Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-04-21

gedy acted tie other day at Darien would
have plunged whole nation in horror, and
called up vengeance from every quarter,
| But when murder is put into The creed Of
fashion, and cutting of threats is practised
upon principle, what shall we say tor.tbe
RELIGIOUS condition Of our country p
True religion produces very different fruits
from those we are SO often called upon to
taste.
When fools or bad men argue upon The
impossibiity OF avoiding this kind Of MUIR
der-tor, murder shall ever call it
would ask them how it happens that women
: of fashion never find il necessary TO tilt !!
That they can at times hate each other with
great energy--tbat some OF them can growl
as surly as mastifs, and be as peeyish as
cats, and be, as Shakespeare somewhere
says, bellies in their parlours, wildcats in
their kitchens, saints in their injuries, de-
wills being offended -and that their hui
mors are full as nice, and their passions as
strong, as those Of the other sex, every one
knows. Yet the sense of decency pre-
serves them from the practice Of personal
violence.
II we look back to the Romans, We
shall find no duelling, such as we boast OF,
among them.--They, the thunder bolts of
war, were averse to it. The few duels they
had were of a kind that still remain monu-
ments Of their patriotism and virtue, such
was the battle of the three Hocatii with the
three Curati-and such that of Manlius
Torquatus with the Gaul that challenged
the army. These due!lists were national
enemies-subjects Of different princes-a
sort Of fighting representatives, chosen,
like David and Goliah, to decide the cos-
troversy OF armies. The contests too were
allowed by public authority-and underta-
ken for the benefit of their country-but
as for one citizens cutting the throat OF
another about private disputes, the Romans
were strangers to that method Of pervert-
ing justice. When Milo killed .Clodius
upon the high road, though there was no
such thing as challenge though Cicero
proved il no more than rencUntrc; yet
because there was formal misunderstand-
! ing between them, neither the rhetoric of
the greatest orator, nor the known valor
and virtue OF The culprit could prevent SEN
tence being passed upon Clodius. End it
was so extravegant an outrage upon the
manners, laws and moral feelings OF that
nation of heroes, that ii makes prominent
incident in their histo.y. The fact is, that
they were too valiant 10 imagi inc that their
courage could be suspected; and they To-
we'd their country too much TO violate lis
! laws.
As to tie plea of custom, nothing can be
more futile or contemplate. For what is !!
bad custom but wrong rendered worse
by obslinacy and vicious perseverance,
But the custom our duellists now follow is
a custom Of their own making. The prac-
tice of mems riting themselves by the
sword, was introduced in Europe BY The |
Lombards, the Saxons and the Normans,
who at that time had neither knowledge |
nor brains to guide them to any better way
of deciding contest. Though they were,
to be sure, among our multitarious ances
tors, they were very unpo'is!ied, uncouth
kind of beings, and | Go not see any thing
very tempting in them, much less in the ,
paganism which they protested, or tie ig
norance with which they were clouced, to
induce rational beings and christians 10 fol-
low their example. He that would follow
them in every thing, in their housekeeping,
dress, habits, eating, drinking and amusc-
ments, would be more likely TO pass for a
brute than gentleman. II we are bound
to implicit submission to, and to follow an
tiquity without any exception of Judgment,
why do not those gentlemen go TO the full
length, and feed on meat, and lodge in
caves, and 60 half naked? Why do re
not yind;ca.e ourselves by tryal ordeal
plunge into scalding water to prove our in-
nocence-and hop over neutrality-suspicious..
blindfid."
Besides, bad and ignorant as they were,
in those days, they prescribed pleasures to
the evils of their customs. The bar5arlty
of their duel was restrained and bound up
to certain forms Of law. The occasions
upon which they tough; was OF high hnpor-