Evening journal., 1913-09-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Threatened Affair Of Hon
or In the Senate
BY Holland.

~ hOuaHus
Inu the winter of 1891, It was my
privilege to pass several hours with
Ex-yice-President Hannibal Hamlin.
He was making journey in very
iuclement weather from Bangor, Me,
so that he might address the Lincoln
Club, Of New York city at It's annual
banquet on the evening OF Lincolns
birthday. The venerable ex-yice-
president invited me to ride with him
from Hartford to New York in his
private compartment In a drawing
room car He laughingly said that
he did not purpose to be interviewed
adding that no newspaper man had
ever interviewed him But he. was
very willing to talk reminiscently,
provided quotation marks we're not
used. This request was somewhat
modified before he reached New York
I had heard shortly after the
death Of Senator Conkling in 1883
due TO exposure In the great blizzard
In March of that year-that he was AZ
one time dangerously near fighting
duel and that II he had. his opponent
upon the so-called field of honor
would have been General John b.
Gordon of Georgia. had also heard
that Mr. Hamlig had been designated
by Senator CoDkling as one of the
seconds.
ventured to ask the ex-vice- presi-
dent what the facts we're. He look
ed at me with peculiar glance from
his eyes that, despite his great age.
still had the power of flashing bril-
liantly. and there was a grim smile
upon his lips. He said
That is a matter upon which none
of those who is concerned has any
thing to say | can say, however,
that the affair terminated to the en-
tire honor Of both of the senator's"
From another source. however.
learned a few of the facts and my in
formation was corroborated by AL
fred Conkling, who inherited some OF
the intellectual brilliancy of his dis
tinguished uncle.
II appears that in debate I'm the
senate. in 1877. General Gordon, than
a United States senator from Georgia,
took issue With something which
Senator Conkling had said. He voiced
his criticism in these words: al
though the gentleman from New
York is not in the chair he is giving
orders from the chair -
Thereupon Senator Conkling said,
IF the senator states that have
given orders from the chair he states
what is untrue" Immediately
General Gordon replied. I'VE will
settle this matter elsewhere" and
with that Senator Conkling answered,
I'VE will settle il here and now. and
n the senator states that give
orders from the chair he states what
is untrue"
Both Of these senators had great
admiration and respect each for the
other. Senator Conkling always re-
garded General Gordon as the very
finest type OF manhood and chivalry
that had ever entered the senate. Cen
eral Gordon often spoke in words OF
profound admiration Of the abilities
and the commanding influence of
Senator Conkling
In the old days said my infor-
mant, "of course such a passage as
this in the senate would have meant
meeting upon the field OF honor.
And what meeting that would have
been if the two principals had been
Roscoe Conkling, then the most IL
lustrious figure on the Republican
side Of the senate. and General Cor
don. equally admired and respected
upon both sides of the senate"
Whatever may have Been the feel
ings at first of these two senator's,
the colleagues to whom the matter
was submitted had no intention Of
permitting the code OF honor to be re-
vived. There were four senators, two
upon each side, and the ex-vice-
president was one. What was said
in their conferences no ian will ever
know.
What these two tentative seconds
said to their principals no man will
ever know. All that will be known
was that the explanations on either
side we're perfectly satisfactory. that
Senator Conkling simply meant to
say not that General Gordon person
ally told an untruth. but that the
statement was untrue. and all that
Gordon meant when he said that the
matter would be settled elsewhere
did not convey the meaning of a
meeting upon the field Of honor. Yet
there was an impression at that time
that had the matter been misman-
aged by friends Of the two parties 2
meeting would have been inevitable
Both General Gordon and Senator
Conklng we're men of high physical
courage
tCopywright. 1913. by r. j. Ed
wards. All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
"Roscoe Conkling's Contribution q
Garfield's Campaign