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Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria, Alexandria County, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
A January 1810 letter from Washington reports a dull day in Congress, highlighted by Mr. Botts demanding an explanation from Mr. Smith of Maine over prior inflammatory remarks about General Jackson, resulting in Mr. Smith's retraction framing it as an 'honest difference of opinion.' Similar absurd parliamentary clarifications noted, including Mr. Bynum's on calling Mr. Stanly a 'political champion.'
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WASHINGTON, Jan.
This has been a dull, prosy day in Congress—with the exception of a demand upon Mr. Smith, of Me., by Mr. Botts, of Va. Mr. Smith—backed out of his previous day's violent harangue. These parliamentary explanations are getting to be very ridiculous. Now, the other day Mr. Bynum stigmatised Mr. Stanly as a "bully"—Being called upon for an "explanation" he said he meant "political champion." Mr. Smith said that Mr. Botts had called General Jackson a "tyrant"—that the assertion was a false slander—and would be branded on the forehead of the calumniator. That by "foul slander" he meant "an honest difference of opinion"—and by the rest of the sentence, that "history would determine who was right!" This is truly using words in the Pickwickian sense.
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Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Washington
Event Date
Jan. 1810
Key Persons
Outcome
mr. smith retracted his statements, explaining 'foul slander' as 'honest difference of opinion' and deferring judgment to history; similar explanations deemed ridiculous.
Event Details
Dull day in Congress except for Mr. Botts demanding explanation from Mr. Smith over previous violent harangue accusing Mr. Botts of slandering General Jackson as a tyrant. Mr. Smith backed out, rephrasing his words in a Pickwickian sense. Referenced prior incident where Mr. Bynum explained calling Mr. Stanly a 'bully' as meaning 'political champion.'