Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1820, 1818-11-07
From the Journal of the Tines
Perry and Heath.

X is a melancholy consideration that
officers in the service of the U. States,
men distinguished by the confidence of
their country should set the laws ofthcir
county at defiance. The controversy
between Commodore Perry and Captain
Heath is now put at rest, and we are not
disposed as Virgil says, "suscitare sopi-
tos ignes," But the question may be
askt d, suppose Com. Perry had fallen by
the fire OF his antagonist, would that have
proved that he had done an injury to cap.
tain Heath ! Would not the merits of
the original controversy have remained
precisely in the same state as they were
before the bloody interview had taken
place! If Captain Heath had fallen by
the hand of his opponent, would that have
proved that Com. Perry was innocent of
the original cause of offence! according
to this mode Of deciding the question if
both parties had fallen in .he duel, there
would have been no cause of offence
given whatever, and they would have
fought withou, any object. But the ques
ton ought not to be treated so lightly. To
rush into the presence of an avenging
God red with The blood of brother, and
to brave as 1t were the vengeance of the
Almighty, is no light offence in the esti
nation of the christian. Our laws have
denominated the crime murder, and yet
men who occupy the first stations in the
estimation OF their country - men whose
names are never mentioned but with
gratitude, are found in the ranks OF these
who set the laws at defiance. This is
one amongst Thousand proofs how much
strongec public opinion is than law. In
vain the indignant arm of justice BRAN
dishes her lhuDderbolt: public opinion
is an inpere.rable Ngis that wards of
the torky fires. Unless public opinion
can be brought to act in unison with law,
the legislator may pile one criminal in.
stitute uppu another; he may heap Pc
lien upon Ossa, and The culprit will look
with scorn upon his impotence. 1t is an
/; undeniab,e Fact that Com Perry has done
more by his example to consecra,e the
! practice OF dueilln,. than all lhe i.egisia-
. lures IL the n,incnt Can do for its ex.
I tirpation. What remuneration can com.
Perry now make to society. to the vio'
lated laws OF his country ior the injury
which he has done by his example /!
Hundreds s hundreds of future dueilisls
! will be governed by his example aud
! think that 10 crime has been committed,
! because the Hero Of Lake Erie is now
found IN the rank OF such offenders. Il
i will be said that the statufes md, for
the prev ention OF dueiling are nothing but
!, a mass Of unmeaning words, which we're
never deslyhe.to be put into operation !:
that the Legislature meant no him.. but
+, an idle, impotent and unmeanlng threat
i when they denounced a dutii,st as a MUIR
J derer. Com. Perry has now committed
\ an offence that he can never repair-he
! has brought all the iustre of his naval
victory to gid over an offence alike in.
tertIictsd by the laws of God and man
/ His example will outweigh thousand
Il criminal slatutes--herc is an offeuce for
, which he can make no PREPARATION mo
I atonement.
Il We wish low TO address few words
to Com. Perry. 1t beloved him and il
behoVes every man OF his high character
every man in his country bestows con.
tidence, above all other men, to refuse a
challenge because such men have alrea-
lay established character for courage
and their refusal could not be imputed to
an improper motive, because in that case
he would have lent to the laws of his
country all the and afforded by the splen-
dor of his victory; because others pla. ed
In similar circumstances would have
followed his example. When Gene al
Harper was challenged by Wilkinson he
irowned at the invitation and forgot it.