National Republican., 1877-12-17
The Gordon-ConkIing Emeute.

law makers.
The Gordon-ConltIing Emeute.
During Saturday morning last there was
much excitement and speculation among the
hangers-on in the corridors and cloak-rooms
of the Capitol over the probable result of
the personal difficulty that had Guddenly
sprung up between Senators CoNKLING and
in executive session the evening
before. Even grave Senators seemed to bes
as i'll at ease as if something serious had or
was about to happen. 1t was whispered
that GORDON had determined to appeal to
the barbarous code, duelio, for satisfaction,
and had gone so far as to select bis friends
for the occasion. .In the meantime Mr..
CoNKLlNG is said to have been rs calm as
summer morn and ~ Indifferent to it as If
he had not even heard of the occurrence.
So far as it can be understood, the affair
having occurred within the tiled doors of
secret session, and hence the outside world
must rely upon leaky Senators, clerks, or
doorkeepers, or upon the prying faculties of
the irrepressible reporters for whatever in
sible light yet presented-the affair is the
impulsive enactment of much ado about
nothing" The origin of this difficulty
shows how large fire little spark kin
dleth when applied to explosive and COM
bustible material that seems to be spelling
was remark Of Mr.. CoNKLINa
under o lull in the business of the
executive session. directed to his peers
around him, for he did not rise from
his chair-uttered in o subduei and per-
haps in an impatient tone, "oh, let us go on
with the calendar" This remark Senator
GORDON, in very uncalled for, impertinent,
and offensive manner, openly charged upon
Senator CoNKLrNG as an attempt to dictate
to the yice-President rs to the conduct of
the business of the session. Senator CoSK-
LING, who had not addressed the Chair, nor
had any intention of debating duty to him,
felt this piece of insolence keenly, and i'm
mediately replied in very audible and un-
mistakeable tone, "If the Senator from
Georgia says that issued orders to the
Chair, he says what is not true"
Then Senator GORDON at once clothed
himself in wrath and plantation manners,
and responded, warmly, This question, sir,
can be settled outside this chamber" which,
under the circu instances, could have but one
nterpretation-pistols, or rifles, or some other
deadly weapons, for two. Unless it was the
idle vaporing OF cowardice, it meant duel
nothing more nor less
Senator CoNKLISa unhesitatingly and un-
shrinkingly reminded his deadly-minded
adversary that lie was "willing and ready
to settle it here and now" And again once
more he reminded the Senator from Georgia
that "If he says that gave orders to the
Chair, he says what is not true" This
closed the scene, both Senators resuming
their seats, and the business of the session
proceeded without any further interruption
from them.
OF course the air was full of rumors dur
ing the night and the telegraph was busy in
the transmission Of messages relating to the
past and specializing upon the future. In
the meantime the belligerents had retired
to their respective quarters to nurse their
wrath and rehearse the scene with friends.
Senator GORDON, whose thirst for blood had
overcome his discretion to an extent that
had brought him to the point where he
must proceed or recede, was musing upon
his situation and considering whether
80 far stepped In blood.
It were better TO 90 Ger than return"
LAMAR was with him, and others, who
thought they smelt the blood of Yankee,
danced attendance upon him with super
cilious devotion, and thus the night wore
out.
Senator CONKLING, under the conscious
ness that he had merely met and answered
in becoming manner piece of imperti-
nent insolence, went quietly about his busi-
ness, undisturbed by an imaginary or real
array of bloody minded Southrons-armed
to the teeth-who sought to take his life
for rebuking ialsehood on the spot, and in
very proper terms.
But the affair is over, and the curtain has
dropped upon farce that was designed for
tragedy. We give elsewhere the details
of the adjustment, Through whose in
strumentality the letting of blood
or the further escape of yapor was
prevented, we do not know, neither
have we care. 1t is enough
to know that all danger to Senator GORDON
is passed. That he has been mercifully
saved from the necessity of carrying into
execution an implied and very wicked threat
must be source of great relief to himself
He undertook to frighten Senator CoNK-
LING, and he found his mistake early, and
what is moro and better, he found friends