Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1838-03-15

LIST. That as to the cause ofthe duel, it was
about as substantial, or unsubstantial, as the
causes of dueIs generally.
! 3D. That for all that gave atrocity to the
duel, in the choice of weapons ana terms OF
combat, the surviving party il to DC held
Adj That he is to be held in like manner
puiItless for the hot haste which, hurrying
! fhe matter to an issue, defeated all etfectual
interference to prevent 1t.
On the first point, it is sufficient to say, that
Mr.. G.. thought there was equivocation on
1 the part Of Llr. c., a virtual impeachment OF
lis {tlr. G's) veracity, both in MIR. C.'s not
committing to writing the answer first YER
baly made by him, and in afterwards mate
rally changing the character OF that answer
| We do not say that this was, under the Cir
(cunls.ances, adequate cause for duel-far
Eothcrn tx: but we repeat, it was about as
GOOD cause as occasions half the duelS that
are fought.
On the second point: the choice OF weap-
ons and the terms OF the contest were wholly
with Mr.. Cillev. They were deemed "unu-
sual and Objectionable" though not abso-
lutelv objected TO, by men coming from
region of country where duelling is held to
be at least excusable; and yet these unu-
sual and Objectionable" terms were at once,
and without leaving any opening for consul
as hy possibility to give less barbarous as.
pect to the contest, vigorously prescribed
through his friend by Mr. Cilley-a New
England man. where duelling is held in just
adherence 1t is said, too, and we lear tru-
ly said, that pending the correspondence,
Mr.. Cilley, under the auspices of some no.
ted persons in both Houses, was actually
practising with the rifle; and that the chal-
Ienge was not accepted till Mr.. C.'s accura-
CIV as marksman with this deadlest of
weapons was ascertained and that the terms
prescribed as to distance, position, manner
of holding and manner of firing the rifle,
were exactly in conformity with this prelimi-
nary practice. On the other hand, strange
as it NAV seem for KentuckiaD, Mr.. Graves
was so little converSant with firearms, as
scarcely ever to have fred a pistol, and
rarely rifle, and then only from rest In
point of fact, moreover, he had not practised,
Having only fired two or three shots between
! IL and IL o'clock on Saturday, with the RI
! fe as soon as it came from the armorer's
hands, in order to ascertain II 1t could be re-
lied on to fire at all.
On the third point, we have the most un-
doubling conviction, that but for the fatal
pertinacity with which rifle was pressed
upon Mr. Graves by the antagonist party,
time would have been gained for the success
/ full interposition of friends, and thus the duel
would have been prevented. Measures were,
to our knowledge, in train that must have
led to such result, even in few hours
more, and these measures failed only of their
effect by reason Of the secrecy and haste
with which the affair was conducted.
Ifthese views of the circumstances of this
tragic combat, be at oil just, it would seem to
follow, that however deep and natural our
sympathy with the bereaved and afflicted
relatives of the victim to false honor, and
. however great our Indignation at the fla
Y grant violation by men in high places, Legis-
: Iators, charged with the interests and the
!; morals of the nation-of the laws both of
: God and man-the voice of Truth and JUS
o tice must vet exonerate the survivor from
Y responsibility for all that was of marked and
e peculiar ferocity in the character and con-
G duct of the duel. ~t's
G The whole day on Friday, Mr.. Cilley, in
!, company with his friends was engaged in
: practicing with the rifle He is said to have
: used one belonging to Mr.. Duncan of Ohio
who is a great shot, and who was one of the
n chief advisers in this matter. Mr.. Cilley
r was an excellent marksman. His success in
: firing at mark on Friday was very great,
for it is said that he repeatedly hit, at eighty
{ yards, the size of dollar. His friends were
). elated with his skill, and flattered him with
the idea, that he would certainly kill his op-
, ponent at the first fire.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Graves and his friends
. were busily employed all Friday evening, in
: hunting up rifle to be used the next day
But this was weapon not easy to be found,
, and they continued their search, with so little
; success, the next day, that in the morning
they found themselves obliged to send a note
to the friends of Mr. Cilley, informing them
} that it might be necessary to postpone the
!, meeting.
: This was Immediately construed by the
friends of Mr.. Cilley into a backing out on
the part of Mr.. Graves, and reports to that
effect were Immediately circulated. About
10 o'clock, probably by way of taunt or bra
! vado, Mr.. Wise, the friend of Mr.. Graves,
received teo notes rendering him the use of
two rifles, if he could obtain none elsewhere;
and it is said, that Mr.. Duncan waited upon
Mr.. Wise in person, with rifle in his hand,
!. of which he rendered the use, declaring it to
be equally as good as that of Mr.. Cilley.-
q This officious anxiety of Mr.. Cilley's friends
to procure weapon for Mr.. Graves, came to
: his ears, and rather than break his appoint
c men', he finally accepted the loan of rifle
s from Mr.. Rires, of the firm of Blair & Rives,
n editors and publishers Of the Globe. The lock
s OF this rifle proved, however, on trial, to be
o so out Of order, that, on their way TO the
It ground, they were obliged to stop and have
: it operated upon by n blacksmith.
d 1t is said that Mr.. Cilley, in the progress of
$ the affair. consulted freely and frequently
Q with Mr.. Benton of the Senate. 1t is also
G said that the greatest confidence was enter
tanned by Mr.. Cillcy's friends, that he would
t kill Mr. Graves at the first fire. They look
|, ed upon him as doomed man. Mr. Cilley
is said to have acted with great GOODNESS and
AnIe hnxsoA s,~s~