The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-21 00:00:00

THE HUG.

The following letter on the subject of hugging
has been forwarded to us, and so entirely accords
with our own views that we publish it without
hesitation. We intend shortly to call a meeting
of the committee of the P.B.A. on the subject. This
would have been done before, but so completely has
the system been disused for many years in the
P.R. that it never entered our heads. The art
of boxing was introduced for the purpose of in-
culating fair play, and improving the science of
self-defence, neither of which objects is gained by
the practice in question:—
"Mr. Editor,—lt has often been to ire (and I should
think to many others) a matter of the very greatest surmise
that this most unmanly custom should not have been long
ago expelled by the rules from the art of self-lefence. A
vei y determined stand has been made (and justly so; against
the contemptible trick of dropping without a blow, to avoid,
but against this, to my mind, more contemptible trick I
have never seen a line written, while I am sure it is deserv-
ing of much greater renrobation—for, be it carefully ob-
served, that, while in toe one case a man does but unfairly
avoid the punishment he would otherwise receive. he in the
other case not only avoids (unfairly I think) the punish-
ment from his antagonist, but, at the same moment, while
his antagonist is po verless for al prvoses of pugilism, ad-
ministers to him the severest pcssiblo castigation. We
deem it disgraceful to strike a prostrate man, but W 3 may
hold him, as in f's vice, while we beat him—this seems a per-
fect anomaly. That pugilists themselves think L.; con-
temptible is evident from the fact that they often refrain
from taking this advantage when in their power. Thus in
the fight (whether first or second, I forget), between Don-
nelly and Jones of Portsmouth, Donnelly seized Jones
round the neck, and for a moment or two hold him power-
less on the ropes, merely to show the spectators, as though
saying, "You see, here he is ;" then, without attemptine•
to sti !kin; the poweil,-4 use, released Lim, end walked
quietly to his corner, amidst the most enthusiastic and
deafening plaudits of the entire assembly. How such a
practice should have so long been tolerated, I; for one, can-
not conceive. We should not have tolerated it at school in
my boys' days. • Let it be distinctly understood, I cannot
blame Heenan in this ; he fought fairly within the rules of
the Ring, and had he wen, the friends of Sayers had fairly
lost their money; but I could not (and surely many must
feel like me) by any possibility have felt that our Champion
had been by such means fairly beaten oit his merits.—l
am, sir, yours &c., SUUM CUIQUE.

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