Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-06-06
+, sB 4 R'.ANDoN.5 wEDNEsDAY, JUNE 8, 1885,


the man be hates, to challenge him. tia,
ne may have the advantage Of choice 81
weapons, distance, &c., and that he NAV
seem 10 the public the hated and the bet
ter Man, compelled in selfdefence 70 take
up the weapons Of death. Political COM
slderations often prompt the duelist Ii
mas been affirmed that several times in the
history OF our country, duels have been
got up TOR the express purpose of taking
on Leading and Influential party men.
Such is the abominable hypocrisy of no
small portion of the men who claim to be
paragons Of honor and magnaninity:
mere dastards, who clothe their murders
with the pomp and circumstance of the
duel, only that they may save themselves
from the elevation of the gallows and the
attentions of the hangman. 49, -.
The hypocrisy of duelists is scarcely
less striking IN another aspect The code
BY which they are governed is the code of
/ honor, 1T is system that contemplates
those nice and delicate questions. which
arise among rery high-minded and Uery
honorable men. The laws OF the land
may do for the vulgar and gross people,
but not for honorable men. They are
not discriminating and nice enough to,
weigh and determine questions in which
the exquisite sensibilities OF these gentle-
men are concerned. And vet this code
by which hey are regulated, and which
teaches them TO demand I. the pound. Of
flesh," the hearts blood Of their brother
in atonement for contemptnous look or
word-this code, so exquisitely nice 10 its
guardianship of their honor, permits these,
same gentlemen to go under her shield to
the gambling table, the grog-shop.q and
the brothel. They may be unfaithful to
wife, but not disrespectful to gentleman
They may be profane, and oppressive TO
their dependents, nuisances in their ami-
lies and neighborhoods; and yet all hon
orable, very honorable men; so much so
that the prescribed penalty Of doubt, ex-
pressed in word OF look, is death in cold
blood. Admirable hypocrisylssa.sinas a5
| 6. The real courage of duelists is very
questionable. 1t is not courage, but eOso-
0rdiee that prompts the giving and re-
ceiving ofchallenges. 1t is done because
they are afraid of being regarded as cow
ards and without spirit, by their corrupt
friends. and by that portion of the public
who uphold dueling, It has been fire.
quently and publicly said by duelists,5
that they abhor the custom-lheir own
judgment condemns it, and they offer no
other apology than the fear of corrupt
public sentiment 1t is therefore palpable
cowardice that sustains the custom. Du-
elists involve themselves in mortal com.
bat simply because they have not nerve,
and courage to resist absurd opinion, and
follow the decisions of their own reason
and conscience Cowardice more. base,
and contemptible cannot be easily conceiv-.
ed of than that which thus meanIy sue
cum5s to a vulgar and abhorred preju-.
dice, against which the mans own reason
demonstrates, and where all the dear in.
terests of life are at stake. What per-.
feet coward must that man be who is.
afraid to do right, afraid to. refrain from
what he processes to abhor, lest he should
ALLEVIATE few unreasonable men
That the dueliEg system is code for
towards, is manifest upon the very face
of it. 1t is an agreement among those
who adopt il, to behave respectfully and
! honorably in their intercourse, and this
agreement is eaforced by the mere fear of
the pistol or the rife. They thus pro-
claim to the world that they are destitute
of those principles which secure .decorous
and gentlemanlY conduct among other
men, and that they can be kept decent and
! well behaved only by being placed in per,
II N .f ~ 49, T6.:. -.
I is upon each others fears. Indeed their
code derives all its efficacy from their
cowardice. a.,a rrEzs5.sasa az Ha-g-e-5l ami.
i r. The duelist commits murder with
out the remotest prospect of gaining the
alleged end. The alleged end of the
i challenger in duel is to obtain satisfac-
4 ton for an insult and to vindicate his inn
peached honor. A. alleges that b. is moi
a gentleman; and athereupon B. invites
4 A. to meet him in mortal combat and
4 upon exchanging shots, A. is killed.
4 What does that prove? 1t proves that
I B. at certain distance may hit mark
the size of man. But does Improve that
B. is a gentleman! Does it prove that
he is not knave or liar Have the pub
lie reason TO feel assured that B. is an
honorable man because he can hit a mark
1.-THE size of man2 Would NOT hitting a
tree, or any other inanimale object, prove
I his good character equally well, besides
} being more innocent way Of earning an
! honorable reputation2 s'sss a2.. -.
But what satisfaction does B. get BY
!, killing his neighbour He does not salts
, fy a revengeful feeling, for he disavows
: such feeling Well, has A. who thought
/ him no gentleman, had his ignorance en-
! Iightened and his judgment lrecti6ed BY
being shot DOWN. Or is B. now any bet
' tier satisfied Of himself that be is gen.