“The House was much agitated last night, by the passage between Mr. Biddle, of Pittsburgh, and Mr. Downing, of Florida.  Mr. D. exclaimed “do you impute falsehood to me!” at the same time catching up some missile and making a demonstration to advance upon Mr. Biddle.  Mr. Biddle repeated his accusation, and meanwhile, Mr. Downing was arrested by many members.”

The last three fights all occurred, if we mistake not, in the short space of one month.  The fisticuffs between Messrs. Bynum and Wise occurred at the previous session of Congress.  At the same session Messrs. Peyton of Tenn. and Wise of Virginia, went armed with pistols and dirks to the meeting of a committee of Congress, and threatened to shoot a witness while giving his testimony.

We begin with the first on the list.  Who are Messrs. Wise and Bynum?  Both slaveholders.  Who are Messrs. Campbell and Maury?  Both slaveholders.  Who are Messrs. Bell and Turney?  Both slaveholders.  Who is Mr. Downing, who seized a weapon and rushed upon Mr. Biddle?  A slaveholder.  Who is Mr. Peyton who drew his pistol on a witness before a committee of Congress?  A slaveholder of course.  All these bullies were slaveholders, and they magnified their office, and slaveholding was justified of her children.  We might fill a volume with similar chronicles of slaveholding brutality.  But time would fail us.  Suffice it to say, that since the organization of the government, a majority of the most distinguished men in the slaveholding states have gloried in strutting over the stage in the character of murderers.  Look at the men whom the people delight to honor.  President Jackson, Senator Benton, the late Gen. Coffee,—­it is but a few years since these slaveholders shot at, and stabbed, and stamped upon each other in a tavern broil.  General Jackson had previously killed Mr. Dickenson.  Senator Clay of Kentucky has immortalized himself by shooting at a near relative of Chief Justice Marshall, and being wounded by him; and not long after by shooting at John Randolph of Virginia.  Governor M’Duffie of South Carolina has signalized himself also, both by shooting and being shot,—­so has Governor Poindexter, and Governor Rowan, and Judge M’Kinley of the U.S.  Supreme Court, late senator in Congress from Alabama,—­but we desist; a full catalogue would fill pages.  We will only add, that a few months since, in the city of London, Governor Hamilton, of South Carolina, went armed with pistols, to the lodgings of Daniel O’Connell, ‘to stop his wind’ in the bullying slang of his own published boast.  During the last session of Congress Messrs. Dromgoole and Wise[41] of Virginia, W. Cost Johnson and Jenifer of Maryland, Pickens and Campbell of South Carolina, and we know not how many more slaveholding members of Congress have been engaged, either as principals or seconds, in that species of murder dignified with the name of duelling.  But enough; we are heart-sick.  What meaneth all this?  Are slaveholders worse than other men?  No! but arbitrary power has wrought in them its mystery of iniquity, and poisoned their better nature with its infuriating sorcery.