Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-04-26
HOW TO GET RID OF A DUEL.

Among the various mortfying dlsquaihcatons
under which the Irish Catholics labored previous
ly to the passage Of the Emancipation Bill, the
Disarming Act, prohibiting them from having in
their possession any offensive or defensive wea.
pons, appears to have teen not the least CALLING
to our Hibernian fe llUw.subjec iuasmuch as it
debarred them In many instances, IN cases OF
real or supposed aggrievsnce, from that dernier
resort, which the natives Of the " Emerald Isle"
have preferred, from time lmmemorial, to the
more dlatory as we'll as uncertain redress offered
by court Of law. An ungenerous or tImid adj.
versary Il q member OF the government church,
might las has been more than once the CASEY
evade a hostile meeting with Catholic, on the
ground Of the aforementioned disqualification.
A circumstance Of this kind occurred in NAL
low. county Cork, about the latter end Of the
last century; when the appellant devise whiln'
steal and ingenious experiment to evade the law,
Ious antagonist. MIR Flynn, a respectable Cath
olic halter, was, or supposed himself, grlevously
insulted BY Mr. Patrick Doolittle, tailor, Of the
Established Church, residing in the same town.
Having in vain endeavored to obtain SatisfacfiOn
lin the national and current sense OF the word
and being given, moreover, TO understand that
the orthodox tailor magnauimously declined Civ
ing him the meeting, for no other reason than,
lest by 30 doing he should be the proxlmate cause
of subiectins Flynn to the penalties ia such case
made and provided, the spirited halter resolved
on changing his religion pro tempore, and ac,u-
ally read his public recantation, during morning
rervice. in Mallow church. There as fate would
have it Mr. Doolittle CHANGED to be present, and
gre at was his astonishment aud CONSERVATION At
the unexpected, unhoped for conversion of his
mortal foe to the tue faith! Had It taken place
in St. Stephens Chapel, he would, doubtless,
have depreca ed. in parliamentary language, the
=. indecent haste," &c. with which Flynn had
deserted his party. Huwbeit. the tailor saw and
&C know lodged the necessity Of taking immediate
measures 10 avoid boodshed. He made a pre-
ciptate retreat from the church, and took sanctu-
ary in the Roman Catholic chapel, which stands
in the same street. There having openly pro.
fessed himself an unworthy member OF the church
of Rome, he was cordially received, and initiated
by baptism, and other usual ceremonies
Mr.. Doolittle, however had scarcely time to
congratulate himself on his escape from the
dreadful dueilo, when he was dlsagreeabiy un-
deceived by a particular illustration OF the pro-
verb, "one good turn deserves another" The
courageous natter was indignant at what he could
no, but consider patry subterfuge; and vas not
to out off like an old beaver) 50 easily. He
therefore took an early opportunity OF seeking
conference with his q,sondam priest and Ia
ther. confessor, who found bin willing convert.
A slight nominal pensnce sufficed to reconcile
him to the placable church which he had deser'
ted certainly through interested, but b.
no means through mercenary motives
He lamented his bIacksliding in due form; and
reuounced the damnable hereses to which, in an
unguarded moment, he had subscribed;-all this
once more in the presence Of the tailor, who now
began to be convinced, that no points Of doctrine,
however tough and knotty, had strength to
bind over his Protean antagonist 70 the peace
Nothing, he could clearly see. was left him IN
this emergency, but to break oser again, and seek
refuge in the bosom Of his mother church;-and
this he effected with oil imaginable speed; send.
inc. at the same time, notification to the angry
halter, that their opinions on religious matters
were so diametrically and irreconciIeabiy oPPo'
site. that his conscience would not permit hun,
Doolittle, to retain any faith whatever, that might
at any time be embraced BY so blood-thirsty and
nchristian an adversary as Flynn.
We are assured that the foregoing anecdote,
improbable as it may appear, is an abso!,ae tacs
we'll known as such BY most OF the Inhabitants OIL
Mallow; and that every circumstance, even t
the names Of the polemica warriors, 10 accurate
" detailed.