Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-11-19

Bleeding with the loss Of ;.
milton not an individual Americar, ia.
need be told that allude to the ham .,an will
the disgracetul aud wicked practire ' of n,
elzing---notan individual A mereian - y "
ing the name, but will blush, pnI sew
recollection OF that catastrophe, at the .1 u''
sion, would to God | dared 70 ada dill
an individual American but will ;ns,.n
resolve. if he has nor already re,o 1aay
thar it shall he SO no ionger Sa
For wl.as, my counuymen, can ex.
you for having conferred upon .hls sv ,r"se
OF honotra61e murder degree Of sane rsn
authority and reputation which non
the weight OF chara cter possessed by =
man was deemed sufficient to resist W WA!
you then blush at the recolI cction Of b.n'~
hitherto yirteally said 10 such as ba.a
pircd to particular considerationin the COM ~,
munity---" Put you life at risk with -,
man, be he who he may, that claims !,
consentto be branded as coward and
poltroon, and to have your name eras.I
from the lists OF tie honouaJls". ..un,;l
even Aleecnder HamIA0n, although strona
~ impressed with the conviction of tbe -
Justlflabieness and wickedness of the n,,.
tice, and although he dared, without crn
ton, to naeet the aim ola man long prac
sed and drilled in the art, dared not 70 On
counter the consequences of refusap
Wilt De said that some OF Won ho..
passed severe penal special laws for i,
preventon--how, ask, have those laws
been executed? Victim after victim ba,
fallen; and to display the severity Of your
Interpretation and resentment-..to s;ppa.
lie your abhorrence Of the deed and Your
regard tor justice, you have-.-what?
blush 10 prcceed.--you have. conferred Ut.
onthe terbetrater TIE h0nourS 81 emolument,
goflce! Tour senatss and your courts Of
justice eahibit men stained Nth the biosd Of
those Uictims! You were told that !, was
" an affair of honour. and awed..-appaIl.
ed at the majesty of that name---that impe-
rial principle, to which the laws Of God,
and of civil society must bow~--you impli,
citly aequiesced IN the deed; or stood
alooi in silence, nntil the subject is at
length brought home to your bosoms, in
It's true deforlnity, by the latc most unlor-
tunate event. Most unfortunate, did
say? Is not the merciful finger of God
discernible in that very event? A rea-
sure indeed, is lost bot the correction
not Of the national sentiment, for this is al
ready correct---but of the national apathy,
and the consequent abolition of the prac.
tice, which almost reconcile one to such a
sacrifice.
But why, in the name Of conscience, do
We talk Of special laws for the prevention
Of duelling ?---Mercifnl Heaven Are
there no, every here standing laws against
murder ?--.Or IS il to be understood that
those laws provide only against dshonora-
bic murder; and that where, in confor-
nifty 10 that n0naesc,Tbt principle Of ho-
nour, the murderer is allowed, By prior
convention, an oportupity, whether he m-
prove il or not, 10 shoot, or stab, at his
murderer, the penaity does not attain; DO
We 1--we in q country protesting to maintain
republican Institutions, founded in reason,
justice and equity where to secure the
prevalence Of these principles, 50 essential
to the happiness, ADD even She existence OF
civil socie,y,she subjects ofour laws are the
trainers of them and shall it be said tha'
in this country the man who to secure the
possession o! the travellers purse, Tor the
relief, perhaps, Ola starving family, l.nd'
it necessary to take his life, or who, in an
af4ray Ct passion, strikes his antagonist all
aauc!sy blow with simple bludgeoo'
which happens 10 terminate his existence
shall suffer the utmost severity Of law, rs a
murderer; while another sits coolly and de-
liberately in MS closet, commands by an
imperious mandate his neiShbourto meet
him on the field Of blood, practices in tn1
interim with th= weapon Of death, to make
su~er work, and plants the well-almed bali