Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-08-14
Il i SERMON ON DIJELLLNG,
N II. III. BRECKENRIDGE. Esq;

Ind ase xias lasseafrd over .d5nv, md saids
g Died si6rsr ds 8 fool dicfh - SIS
III. SAN. III. ;.
TT was not ID duel that Abner fell
sbut the words may be applied to those that
fall 10 this way They die certainly as a
(. loot die,t; that is, without necessity, or
euiZi sieos reason TO justify the voluntary
risk. Thi. evil, like the amail pox, vas
unknowo 70 the ancients. Il Is the OF !
4spriug OF modern barbarisn,, and IN vain
!. have the sage, the politician, or the d..
vine. endcavored TO cxlirpate Il. ! have
ssaced Inc evilwi,h minute investigation,
In orderto determine The principle on which
;,fesss, and find tito be thar which Is
least Supposed, wantof fortitnde.
This indee d has been generall conceded
by ~iss n,en. We are told. and with great
ruth. that il requires more spirit to aus
tain the shock of prevailing opinion, than
"a risk lite inelf. There is not one 10 Ave
hundred that il capable Of il. ItFequires
soul illuminated By reason, 6tm 10 isssli,
aud balanced on III: centre of Its owe Judg.
meat.
Agaio, i,is,he fear Of being brought 20
this kind Of combat. thar induces many to
affect 70 approve OF Is, They well koow
thar should it be supposed they will de.
cline it, he. who wishes TO establish what
ne calls character, will call upon them g
engage iuis.
"A comba, Of this kinds wholly uurea.
spoable, because j, is unequal. Shall =
man Of six fee, present himself for mark
20 dwarf of FIVE or q man of square
body, 10, thing that would almost cut
the ball which it lakes? itptaces the fool
and The wise man on the same ground
the fool who robs himself and the world OF
piece of earth only the wise man who
subuacts the light thought aud the in.elli.
gsnce OF mind. II is unequal because cha.
5acter may be borrowed ON the one side.
while the other docs not wish 10 spare. ]
have known aperson wlshto bring ne 10
shis kind Of combat, merely 10 have his
name matched with miue and have Hed
from the association. with more dread Of
il than Ill other evils.
On the principle of cowardice, or pas.
sion, 4 man May be somewhat excu.able,
who submits 10 this evil; bu, what shall we
saw OF those who under no impulse Of this
nature, act as seconds. His courage is
mot impcached who declines it he is uu.
der the iniiuence of no passion; aud yer
without such person, tits MT probable a
duel would be fought. l,strikes me with
horror that human nature could degenerate
10 far, that, il any instance 2 person could
be fopnd to undertake such an ofice. That
instead of the noble du'y of reconeiling
men, and promoting peace, and saving
life, and preventing wounds, there could
be found those who would coolly assist to
btiug about the contest; and stand by and
see the issue, probably mortal TO one or TO
both. IT we had no such among ourselves
and were told that they existed in some
other planet, We should set that down 10
be hell, and the Inhabitants devils.
am confident thar no man ever render.
cd himself agreeab.s to another, by b.ing
second for him. II might pass tor the
moments bat he must look back upon il
as an ACT OF enmi,y. not of good will. Il
borders on the Office, but is much more
odious ihar that, Of hangman; for the
one helps away the cuipris. with whom he
has probably no acqusiDtance, \ for whom
he processes o esssesHs who is convicted
of some offence, AID sentenced BY the
! law Of the land (: the Other, che ve,y man
who puts confidence 10 him, or the person
with whom this ffiend Of his has some os-
casioual or unfort0sa,e difference.
What shaif We think Of those who by
coun,ehanse, language OF act, prompt ths
duel; who take upon them to sensurs the
conduc, Of others. who when injured have
no, thought proper to take renenge 10 this
way, or to carry il TO this exremef Doubt.