The native American., 1839-10-05
CONCEALED WEAPONS.

CONCEALED WEAPONS.
We are DESTROYS of hearing the opinion OF the
Press upon this subject for, although SO abun-
tant are the resources of the human mind, that
reasons for almost every thing, good or Bad are
plenty as blackberries,' vet, we think, that So
phisry itself would fail i'll seeking for palla.ion
for this barbarous prac,ice--no, we should correct
the expression; for, as far as knowledge extends,
even barbarians fall not under the condemnation
Of secreting their weapons; where you see your
enemy, you see and may consider Of his means
of annoyance before closing with him, you may,
as it were, inspect his aUAole armament, and
count the cost Of engaging.
The Turkish foe may be seen at glance in all
his terrors-pistols, cimeter and yataghan-all
arc visible and above-board So the Indian, with
his scalping-knife, tomahawk and arrows. And
the Highlander, with his clymore and skene-dhu.
And in times not long past, when fashion de-
manded that gentleman, i'll full dress, should
wear sword it was not hidden, but suspended
with an air Of graceful frankness from his thigh.
Turn where we may-consult the practice of any
age or people-we find one only who conceals
his weapon, and strikes in the dark-the bravo
of Southern Europe, who murders for hire, and
plunges his poignard the deeper for the greater
number Of zechins!
Those whose business requires them to sojourn
in the remote regions Of our country, where the
protection of the law is difficult to be obtained,
and where society is in a rude state, may have
some justification in the practice Of concealing
their means of defence but how any individual,
peaceful Of purpose, can rise up in the morning,
in populous city, where the fountains of justice
are in full flow, and the protecting arm Of the law
prompt and efficient in its action, and place his
dirk upon his breast, and that, without any def
mite apprehension of an assault, is to us passing
strange indeed. In the name of all that is mys-
terious, what is his mpulse-what, who does he
fear ?-who does he expect will trouble him p
Perhaps he thinks that in the run Of long day,
ment. Perhaps he is one Of those who SO under
stand what is called the "liberty Of Speech as
to consider it their privilege to say "just aohat
they think" however offensive it may be to others;
and when the punishment he has earned by his
insolence is about to be inflicted, forth from its
concealment comes the generous, chivalrous
dirk
Our reflections on this subject all tend to one
conclusion, and that is, the man who rises in the
morning, without any reason to anticipate quar-
rel or assault through the day, and sets out pre-
disposed with an evil intent, both as to his morals
and his defence, and therefore may be said to act,
as the lawyers would term it, with malice pre-
pense, which no subsequent circumstances can
palliac, and which the rules Of good society every
where condemn, had better leave his dirk, and get
armed to protect an ill-regulated temper.
The man who is volunteer in the way Of
temptation, is an evil doer; and the hand that is
raised in wrath to sustain its actions is actuaed
by recfeant heart that could not trust in the first
instance to the purity Of its intentions, and by a
cowardly impulse that enforces its wrongs by in
creasing its crimes. We should say of all such
men, that " conscience makes towards Of them
all" and the only way to satisfy themselves, as
well as the public, that they do not deserve the
.appellation, is % trust to the honesty of their
cause, and the means OF resistance which Provi-
dence may throw in their way.
The DuEL.-lt appears that the " fatal duel, !"
said TO have been fought between Messrs. Joseph