Crawford avalanche., 1895-08-01
BLOODLEss DUEL.
THE ONE pErWEEN RANpoLPH
ANo CLAY

1&t%<F T<&~I~
After Emptyins Their 6svoIvsrs che
BsllIssrsnts Embraced. How ths
0rsat vIrsInIsp Made = Friend.
The sangulnary encounter between
Jackson and Dickinson finds cur
ious contrast In the picturesque
meeting Of Henry Clay and John
Randolph, OF Roanoke. Clay and
Randolph were easlly the leading
orators OF the land. Clay surpassed
In beauty OF tone, grace OF person
and charm of magnetic manner.
likened by some who knew both, to
that gift of making and rivetting
friends possessed by Blaine In our
day.
Randolph. on the other hand, had
. repellent manners kind OF lash
ing attitude. as IL Congress were q
plantation gang Of refractory slaves
and he their overseer. His voice
too, was very shrill and piercing, q
cross of squeak and shrek. But In
bitterness OF wit, in subtle ingenuity
Of insult, in the Hebrew prophet
rapture OF rhetorical invective, in
fertility of intellectual resources. the
result of scholarship wider than
most men then acquired. he was far
above his rival. The cause OF this
duel, like the majority OF those
fought at that period, was political :.
Randolph was a kind OF Southern
mugwump--a man self centered and
liable to vote on any side Of a ques-
tion. He was nominally OF the same
party as Clay. Whig, but he rarely
missed a chance to air his superb
contempt for party ties.
Hamilton, / have made up my
mind to receive Clay's fire without
returning it. Nothing shall induce
me to harm hair OF his head. /
cannot make his wife widow and
his children orphans"
Hamilton naturally expostulated
with his principal for such decis-
ION. and went away to communicate
1t, as in duty bound. to the other
second, Colonel Tatnall. The latter
said. emphatically:
"Mr. Randolph, il you persist in
your absurd purpose, you must
choose some other second. I'll be
double-damned, sir, IL go out with
any man who is bent on committing
suicide"
"Well, Tatnall." said Randolph,
coaxingly, as the colonel rose to 60,
II promise you one thing. If l see
the devil in Clay's eye and feel that
he means to take my life / may
change my mind"
When the duelists arrived that
afternoon on the ground the sun was
just setting behind the blue hills OF
Randolph's native State. the river
was murmuring its placid song and
all the pleasant noises of a rural
evening were beginning. Glancing
at his tall opponent, for Clay, like
Jackson. was man unusually slen-
der and lofty in figure, Randolph re-
marked to Hamilton:
CLAY is calm, but not vindictive.
hold to my purpose in any event.
Randolph, always very eccentric
in his personal attire, had been driven
in his chariot to this meeting in q
long dressing gown. What a queer
figure he must have cut as he stood
with the last rays OF the setting sun
lighting up his lowered and embroid-
cred robe Just before the word was
given, his pistol, which he held muz-
zle downward, went off. Whereupon
General Jesup, Clay's chief second,
angrily shouted: IF that occurs
again will take my principal away
from the field"
NAY, nay" said Clay, bowing
courteously, II am sure it was an ac-
cident."
Randolph bowed in return. The
pistol was reloaded. The word was
again given. Clay's bullet whistled
through one of the folds of Ran
dolph's dressing gown. Randolph
quietly raised his pistol, looked Clay
in the face for moment and then
fred it above his head. Clay, greatly
affected, with swimming eyes and a
trembling voice, rushed forward and,
seizing Randolph in his arms, ex-
claimed:
II trust in God, my dear sir, that
you are untouched. After what has
happened, / would not harm you for
thousand worlds"
Randolph returned the embrace,
and thus the belligerents parted, Clay
remounting his horse and galloping
back to Washington.
The whole country was overjoyed
at the escape OF both OF these men
from any fatal effects. for Clay was in
the high noon of that glorious popu-
larity which, even though he lost the
Presidency. can never be said to have
reached q sunset. while Randolph,
though not loved, was immensely
admired as an intellectual giant and
O man Of rare personal character.
He died seven years later; and just
before this event, as he was driving
through Washington on his way to
Philadelphia, in chariot drawn by
four blooded horses, each Of differ
ent color, he partly rose from the
pillows that propped him and di-
rected his course to be diverted to
the Senate.
There his servant laid the sick man
on sofa, and presently it so hap
pened that Clay began to speak. AS
the sound OF his old opponents ora
tory reused the feeble, failing senses
Of Randolph, he cried:
Raise me up! Quick, raise me
upl / wish to hear that matchless
voice once more"
Tbio v,oriod In Anaricou hictorv q