The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-04-04
DUELLLNG.


This relic Of baIbarous times-this truly savage
custom Of redressing private injuries, BY private
violence, while it receives the most determined
disapprobatiop of brave and good men, is still
suffered to exist, without opposition, in coun
try, to the disgrace Of its government and its ex-
cellent institutions. II 10 q perverted principle
Of honor and nice feeling, sxsrsising a powerful
influence over a certain description Of men, which
induces them to hazard lives, dear to friends and
valuable to society, to proptiats false divinity,
a. relentless in his claims, ~ was the fablsd
monster Of antiquity. This stroog influence
ought to be counteraeted by retributivs disgrace
let those imaginary notions Of honor, to which
portion Of society pay more reverence than to
their creed, be opposed By eoassqusnt and GER
tain contempt and lsa'sl, character, and the du.
sllist will End his highest, nay; u,s only induce.
ment destroyed, and the axe laid At the root Of
his peruicisus practice. The custom 10 support
ed by the most shadowy and unsubstantial foun-
dation, the dim and shostly forms Of sickly,
puny honor hang around it, which must all fade
away forever before the glorious and steady lustre
Of = noble, brave and independent spirit. HIS
faue cannot suffer by declining personal COM
bat, who has fosght hand to hand and breast 10
breast with the savage Turk, and has bravsd
with his single arm host Of deadly fosmen who
ask and give no quarter. He, who has repeat
eddy ventured his life against the Moor, the
Frank and the Briton, and stood undaunted in
the imminent deadly BREACH" can add no new
i.urels to his brew by opposing himself mark
for friend to FIRE at. Nor can be, who feels
himself injured, derive any satisfsetisn BY she'd
ding the blood Of the person who has offended
him 1t cannot allay the anguish ef wounded
fame, or purify character which the breath Of
SANDER may have sullied: not may crafty
pride or gorge revenge, but it produces no innc-
cence aud restores no purity to = tarnished rspu-
tation. The custsm Of the duellist finds no JUS
tifcstion in reason, but it is supported solely BY
the passions, whose influence il both cherishss
and extends il therefore should receive check,
il not by general change Of opinion, certainly
by the laws Of the land. And have We now no
laws to restrain this cruel practice, and does the
statute book contain no provision against duel
ling! There u indeed among the rules and arti-
Giles Of war; fos the regulation Of the army, rule
BY which any officer or soldier engaged in duel
s subject to lose his commission, but this is so
lamsly enforced, or rather so openly violated,
that il aords no security to the army or society
and upon the navy, we cannot find that even
this feeble check is imposed. Some general law
is therefore required from the national govern
ment and why should they hesitate to pass one
Ito set up some barrier against the prevalence
Of delusive principle under which, % many brave
men suffer II no restraint 10 laid upon this spe-
cies Of assassination, We may as well away with
our expensive judiciary establishments. and the
whole system Of our remedial law and 20 forth
armed like knights Grant to avenge our own in
juries asd redress cur own rights. The influence
Of example, such for instance a. the melancholy
one lately afforded US, is inconceivaby extensive;
we shall soon hear, unless some notice is taken
of this affair." that every pelting, petty Officer"
whose high mettle is irritated BY a careless ex-
preston, has had an. a6atr Of honour, in which
one Of the parties, perhaps, was left on the field
and the other severely wounded. The recent
affecting calamity, which has occasloned our re-
marks, calls loudly for .exertion to check the
evil. DECATUR, the pride and hope Of
his country, has thrown away his life in the prime
and vigouS Of il, and like lxion embraced cloud
for a goddess. His death instead Of giving new