Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-28
THEY CARRY GUNS.
REASONS FOR THE ALLEGED FACT
THAT CONGRESSMAN GO ARMED.
pact of Cameron, Chandler, and Wade
Some Historic Duels-Pokcr Fight.
rWashinrfon Star.1

Why dol carry gun?" said a member
Of Congress in response to Star reporters
question. Because am liable 10 need q
weapon any time. II you were permitted
to look under the coat-tails of the entire
National Legislature You would find revolt
vers in two out of three hip-pockets. A
Senator or Representative, merely by rea-
son of his conspicuousness, is always in
greater personal danger than the citizen IN
private life. Fo: one thing he is an object
OF pursuit by cranks, Il percentage OF
whom are mur0erously inclined. IL you
could get together list Of the deadly af-
trays in which congressman have been en-
gagged through no fault Of theirs you would
perceive that such a precautiOn IS worth
taEingn
In those times and later nearly every
southern or western congressman regarded
a set of duelling- pistols as part OF his ne
cessary outfit. 1t is observable, too, that
the duels fought were particularly fierce
rifles. which, in skilful hands. reduce muir
der TO an exact science, being often chosen
as the weapons. and conditions being so
drawn as 10 make certain the death of one
or both of the combatants. For ex-
ample, there was the desperate
encounter with muskets in 1919
between United States Senator ARMS
tead L. Mason of Virginia and Colonel
John NJ. McCarty.. An election. dispute
was the quarrel, and Mason sent McCarty
O challenge. The latter accepted, Offering
rs his terms 10 leap with Mason from the
dome of the Capitol, 10 fight on barrel of
powder with pistols. or to engage hand-to-
hand with dirk knives. These PROPOSE
lions were declined. and the men finally
met each other with shotguns. the muz,
zles nearly touching. Mason was killed
and McCarty was dangerously wounded.
SOLEMN COMPACT.
In the old days, fifty years ago. nearly
every congressman, as a matter OF course.
carried pistol. The arm most valued for
this pocket use was made by gunsmlth
named Derringcr. of Philadelphia. 1t had
q short barrel and carried a huge ball.
The same man was considered the most re-
liable manufacturer OF duelllng- pistols IN
this country. A duelling-plstol nowadays
Is q very different weapon from the old
style. The latter was small gun IN reall-
~. projecting so large bullet that re-
cOvery from wound made with II that
approached any vital part was almost out
OF the question. Hence the extraordinary
fatality which attended the duels of half
century ago. 4 perusal Of their history
shows that the first shot which hit usually
tDlfl inc fONlllfi. Tue NulDA NDLI-
Blatant not surviving the tray.
PART OF HIS OUTFIT.
There seems to have been a murderous
element IN the ducls of those days, which
became much diluted IN later years. And
vet. mortal bitterness within the lines Of
the code never reached a more extreme
point than at the time Of the pre-secesslon
attacks upon Charles Sumner and his fol-
lowers by IoOmbs and other slavehOlding
senator's. Sumner was the leader of the
anti-slayerv movement, and abuse and
threats against him and those he led were
carried TO such point that formal
compact In writing, which has only
lust come 10 light, was signed by
Senator's Simon Cameron, Ben. Wade,
and Zach. Chandler, by which the
sIgners bound themselves to resent a
repetition Of such conduct by challenge to
FIGHT" and engaged themselves "tO carry
the quarrel into q coffin" If IL should De
necessary. Fortuna. ely. the truculent
statesmen from the south, when they
found that they would Inevitably be called
to account for what they sad and DID by
northern senators equally determined with
themselves. dropped their braggadoclo to
GONE extent and quieted down. But it IS
known that tor months Cameron, Chandler,
and Wade kept loaded derringers IN Their
desks IN the Senate-cEamber ready for
fight in case of need.
1t was in 1856 that Representative Pres
ton 5. Brooks, of South Carolina, in re-
venge for comments uttered by Sumner
upon BrOOkss uncle, Senator Butler, OF
| the same State, assaulted Mr.. Sumner so
cruelty in the Senate chamber. Many
southern senators had the insOlence TO up
! hold the action of Brooks, and in the
| House the dispute over aresoluuOu cen
| curing hi:a was carried 10 such a point OK
| ychemruce that many challenges bysouth-
ern members were either passed or threat
encd; but the members from the North
| said that. though they would not engage
in ducls, they carried pistols and would
use them without hesitation If attacked.
TIE RANDoLPH-cLAY DUEL
One Of the most famous congressional
duels vas between John Randolph and
Henry Clay. winch took place ON the Viz
giuia shore OF the Potomac near Washing
ton AT 1 =. NJ. Saturday, April :, 1896.
Randolph was one of the best shots III Viz
ginia. but he was not used TO HAIR
trigger, and the result was that his
pistol exploded while the muzzle
was held downward. 1t the second
word Clay fired with no effect, and
Randolph shot of hs weapon in the
air. upon which Alr. Clay advanced and
said II trust in God. my dear sir, that
Won are untouched. After what has oc-
cured would not harm you for thou
sand worlds" Randolph never liked Clay,
cstcemIng his native State (Kentucky( 90
be only a sort of dependency Of Virginia s
anyway, and discOuntenauclng tho COM
parative freedom of II nners IN the blue
grass region, where teuGal ideas We're less
prevalent and every store .eeper did not
consider II necessary 10 approach the land
owner hat IL hand.
The notion OF pos lg" a man for
! cowardico IS said 10 have owed its origin
I 10 Randolph's action IN. refusing IN l-UI To
| G1ht a duel With General James Wilkiu-
! son. Umted States army. lie declined "a
accept the challenge on the ground that
| he would not descend 10 wilkinson
| level" upon which the latter posted
! printed denunciatlOnS Of randolph on the
! street corners and mt taverns. The custom
was taken up, aud subsequently tho;e
| came t. be sucn n thing as posting by card
| in the newspapers. Men have been known
10 tack up signs on blank walls obluga
| tory of their adycrsaries and 10 sit under
! them for hours with shotguns waiting &c
! contest the truth of their allegations by
! force and arms. This was reducing tn,
! idea TO its most primitive elements.
Until comparatively recent years II may
| fairly be SAID that the privilege OF free
| speech IN the nails OF Congress WIS ihTEcly
modified by the danger incurred BY any
one who spoke his mind Of being called
out to be shot at. In 1896, at Bladensburg
near Washington. Jesse 4. Bynum. o
North Carolina. and Daniel Jenlfer, o.
MARYLAND. were compelled 10y the cod'
to deadly meeting, consequent upor
n misunderstanding III the House
Each combataut fired six shots with
out effect, after which the matter wa!
amicably adjusted. though not wlthOu
ridicule from the newspapers on the scOr'
OF their rad shooting. All the same ther
was no proper reason why so many shot
should have been permitted by the SO
conds, three fires apiece being the maxi
mum allowable under the accepted law o
honor governing at that period. 1t was a
the third fire that William j. Graves. o
| Kentucky. killed Jonathan Cilley, o
Maine. The cause of the tray was suiii
clently remote to render 1t excuseless. Bot
were members Of the House. Cilley ha'
spoken in uncomplimentary terms of Gene
raj James Watson Webb. Of the New Yorl
Courier and Enquirer, and Graves carried
challenge from Webb to Cllley. The latte
would not accept II. and Graves himsel
challenged CIlley. They met with rifles a
eighty yards at 3:l5 in the afternoon. Bot
missed twice. but Graves was determine
upon gore, and at the third shot Cilleywa