The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-05

murder! the Taft refinement OF Desperate iepra-
witty, to iuicide the gloomy afylum of inlsie-
rable remorie, infIpportable mltery or abject
cowardice, countepauce belief that am ie-
cretly coufcious of the tr,,th Of the accuf,ton,
or wan. vigilance, penetration and energy, to
confound the arsi6ces of faiehood by the arms
of reafon and of man?
Incredible infatuation we behold 4 rational
being unjualy accufed, capable OF repelling the
accufation with irrelinihle energy, and over
whelming the accuier with ihane and contrib
on, not only declining to difcharge duty
which the united voice of reaion, jGilice, phi
lanthrophy, patriotitln, friendihip, perional in
tereh and felf-prefervation, command him to
perform, but deliberately proceeding to perpe-
trate crime the n,oii atrocious, thar internal
maievolence could invent, TO fanfion practice
the mott deteitable that ignorance has ever
Matched, or iuperflition nurtured, for the perdi-
tion of mankind. We behold rational being,
deliberately renonncing the exalted attributes
| that dltinguiih the civilized man from the IA
wage cannibal, the progrefiive mind from the
| unimprovable and finguinary beat, the benevo
lent intelligence, from the internal hcud. We
behold I rational being, icornfully throwing "a
aide arms tempered by the omnipo.ence OF
truth for the protest. Of innocence and the
punil,ment of guilt, and affirming the brittle
armour and periihable weapons Of force and
| falfehood. We behold the ';iucoruptibie put-
ting on corruption, the immortal putting OH
mortality
But it has been urged that an infult produces
| fenfations which man of honour is unable to
endure-The immortal Junius has iaid :" that
man of honour is degraded by an infult and can
only recover his level by revenge" furely if the
| word infult has any meaning, this argument is
an infslt to common fenfe. Is reafon to be re-
garded, as itumbling block an encumbrance!
4 nuiiance in our nature or, is it not the pro-
vince of reaion, to controul our pafiions, regu-
late our feelings and govern our actions: Might
not the votaries of avarice, ambition, jealoufy,
or revenge, with equal ptopriety plead the in
comfortable impulfe of their feelings, i'll juitifi-
cation of their enormities? Your feelings arc
wounded is there any thing in gunpowder
10 baifamic, in the force of bullet 20 emol-
lent, in the point of iword 70 efiicacious,
as to cicatrife and heal thefe fuhtlc but agonzng
wounds? Admitting for moment, that the
man, who, under the influence of PATTON, intoX-
icacation or mitale infults his friend or fellow
men, deterves infant death. Ought this punifh-
to be inflicted by his exafperated antagoniit i?
Ought the perfon iriulted to adopt mode of
inilitting the punilhnent which may expole
both parties equally, perhaps the periun inlalt-
ed mott imminently, and pofiibly may involve
the innocent with the guilty, in the fame horri,.
bic catafrophe? But the immortal JuniuS has
taid, 4 man of honour is degraded by an in
iut and can only recover his level by revenge"
Were this fentiment his only claim TO irnllor-
tally, his fame would be noxious ephemeron,
fugitive and foul rs the flocking immortality it
functions. Here, the eye of the fearing eagle
blenched, he ftoopcd from his " height fub-
lime" and drenchcd his thorn pinions and fad
ed plumage, in the "oblivious pool" "Ihe
mind can only recover its level by revenge"
What mind (? That OF demon ?-Tis a fenti-
ment congcnial only to the foul of an Indian,
brandilhing his tomahawk at the brean of his
captive, or Tiiphone, vibrating whip of icor-
pions over one of the victims of internal torture
| Another writer, fcarcely inferior to Janus in
elegance of file, keennefs oe irony and bitter
neis OF inveStive, in profei!ed and elaborate de-
fence OF duelling, has eXprelled fentiment if
! pottible more odious and oifeniive. e' The
imiles of beauty ever crown the laurels OF the
brave, (rneaning the duelliit y the lovely maid
who turns with loathing from the Gghing mfg
nifcance of the perfumed coward (meaning the
man who refufes to fight dueD runs with rap
turc to embrace the youthful hero" Arguments
are not the weapons to repel this dete aabie de-
clamation The cheek Of beauty crimfoned
with glowing Indignation, her brow contracted
with an awful frown, her eyes averted with hor-
ror and fiaihipg with magnanimous difdan, her
bottom heaving ard every feature darkened with
! f!Piacs.5it encc, arc tine proper aHIwerS.
Yes, on you, fair daughters of Columbia, it de-
wolves, 10 overwhelH with flame, thofe blaf-
phemers of your Tex to chaie from your pre-
| fence, the wretches who with their hands i'm
brued and reeking in the blood OF your 9overs,
your huibands, your brothers and your fathers,
profaney plead ycy:r appreciation rs the incen-
tive, your love as the reward of their enormties.
| But how, we arc afked, can dueEng be abo-
| ii!hed The man who tancly iubmi:s TO dino
| nourable imputations, who refufcs to give or
| receive challenge, is branded as 4 Co4oard
Lo here is the potent fpell, by which the feu-
dl wizard diHolves at p!eafure the ties OF blood,
! friendihip, humanity and junice. Has phlofo-
ply no charm Of hyperion potency? Let us try
! it by the touchftone of analysts. Courage con-
| fits in being able to encounter with readiness &
energy, and endure with unihaken frmnefS, the
difficulties, dangers, diiappointments and diff
| treileS incident to the performance of our per
fonal and focial duties. Thus defined, courage
is obvouiy elientiaI to the exiltence of virtue
without it, there can be neither fortitude nor
dignity, nor energy, nor coniftency of charac-
| ter.-It is not only one ofthe ndiipenfible con-
| ittuents of virtue, but iheds an attractive and
! dazzling luitrc over every other. Let it be re-
collected, however, that courage is a minifteria
not a cardinal virtue 1t is fufceptibe of adj
verlc directions, and may be exerted with equal
energy iii the cauie of truth or error, in the pro-
duttion Of good or evil. Micbaei anti Moloeb
7imoieon and Cafiiiue, BrutW and BagIbot,
may have been equally courageous. Courage