The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-28
Congressional Record Feb. IA

lCongressional Record Feb. IA
 MT. Berry-Mr. President, ] think that there is no other senator perhaps upon this floor save and except the senator from New Hampshire, who would have taken advantage of the unanimous consent to present the question as to whether we should en- ter into these matters which are not ! before the senate to make the bitter partisan statement that has fallen from his hps. The senator from Tennessee made a very conservative statement as to why he thought 1t ought net now be considered. He was followed ;n the same strain by the senator from Ohio and also by the senator from Alabama. l had not expected to meet the accusations that have now been brought forward until the matter was presented to the senate, if it was to be presented at the present session, when they could be answered in due form and with out taking advantage of unanimous consent to make remarks upon the mere question as to whether It should or should not be considered.
 In regard to the killing of MT. John NJ. Clayton l can say here, as ] said in the capitol at Little Rock, it was 8 cowardly murder, an assassin ation without an excuse and without palliation. No man in Arkansas has sought to excuse it, directly or indi, rectly: and when the senator from New Hampshire undertakes to make the senate of the United States be Iieve that the people of Arkansas are responsible for that murder, or that they have not done everything with in their power to hunt the assassin and bring Alm to justice, he shows himself willing to put forth mis- representation to the people of the United States.
 It is well known to the senator from New Hampshire that immedi- ately on the killing of John M. Clay
 ton the governor of the state offered reward of 5000, which was the largest reward that our laws author lzed him to offer, It IS also no doubt known to him that immediately thereafter the legislature passed a bill, and it has become law, author
 izing the governor to increase that reward to $5000. In addition to that, public meetings were held at Little Rock, at Fort Smith, at Plne Bluff, at Morrilton, in the county of Conway, where Plummeryllle is 10. cated, at Fayetteville, at my own town of Bentonville and many other towns throughout the state condemn
 ing and denouncing this murder, and raising money by private subscrip- ton as reward to hunt down the assassin. In addition to that every democratic paper in the state has de- nounced it, without single solitary exception, and the officers of the law are seeking by all lawful means to- day to ascertain who the assassin was.
 The senator made 8 statement made by Gov. Clayton and William H. H. Clayton, full of partisan bit terness, misrepresentation, and mis statements of fact, which have been denied by the governor of the state and denied and known to be true by citlzens of Arkansas. That letter, however, my colleague or myself at later period will reply to in detail; but simply want to state this even ing that so far as the assassination is approved by any part of the people of Arkansas is concerned, it Is not warranted by the facts, and every single act that has been taken there by any part of the citizens shows that it is not true.
 l knew Mir. Clayton intimately. l have known hlm since 1873. In Oc tober last 1 canvassed the Second district when he was a candidate for congress for ten days Tn opposition to him. He and l met on the stump throughout the entire district. We travelled in the same buggy, slept in the same houses, and on one occasion in the same bed. We at all times during that entire canvass were treat ed by the entire population with com plete respect. Mr. Clayton was bold and fearless republican, and ad vocated his views on the stump. At no time was there every one particle of bitternesg neither between him and me or between any citizen and MT. Clayton. Major Breckinridge | then for period eff eight or ten days that canvass. They lived l in the same towni they were personal friends; then associated on terms Of equality socially, and in every other way, There was no bitterness against John M. Clayton in that dis trict in any way whatever.
 It is true that he was assasslnated and fouily asasssinated, as has been stated, on the night of the twenty ninth of January, and there IS an in in the statement put forth by Powell Clayton and William H. H. Clayton that Major Breeklnridge could in some way have prevented .he assassination. Mir. President, hat is Q islander and foul slander ,n one of the purest, most upright, md honorable gentlemen who live within any state ia this unIon. There is DO purer man than Breckin -Idge. He is a man of the highest lOnor and the highest integrity, and anys tatement that goss forth to the MUSTANG LIklMENT