Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-13

worried lest Clay should be killed. The
night before the meeting he went to RAN
dolph's room to see if he was still deter
mined not to FIRE. To use his own words,
Il told him Of my visit to Mrs. Clay the
night before, and added l could not help
rejecting how different all might be the
next night. He Immediately said, with
an expression that seemed to rebuke an
unworthy doubt, Il shall do nothing TO
disturb the sleep of the child or the repOse
of the MOTHER" The two met in dell
in the thick forest. By accident Ran
dOlph's pistol went OFF before Clay's was
handed him. At the first shot both fired
and missed. Clay's shot struck bank
just behind Randolph. Clay insisted on
another shot. Randolph was angry that
he had fired before. At the next shot
Clay's bullet passed through his OppO-
nent's coat Randolph shot into the air,
said Il do not fire at you, Mr.. Clay" and
then the two advanced and shook hands.
I on owe me a coat, Mr.. Clay" was
RandOlph's remark. Il am glad the debt
Is no greater" Clay replied. Every one
was pleased, and the next Monday Ran
dolph and Clay resumed their amicable
relations. OyeTjOyed at the issue. Benton
wrote down in his diary, Certainly duel
ing is bad, and has been put down, but
not quite so bad as its substitute-street
assassinatiOns under the preteXt of self
defense.0
The first Congressional challenge was
in 1877, when Themes Blount, a member
from North Carolina, called out George
Thatcher, then in the House from Mas
sachusetts and atterward Justice of the
supreme Court. 1t rose tout of some hot
words in debate. Thatcher replied to the
effect that being a husband and father he
! could not think of accepting the invita-
ton without the consent of his wife, then
at home in Massachusetts, whom he would
Immediately consult. That was the end
Of it.
Dewitt Clinton was challenged in 1903
I by Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey. Both
were Senators. Clinton had accused
Dayton of uttering an untruth in debate.
When Dayton sent demand Tor meet
ing, Clinton said in writing that he had
not intended the slightest imputatiOn
upon the Yeracity of General Dayton
This dmende was sOlemnly read in open
Senate, but Clinton took care to be absent
from the city.
The river and harbOr bill was the cause
of one blOOdless duel. 1t rose out of a
personal debate over the bill in 1851, be-
tween Congressman Stanley of North
Carolina, and Inge of Alabama. They
met just outside the city, and fired once
asked for an accommodation, and the
matter was settled.
In 1854, Francis 3. Cutting Of New York
and John Q. Breckenridge quarreled in
the house over the Nebraska bill. Brock
inridge sent a challenge, but the tight
never occurred, as one of his seconds rose
in the House ten day afterwards with the
statement that 1.-The matters in dispute
had been settled in manner mutually
satisfactory"
Most of these affairs thus grew out of
troubles on the floor. There were eXcep-
lions. In 1919 Senator 4. I. Mason of
Virginia resigned his place for the eX-
press purpose of fighting with a cousin
named McCarty, for some political dis
pute. On receiving the challenge Nc
Carly proposed to fight on a barrel OF
powder or with dirks. Mason objected to
both. Finally they agreed on muskets
loaded with one bullet. They stood only
! twelve feet apart. Mason was shot dead,
and McCarty had an arm blown off. No
one was punished. Senator Gwin of Cali
fornia and Representative McCorcle of
the same State exchanged three shots
with each other in 1858, at a distance of 80
> PAGES. Then they found out that the duel
arose out Of a misunderstanding, and it
was amicably settled by the bystanders,
of whom about 100 witnessed the specta-
Gle.
Button Gwinnett was a member of the
Continental Congress, and as such signed
the Declaration of Independence. The
next year,he was a candidate for Governor
of Georgia, and defeated. A militia Gen
eral, Mcintosh, made some sighting re-
marks, and Gwinnett challenged him.
The latter was killed at the first fire. In
1881 Thomas Biddle was Ia Congressman
elect from Missouri. He had some
elective controversy with Spencer Pettis,
a Major in the army. They fought with
pistols, so near that the muzzles over
Tapped each other. Both were killed
Senator Cooper of PENNSYLVANIA in 1854
was attacked in the Philadelphia North
american and accused of corruption. He
sent message to the well-known editor,
Morton Nc michael, to meet him outside
the State. McMichael refused to accept
on the ground that as an editor he had a
right to criticize the acts Of public Off
Gals without being put in peril Of his life
In 1887, Dromgoole, Congressman from
Virginia, killed q gentleman of that State
named Digger with pistols
The last two attempts DIT duels by men,
bers Of Congress were the famous Pryor.
Potter and -Burlingame chal-
lenges. Pryor was a fiery NiTginian
serving his first term just before the war.
He felt aggrieved at some remarks made
by Potter, a Radical Free-sOiler. during
CAAO VI AiiC liCettCtt NCgdtCo VI tlldt OOu9IGS5.
and wanted to fight. Potter accepted on
condition that the two should be locked
up in a dark room with bowie knives, the
door not to be opened until one or the
other was dead. This was too sanguinaTy
fOnPryOr, and he backed out. Brooks took
exceptions to Burlingame's structures
upon his assault on Sumner, and proposed
to settle 1t with pistols. Burlingame had
no fear Of any man before his eyes, and
only Gtipn latQd that fhpV Cbou III mont On
Canadian soil, where they would not be
evading the laws of the United States.
Brooks raised the excuse that, in the
state of public feeling, it would not be
safe for him to enter the Northern States
to go to Canada.