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

the uueIioLs nOt only Wnen Nc SucceeuS n
killing his antagonist, but in view Of III
principles which lead him to the 6eld.--
There IS murder ia the heart, though til
conflict may be bloodless. Every duel be
gins IN murder. Il originates 10 state q
heart, which the Savior declares expose
to the Judgment denounced against muir
der. .ss sl5Gl Eaoa B3eF s. 81 eE is
q The lighting OF a duelis murder, b,
the settled principles Of human law. Muir
der" (says Blackstone, ais committee
when a person Of sound memory and dis
cretion killeih any reasonable creature il
being, with malice aforethought, either ex
press OF implied. Express malice is, wher
one with, a sedale, deliberate mind, and
formed design. doth kill another, Tia.
takes IN, The case of deliberate duelling,
where both parties meet with an intent e
murder 60 party killing another ia q
deliberate due, ,'lsays RUSSELL on Crimes
sis guilty Of murder; for whenever two
persons in cold blood meet and fight on a
precedent quarrel, and one of them is kill.
ed, the other is guilty of murder, and can.
not help himself by alleging that he was
first struck by the deceased; or that he
had often declined TO meet him, and was
prevailed upon to do II by his Importantly;
or that il was his intent only to yindicate
his reputation; or that he meant not to
kill, but only to disarm his adversary. He
has deliberately engaged in an act highly
unlawful, in defiance Of the laws, and he
must at his peril abide the consequences .
/" In all possible cases" (says Foster ode
liberate homicide. upon principle Of re-
venge, is murder. No man under the pro.
lection Of law is to be the avengcr of his
own wrongs" Such are the principles Of
English law, and they are responded to by
the common sense ofcivilized man. And
whatever may be the plea OF the duelisI
who has killed his antagonist, and howev-
er he may elude the arm of justice, he has
committed an act which can be described
only by those terms which are employed
by every civilized nation under heaven TO
define the crime of murder. r 80 gs -
8. Duelling is murder rendered more
atrocious by the deliberaiion with which il
is perpetrated. In large proportion of
instances the crime of malicious homicide
is committed in the heat and hurry Of exas-
perated passion, under circumstances that
partially suspend reason and prevent reflec-
ton Often too the offenders are ignorant
and half savage men, whose passions have
never been restrained and tanned amid the
bland Influences of refined society. Not
so with the duelist. His whole affair.
from beginning to end is measured, de-
liberate business. Theya are professed gen
tiemen, who engage in these affairs OF hon.
or. There must be no bluster--no out
breaking Of rude and vulgar passion
They must be calm as summer morning
cool and collected as in the ordinary in
tercourse ofsociely-from the first note to
the last shot, there must be a studied sup
preston of all unseemly and unusual ex.
citement Both the challenging and chal-
lenged party have ample, time to reflect up.
on The character and probable conseqnen-
ccs of their intended meeting. They have
hours, and if they please, days, to think o.
what they are about to do. Besides, the
men who sustain the so-called code of hon.
or, are not ignorant rufians !, they know
their duly to society-they lay claim 10 ci-
Witty and good breeding. What then
must Be the degree, the depth, the impnls.
i've power Of thai malice, which urges these
men 10 mortal combat? There is some
palliaiion for the fanatic, who, deeming hi:
country wronged, plants his internal ma
chine in the path Of the oppressor. There
| The serhblance of plea for the highway
man, or the pirate, who kills for his bred
Il is not all malice that directs the stilettc
OF the hired assassin. But Il is malice, bit
Ter as NORWOOD, and cold as the last chill
of death, that freezes into firmness the pur
pose and the nerve of the duelist. z i'
4. The duelist contraclsthe double guilt
Of murder and suicide. Blythe same &C
he wantonly puts in jeopardy his own Inf
and bis neighbours. He takes all the ap
propriate steps to effect his own destruction
BY placing himself before the deadly weap
on Of his enemy, and inviting him to xii
him if he eau: and on his part be employ
bis skill to accomplish the death Of his ad
versary and whatever may be the issue
the conflict in the eye of Justice and
God, each of the combatants is at once
murderer and suicide.
8. The duelist is frequently murder
er under pretexts eminently hypocritIcal
/ The alleged reason for calling man INT
the field is, in many, if not most cases, nc
the real reason. Who does not knowthls
! How often hasthe duelist been known
wait and watch, for months and years, !
find pretext fora quarrel, and under COZ
J er Of the socalled code Of honor, ne mlgi
glut his vengeance, or despatch forever
successful rival. His envy, bis chsrlshe
! lgrudge, leads him to pun himself IN the wa
Of insult, and he longs 10 be insulted. IN
ne may have an opportunity ofmurderll
the man he hates, without losing entirel
: bis Standing as an honorable man IN socl