The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-03-09
LYNcHBuRG. MARCH 10. 1927.
MESSRS METCALFE e. McDUFFlE.
"Lay on, Mac duff,

singular fatality seems to attend the efforts
= ofthe Hon George McDuilie, to acquire fame
by gsnposder. His running fights with Mr.
Cumming, are no doubt fresh in the memory OF
q our readers. They were, in every particular,
chaIa teiized by such H,tdibrn$tic yalor. that
they never can be forgotten, so long as silks and
sati7s adorn the shelves aud counters of our
f merchants and cologne water is demanded by
the weak nerves of hys,erical old women and
sspering Misses to say nothing Of conno-
seurs in the noble art of pulling hair-trggers!
Our readers will find in our columns to-day,
aslnguar correspondence between the gentle
men whose names stand at the head of this ar
tice, and their respective seconds. As We did
not publish the documents which led to the
challenge, it may be proper to furnish our rea-
ders with n suecinct statement OF their purport.
Mr.. NcDufie appeared before the committee
appointed TO examine INTO the truth of the charge
made by Mix against Mr. Calhoun, as the friend
and counsel of Mr. {. In this character, he adj
Dire ssed letter to the chairman of the commit
tee, in the course of which he made illusions to
the conduct of "a committee Of Congress- which
some years ago, was charged with the lnyesti
CATION of the Conduct of this same Mix, in ic.a-
ton to the same circamstance--the Rip Rap
Contract Of both committees. it happened
that Gen. Metcalfe of Kentucky, and Mr. Camp
bell Of Ohio, were members ; and they, in a
JOINT no,e, corrected several errors of which Mr.
McDuiiie was guilty IN his relation of the cir
| To-. Al. 4
1i the charges growing out OF the Mix contract
Nh licDulhc took TINS interference with his
pter9s atiye, as advocate of Mr.. Calhoun to al
, ter, modify, or explain away every circumstance
Iect IN high dudgeun, nd retorted upon these
| gentlemen, (bdt parucalaTly on Cen Metcate)
with great, and We thnk, undeseryed severity
10 inns last communication of Mir. McDuilie
Gen Metcaiie replied an a tone OF keen sarcasm
and cool contempt, winch stu red the blood Oh the
Southern champion; and the challenge ensued,
winch mas led TO the shedding OF INK instead of
blood, and to the uuerance OF words, " full of
: sound aad fury, s-gn. ing nothing" nstead
/ OF the louder aud O dang rous tone OF the
: regret da,tni' controversy, SO insignificant in
its cause, and tic progress OF winch mignt 50
+ easily have been arrested before the summons
TO The fed had )cen given. has terminated
!, hamiessb. We only regret tlat such men
have not suii cent command over der tempers,
II or are 50 eager To appear vaiorous in tae eyes
:, ofthc world, as TO nconsideraiciy and unnec y
saliiy thtast themselves into situations requir.
i ing deg &c OF frnness winch they do not pos
sess, and w.ich must conseque Itle eyentuate in
their disgrace, either by an open backing out :"
: or by equyoCations which amonnt TO the same
t'dng. We know neither Gen. Metcalie nor
vi. McDaiiic, and are therefore not influenced
by personal prepossessions antipathies, when
+ we say that the latter gentleman has placed him
: selfin this prcdicament We have understood
that it is rule among ,hos who are technically
h called I" men Of honor" because they kill an
: antagonist with powder and bali, instead of
brulsng him with fist or club, ihat the CHALLENGER
:, always depriyes HIMSELF by tnal act. and conse-
4 Iuenty surrenders to the ctaiitngea the right
c ii selecting weapon, place, time aud distance !,
: mi that the former is always bound to accedc
the propositions OF the latter, unless they
II bear on their face a manifest absurdity. or are
unnecessarily rash and extravagant Gen.
= Meteaie vas t e challenged party--and. in
!. proposing to fight with rifles instead Of pistols,
E ne"aS not on! Se' cisiag Alright but clormmg
duty to himself 1t would have been singu-
:, lar, indeed ali &C of more than Roman magma
d nimIiy and su passing knightly courtesy in the
bes days OF ct"aIry, if he had surrendered
=" his vantage grand to his opponent--if lie
. had not chosen le weapon with which he.was
a. most tanIar, Tut, on the contrary, that Of
N wuich he k w nothing. and with which his an
tagonist WAS - familiar as his garter" Ii is
true, that we sometimes hear it said, that when
D. proposition is made to fight with rifles. the
II desperate character of the proposition is pre-
= sumptvc evidence that the maker Oft is endea-
Is voring to alarm hsopponent. Butthis cannot be
e said of Gen. NctcaIics conduct; for, he was
e so anxious to obvidte the principal objection at
=. Just urged by Mr.. NcDuffe to the use of the RI
nj lie, Oh, weakness of HI, arm) that he agreed to
d permit hiin to rest But, say some per-
u sons MIR McDullie was right in refusing to
n fight with rifles, because even with a rest he was
% not conversant enoughWith them to ensure any
IS sort of accuracy in the use Of his weapon But
. these gentlemen forget, that, Mr. EcDulfe must
il have known and did know when he challenged
n Gen. Mctcalie, that he gave to the General the
L right Of choosing his weapon He had there
fore no option left to object to that choice what
1t eyerit might be. And it seems still stranger.
N that, after assuming to himself fhis option, he
;, should go still farther, and himself propose
G weapon, which gave him the advantages of a
IL superior knowledge of the use of his weapon,
o which he had inst made the foundation of his
= objections to the proposition of Gen Metcalfe /.
He would not accept Gen Metcafe's PROPOSE