Elizabeth-Town gazette., 1819-03-02
PHfIADETPHUS.
TIE all who nield the s,Uord in vain agdt'ss
their enemies.
FASHIONABLE MURDER.
From the Exeter Watchman.


We have published to-day all the par
ticulars which reached us of the death OF
Gen. Mason of Virginia, killed on the 9th
inst. in duel with a Mr.. M Carly, which
originated it is said in trihing political
quarrel. Gen. Mason was man of con=
considerable eminence. He had been
senator in Congress and was TO have been
the next Governor Of Virginia. The
duel is said 10 have been murderous and
savage almost beyond example. 1t was
fought at few PAGES with muskets loaded
with several balls. The uniimeiy and VIZ
olent death Of man in full vigor Of life,
Of usefulness and enjoyment, bound TO this
| world by SO many public and private ties
and gifted with high powers of beneGting
his friends and his country, is an event
sufficiently melancholy in ITSELF But
would to God, that the evil ended in the
death of Gen. Mason. Happy were ii for
his country, had she nothing TO deplore
but the blank which he has left in the list
of her public men. She has on this oc-
casion subjects of regret intellectually
more affective and lasting. She has TO-
mourn the new proof which this event
will afford that as people we have some
points Of contact with atheists and bar
barians--that our Christian community
can tolerate practice at which the gross
est feelings of Paganism would revolt
that with all our boasted attainments in
knowledge, philanthropy and refinement,
we are still the slaves of custom, as bar
barous and as wicked as the Inquisition,
and as ridiculous as the delusions of
witchcraft or the "trial by battle" To
show that we deserve this load of re-
proach, it is not necessary TO prove that
we are all duelists The test is much
easier one. Does the moral sense of the
nation regard this practice as absurd and
criminal-does the tribunal of public opia-
ion pronounce upon Ii an unequivocal and
decisive judgment =? If not, then as G
people we tolerate the practice, and the sin
and the curse OF it rests upon us. AS
nation we have proved ourselves guiltless
Of the murders for which the Plattsburglr
Pirates are to be executed next Thursday,
by that deep and universal indignation
which has been felt and expressed at their
iniquity-an indignation that would have
denied the few days which the mercy of
the Executive has added TO their forfeit
ed lives. But where shall we look for
these expressions Of public sentiment,
which people, claiming to be moral and
religious, visiting all crimes with just in-
dignation should bestow upon the duel We
are noticing-a transaction, than which
10 piracy was ever more bloody or bar
barous, or was ever prompted by passions
more unwarrantable. Shall we find this
public sentiment in the little newspaper
paragraphs which announce this horrible
event in as few words as possible, with
perhaps cold expression Of regret, OF
more probably joke upon this novel use
Of muskets. Shall we find it 10 the ef-
forts which ssme will make to extenuate
the crime by arguments thousand times
reguted about &C honor observation-disclosures
Iter-fashion, &c. or shall we find it in
that miserable deiicscy-that unmanly si-
lence in which this transaction, so revolt
ing to ever feeling of humanity, so in,