrison called the usual extra ses-
sion of the Senate to meet on the 4th OF March.
The new Senators were hardly sworn into Office
end an organization had for the transaction OF
business, when Mr.. .Mangum offered the follow
iEg resolution: -. ~.
RssoEgsd, That Blair & Rives be dismissed as
mrinters to the Senate for the 27th Congress.
The resolution was adopted by strict party
vote, 26s to. Is. On motion of Mr.. Clay, the
Secretary was directed by vote Of rs to 10, to
deliver; to Blair & sRiyes their official bond.
On subsequent day they sent letter to the
Senate, stating thatfthey should hold that body
to the contract made with them, and demand
ing a copy sof all documents, the printing of
which may have been or shall be ordered by
the Senate. The communication was laid on
the table.
On the 9sh, Mr.. King made an elaborate de-
fence of Mr.. Blair, going into his personal his
tory. and his former intimate relations with
Mr.. CLAY, fit may be stated here that Mr.. Clay
had besriended Francis P. Blair, in Kentucky,
wlaer, he was quite young man and in needy
circumstances, and concluded by saying that
the character of Mr.. Blair would not suffer by
comparison with that Of the Senator from Ken
tucEy.
ar. Clay responded by saying that he should
not have referred to Mr.. Blair personally had
his name not been before the Senate in an OIL
ciai character. That for ten years he sat in
silence under the personal abuse of the Globe ;
that it was an infamous paper, and its chief
editor an infamous man: he considered h him
q common iibeller, and the paper itself libel,
And for Mr.. King to undertake to put him on
an equality with Blair constrained him to say
it was false aud cowardly.
Mfr. King Immediately rose and, addressing
tin. chair, said: Mr.. President, have no reply
to omake-none whatever. -
Withinar very short time, Mr.. Clay was ap-
preached by a gentleman whom he recognized
as q mutual friend, bearing in his hand what
he took to be written missive, aud without
waiting for him to speak, Mr.. Clay exclaimed
with much excitement Of manner, You have
q challenge from Mr. King, suppose; ac-
cepS It. Both gentlemen were determined to
fight, and as the law of the District of Coluni-
Bisprohibited duelling within its limits, it was
greatly feared they would escape, to Virginia
or MARYLAND for the purpose of q hostile meet
ing. The friends of both, without regard to
party feeling, made the strongest appeals to
them for forbearance and explanation, and
probably no similar case ever elected SO much
interest Finally, after the lapse of six days,
an arrangement was made by which Mr.. Pres
ton, of South Carolina, was to introduce the
the OCCASION. Mr.. Clay and Mr. King were
4SSoA1SA1AeseAoAA sS@N-S
place in open Senate.
On the 18th, this being the last day of the
session, after Vice President Tyler had re-
tired, and Samuel J.. Southard had been elect:
ed President pro tem., Mr.. Preston addressed
the Senate, as follows: J,
1T is, I am sure, painfully within the recol-
lection Of the Senate, that a few days since a
very nnpleasant collision occurred on this floor,
between the Senator from Kentucky and the
Senator from Alabama rise, Mr.. President,
to state my conviction of the existence of mis-
apprehension, and to state ,succinctly the mode
III which II occurred! On the occasion alluded
to, the Senator from Kentucky, coiceiving that
the remarks of the Senator from Alabama were
calculated and intended to be injurious to his
character, and personally offensive, retorted in
language of direct affront-language which l
am convinced ,he, could moi. haze, employed but
andsr adeep' sense Of injury In this view Of
the remarks of the Senator from Alabama,
believe he was mistaken. Indeed, am con-
vinced, from information which. has casually
come tony possession, that the Senator from
Alabama did notintend to be personally offen-
sive.g At the bottom of this affair, therefore,
there is misapprehension, which announce
with pleasure, and in the confident belief that,
being announced, the honorable and distin-
guished Senators will permit no formal diff
Guilty to arrest an adjustment which is earnest
ly demanded by the Senate and the country"
Mr.. Clay followed in very handsome speech,
closing by saying it was with infinite pleasure
that, ,hs now declared every epithet in the; least
derogatory to the Senator from Alabama, to his
honor to his character, to be withdrawn.
Mr.. King followed in q brief but exceeding
ly appropriate speech, saying that as the Sena-
tor from Kentucky had, with his characteristic
frankness, explicitly withdrew the injurious
expression used by him, he now felt at liberty
to state that it was not his design in any man.
ner, to derogate from his, character as gentle
man or manof houor. -
Mr.. Preston then spoke, saying that he could
not repress the, ,feeli ngs which prompted him to
congratulate the Senate and the country upon
the honorable adjustment of this painful con-
troyersy. The gentlemen had acted as became