Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-06-06


questionable, and an appeal to arms is ne;
cessary TO establish il. Il would not be
thought necessary for Franklin or Madi-
son. or Washington, or Marshall, were
they living, to engage in a duel. Their
Characters were above reproach or suspi-
cion. They were acknowledged as hon
orable men, without certificate that they
had shot down their traducers., But the
duelist BY his own showing, is Of SO du-
blous a character, even among his per,
sona friends and constituents, that he must
light to convince them he is man 6 not
a poltroon. The evidences of his cour-
age and honor have been so fewaud doubt
ful, that he must go to the field of blood
TO sustain them saI Is s-I.asa %tsfg -,
8. The duelist is a murderer, not upon
some unlocked for proyocation, bat by
profession, by rule and system. His po-
lsition, on the list of blood is not accidental
Iii is chosen. Dueling is part. and a
boasted part OF his scheme of life. He
has studied his subject. He has acquired
skill in the use Of deadly weapons for the
express purpose of being qualified to kill
such of his fellow men as he may choose
in the course of his life TO call into the
.iield. The common murderer, whom we
hand over without hesitation to the hang
man, perhaps never dreamed of commit
ing the dreadful deed till a few moments
OF hours before he inflicted the fatal blow.
|" But the duelist has made it a part of his
general system, and deliberate purpose,
to destroy human life; and to mind thus
trained and prepared, no event of this
kind can come wholly unlocked for. or be
as in the other case matter of mere. and
absolute surprise" ); .bssnhI ..aln 455tss.sz
9. The principles of the duelist are
without parallel despotic, sanguinary
and subversive of all government. He
takes upon himself the adjudication of his
own wrongs and the redress of his own
grievances, and thus lends his influence
to resolve society into state of nature
and savage ferocity. All laws of God
and man must give way while this man
adjusts his quarrels. He must have the
whole field of social civil and domestic
relations subject to his fury. What tho
his enemy be citizen, charged, with duty
TO the state; or a representative entrusted
with the interests OF his constituents !; or
a friend, gladdening many a social circle !;
or a SON, sustaining and blessing fond and
white-haired parents; or a husband, cher
ishing devoted. faithful wife; or a faith
er, surrounded by affectionate, helpless
children what though he be all these g.
more 1.-THE claim of the duelist for his
blood, on account of some unguarded or
disrespectful word, is paramount to every
other. God, and law, and nature, with
all her tenderness, must be despised and
trampled under foot, while this incarna-
ton of ferocity CRASHES his teeth, and gluts
his nav, and quenches his fevered thirst
with blood. Good heavensl are these.
the inspirations of honor, Is this mag
nGnimity, that stalks over the land, scoWl-
ing at law and virtue, and collecting trib-
ute in tears and agonies of widowed wives
and children !" smitten amid their play
things" and in broken hearts of parents
bereaved in old age of their only hope2
Such is the practice of dueling "a
practice staining with blood spots that.
twill not OUT the history of this coun-
try, amid all the light and civilization of
the nineteenth century---a practice which
has already carried off its hundreds of
victims, without punishment anu almost
without rebuke; selecting them, in some
instances, from the pride and strength Of
the nation. - ..- ..ff >e".s5as ~ . ..s. a
1t is timeto consider the question, wheth-
er this abominable and bloody relic of
barbarous times shall be tolerated any
longer. The land is defled with blood
unrighteously shed, and its cry has gone
up to Heaven and the men of violence
who have shed it, not only escape, :" un-
whipt of JUSTICE" but are endured among
honest men, and elevated to places oftrust
and honor. Will Christians hold their
peace, and wink at the enormitya Will
patriots entrust despisers of life with the
guardianship of life? Or scoffers at law
and government with the making of law
Shall public sentiment tarnel y acquiesce
in system of ruffianism that is dis
grace to the nation and the age and an in
sulr to the throne of JehovahR We trust
not. We trust and believe there is cour-
age, and patriotism, and virtue enough
among US, speedilylto give this practice
its true place in the catalogue of crime,
and consign to merited infamy every man
who shall hereafter be engaged in a duel.
This may be DONE se# 5. @sEE,.
sI.7By the cultivation of a deep-seated
reverence of law The laws cannot exc
cute themselves. They derive all their
force and efficiency from public sentiment.
They might just as well be written on the
sea beach for the government of the
waves, as spread out on our statute books,
| if NOT sustained and reverenced by the
lpublic mind But is it not as true as tits
Ehumiliating, that an increasingly lax SEN
Itimenl. of which lynching and mob -yio-
lence arethe opponents. peryades the land