Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-08
''BuFIL AND BLACK GEORGE.
The Story Of the Duel Between
Henry Clay and John Randolph.
~ win Not Harm a hair Of That
Mans Head"
Df,cA,nrlds, lKyl N.vl.

TON ~ MS hates, and not at ali par
'ticuiar In his modes Of Sesentine real
or imaginary sights, often STOPPING to
littlenesses that the really great mind
would look upon with contempt. As
President, be exaoted too much deter
ence from those IN Interior places, ald
was unquestiOnably a very undemo-
cratic President, tending more 10
rehabilitation ideas than were con
sonant With the creed Of the party
that elevated him to the position
Among those eminent Democrats who
incurred his displeasure by their hos
tility to his methods was the brilliant
but eccentric and irritable John Ran
dolph, whose tongue was as keen as a
scimitar and denuncistions bitter a.
gall. At first, his opposition to Mon
roe was purely political involvingnoth.
ing like personal enmity When the
President-on the occasion Of General
Moreau's visit to this county, and &
state dinner given at the Executive
Mansion in his honor. on the 26th day
ofFebruary, 1920 invited Mr.. GARRETT
who was the roommate Of Randolph,
and Messrs. Lewis and Sanford, the
only members Of Clpgress that board.
ed Al the same house With the eccen
trio Virgiuian. eRd altogether ignored
that gentleman, then the feelings Of
the latter we're changed from tics,
of mere political d ference Of opinion
to personal enmiy, q change he wa
swift to make apparent on every occl
sion that presented itself.
At this time R1ndoiph was at oace
the proudest and the most reckless
man in the United States. The death
Of one ofhis nepheEs aud the hopeless
insanity Of the other had left him liz
orally alone in the world, the posses
sor Of Roanoke, one Of
the finest estates in the Old
Dominion, that was in itself 3
princely demesne. with the knoWledgp
ever grinding and euttiug into hi
soul hat at his death his own imme
diste family would be extinct and his
broad possessions pass into the hands
Of strangers. There is no mar who's
character or nature isso perfect that
it is free Of vices that mer aud deiorm
its beauty and symmetry. The vices
OF Randolh were strong drink. avarice
and overWeening pride. Mr.. Clay, 10
1927, had not yet severed his connec
ton with the Democratic party, and
was as staunch a friend and defender
of Monroe and all his acts as Randolph
was his assailant and enemy. These
two remarkable men had more than
once crossed lances in debate, and 10
the fearless Kontuekian the arrogant
Firginian h1d met a foeman be could
neither trans6x nor unhorse. Il was
CALLING to tAe a~ristocrat T. at one who
was born in a social sphere he con.
sidered even lower than that occupied
by the negroes bred on the Roanoke
lands should presume to challenge !
Randolph in debate and not be ami
hilated for his temerity; audience Mr
Clay was included in the hatred he bore
Mr.. Monroe. Ii Randolph hated CLAY
first because of the latter Oh NIPPON.
ship of Monroe, and second becaus,
OF his lSwly origin, that hatred wa,
intensified when the long battle owe
the Missouri Compromise measur,
came up. Mr.. Clay, conscious of hi
own intellectual greatness, was as AFRO
CANT aud overbeariDg as Randolph
could dare be. He occupied the char
Of Sp aker of the House, and seemed
to take pleasure IN ruthlessly over
ruling every proposition advanced b,
him OF Ro noke. This did not faiI
to arouse all the Jealousy and uglines,
10 Randolph's nature, and he came Il
hate Clay with a hatred that wa,
honestly confined to the latter and
embraced not any other Even hi.
hatred Of John Quincy Adams was
permitted to slumber in this i~Dcreased
and unutterable loathiRg for the tool
the purchased tool" as he termed Mr.
Clay, Of the Yankee Puritan" A.
the debate grew, the hostility between
the two also gained strength and
stature, aud at the end, when Mr.
Clay, taking advantage of his official DO
sition, shrewdly jockeyed the arropsn,
Nlrginiau out Of his right. when the
bill passed, to move a reconsideration.
the whole country knew that such
were the relations Of the two a hostile
meeting between them was but a oues
ton OF time. and very brief time at
that.
Pending the debate on this meas.
ure, Mr.. Clay had sought = private
interview with Randolph, but received
such treatment that all intercourse
was broken off between the two. and
neither treated the other thereafter
with any show of civility. Thus mat
ters stood until 1924, when the presi-
Dental election was thrown ipta The
House, and john Quincy Adams was
successful through the vote and iu6u
enoe OF Mr.. Clay. The first oficial
act OF the executive was the appoint.
mens of Mr.. Clay as Secretary Of STATE
This gave Randolph an opportunity
Tor assaIling his enemy that he was moi
slow to avail himself of. He instantlv
voiced the charge Of bargain and IN
trigue, and charged that Mr.. Claw had
betrayed Virginia aud the South bv
selling his vote and influence 10 M
Adams tor the portfolio he received
Mr., Clay, no longer a member
could not reply to the assaults
made upon him in Congress- ave- b1
indignant denial. Randolph %retorteS
that ne but added falsehood to treacb.
cry, and concluded the bitterest tirsJo
Of personal abuse ever delivered IN
the halls Of Congress with The decl.l
ration that the election Of Adams was
aue solely to the coalition of Bli6l
aud Black George-by the combina-
ton, u1heard Of till then, Of the Pnr;.
tan with the blackleg."
This was more than Mr.. CLAW could
stand; Although some little time bad
passed since Randolph had aoensed
him OF talsehood as well as treacberr
yet ne did not challenge his asSsiIaS,
Until the latter had applied Lord
Chathau's famous figure Of the ali.
anee between Bli6l aud Black Georoo
to him and Mr.. Adams. MI. OlaS's
challenge was peremptory. Mr.. Ran
doTIph promptly accepted it.
Inc meeting occurred on the 19tb
gay OF April, 1926. Mr.. CLAW 6Ted
ana missed his antagonist. RapdoinS
hred in the air. The seconds ~" :
sumed that the latter had touched ~.
M trigger Of his pistol accidentally