, 1877-12-16

| AAG e4@A7 A%&e@'
CONGRESSIONAL QUARRELs.
Senator CoaKL1SG's defiance Of Senator
GORDON, in the debate of Friday, will not
lead to serious consequences. But 1t
recalls the important fact that the Senator
from New York is one Of the readiest men
with lis fists that have been in Congress for
many years. When he sat in the Lower
House he was recognized as the most accom-
plished pugilist in that body. with the sole
1 exception of JOIN A1oEg1ssEY; and, though
| he hns not beou in perfect training since his
promotion to the Senate, his physical prowess
has e,rned him the respect of his political
| adyersaries. He had good reason, therefore,
to answer sharply the impertinont remarks
of Senator GoE1,ox. He knew that, if the
worst came, he might, MS the challenged per-
son, name boxing gloves as his weapons: and
give his opponent a lesson in the mysteries
of the counter which lie would not soon
| forget. In the interests of humanity, We
rejoice that slogging- mill of this descrip-
ton is not to tako place; but it would be
useless to deny that the cause of science
| loses everything that humanity gnins by the
| peaceable arrangement Of the quarrel.
The times have been that Congressman
| fought s1nartly on less provocation than tn at
offered in the debate of Friday. A.quar7el
then meant something more than display
| of fisticu1fs, First among the Congressional
| brawlers, in point Of originality and time,
| was MATTHEW LYON, who attacked Gn1swoLD,
| of Connecticut, with q fre-shorel during the
open session in 1898. Contemporary rec
| ortls assert TINT this was one Of the most
interesting differences Of opinion ever seen
in the House. but the chronicler neg1ects to
say which one Of the combatants carried off
the honors of the occasion. There were in
those carly days also many challenges be-
tween eminent statesmen for words spoken
in and out of Congress. DEWITT CLINTON
fought a duel with JOIN SwAHTHoUr in 1902,
and another with Gen. DArrEouK, of New
Jersey, in 1908. The famous duel between
HAMILTON and Burr occurred in 1904. HES-
nY CLAY fought the first time with Hum
pHREY MAEsnALLin 1905, and the second time
with JouS RANDOLPH in 1926, yindicating in
this manner his honor against the state
ment that his vote for JoHy QU1S-
CT ADAMS was the coalition of
Puritan with blackleg." THOMAS H. Ben
TON mud ANDREW JACKSON both fought duels.
by GRAVES, Of Kentucky, in 1888. num-
Der of duels and personal encounters, more
or less serious, grew out OF the Brooks
SUMNER affair. Besides the physical injuries
inflicted upon Mr.. SUMNER, from which he
never recovered, q challenge passed betweeu
ASsoS BurL1SdAs1E and Brooks. The wcap-
ons named were rifles and tho place Navy
Island, above Niagara Falls. BEoozs refused
to keep the appointment, alleging that it
would not be safe for him to travel through
the North in the then excited state of public
feeling BuEL1SGAME was on hand ready
to proceed He gained great popularity
for his conduct in this nffair; but
the Puritan sense Of Massachusetts,.
when it hnl time to cool, was against him,
aud he lost his election few years after
wards, though not solely on this account
He had another serious encounter, with
KE1rT, Of South Carolina. BARKspA1E, of
Mississippi, who assisted BRooKs in his as
sault upon SUMNER. was noted fighter in
his day. In one scrimmage in the House he
took hold of spittoon es an offensive weapon,
and had his wig pulled off. Punch did tho
scene up in q cartoon. He was at last killed
at Gettysburg. a memorable quarrel, which
induced preparations for duel. WIS that
batween JEFFERSON DAVIS and B1ssE11, OF
Illinois. The affair fell through, but it added
something to the reputation Of B1ssELr, who
wns afterwards elected Governor of Illinois,
and had his title disputed on the score
of his disqualification, as n party to
duel, under the law. POTTER, OF
Wisconsin, and PE7on, Of Virginia, had
an affair of honor, which was terminated
BY the selection of bowie-kniyes as the
weapons by the former. Pryor rctreated,
asserting that no gentleman could fight with
bovie-kniyes, and POTTER was known to
fame as Bowic-knife POTTER" DuER, of
New York, gave the lie to MEADE, of Vir~
ginia, in debate, but no duel followed.
FoorE, of Mississippi, struck FREMONT in tho
ante-room Of the Senate Chamber, but
smoothed the matter down by an ample
apology. He had a more serious difference
with BENTON, upon whom he drew a re-
volver in the open Senate. Five men caught
hold of FoorE, and four seized BEsros. The
former was disarmed, and the latter cried
out: 'sLet the assassin shoot!' Senator
BoR1ASD struck Census Commissioner KE,-
SD1 in the grounds of the Capitol; GRIN
NELL, of Iowa, vas cowhidea in the rotunda
by ROUSSEAU, of Kentucky; GREELEY was
knocked down by Rust in the street, offering
no resistance; and there have been various
other ARRAYS, more or less momentous and
disgraceful.
There have been no fatal due1s among
Congressmen, with the exception of the
one which resulted in the death of C11Er,
already referred to. The Southerners, who
in the old days were often the nggressors,
failed on several occasions to make good
their threats. The moment determined
resistance was offered, they found other
means of accommodating their difficulties
than bloodshed. The ending Of several
challenges in this manner at last suggested
that the known scrup1es of Northern men.