Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-08-15
III f. II "A ID OF TH E TIMES.

II hS"io thc CufIFnt TuHloI, WIN w mn
and inquired whether il was true. Fair
field replied that he presumed it was
Then, asked the gentleman, why do you
not take measures TO prevent II Oh,
SAID Fairfield, it is not my affair, ard
besides, ClIley is a dead shot with ri.
le. This is the substance Of what pas
sed between them, without the slightest
exagg gerntion. Is that man 10 have th,
credit Of being an enemy to duclling ,and
the mover Of resolutions intended to sup
press it 7
/ Those resolutions were introduced by
MIR. Fairfield ,imme diaely after the great
funeral in honor of Mr.. Cilley. The
day before that, he had announced to
the House the death Of that gentleman,
and presented, for adoption, number OF
resolutions in honor Of his memory -
What took place on that and the da,
following during both which days ali
other business was suspended throws
great light upon the subsequent move
nents OF Mr.. Fairfield and his friends,
and shows, very clearly, that, by THEN
resolutions for investigation, against
which MIR. c. voted, they meant no dis
appreciation Of the practice Of duclling
and desired no expression Of any sucL
disapprobation from the House. Among
the honorary resolutions lir.t passed, one
was that the members and officers Of
this House will testify their respect lol
the memory ofJonathan Cilley, by wear
ing Grape on the left arm for thirty days"
"A large Committee was appointed, az
Directors of the funeral ceremonies, o
message sent to the Senate, "and then,
\ (speaks The journal) as further mark
OF respect for the memory OF the decca-
scd, the House at n quarter past twelve
O'Clock ,ad ourncd until to morrow, twelve
o'clock, meridian" Invitations were
given to the President and Vice Presi-
dent Of the United States, TO the Jud ges
Of the Supreme Court, to the Heads OF
Departments, and to all the Foreign
Ministers, to join in the funeral honors
to be paid to the deceased. And they
all did join in them, except tho Jud ges
of the Supreme Court.
The proceedings of those two days
are worthy OF serious reflection. The
death of MIR. Cilley was regretted by
every one, as melancholy event. But
that was no reason why the manner in
which he came Ly his death should have
been made light Of and disrcgardcd, as
It was, by the law makers and highest
officers OF the Government. II duelling
is n crime in itself, and condemned by
"the laws Of God ard man." he who
loses his life in a duel, seeking the life
Of another, is not less criminal than the
conqucror, whose lie he would have ta-
ken if he could. Mr.. Ciley was guilty
Of that crime, and lost his life in com
miltiDg it. His death was the conse-
quence of his crime, and an ostentatious
funeral ought not to have been another
consequence of it. His funeral ought
to have been conducted with deep and
silent solemnily, and nothing omitted
that decency and propriety required
But these did not require or justify the
display and pomp of ceremonial with
which il was conducted. Very true, il
was not time for passing censures up
on the conduct Of the deceased. Nei.
Their was it a time for manilesling appro-
baton of ii, by paying signal honors to
his memory, aud holding up his name to
admiration. Yet all this was done, and
if Jonathan Cillcy had died cloriously
Oh the field Of battle, lighting in defence
of his country, no higher honors could
have been awarded to him. The brave
soldier glories in the soldiers death upon
the field Of battle, and here the same
need Of honor was held out to the pro-
iessed duelist. Those proceedings
were well calculated to give Joy and
countenance 10 the duellist, and the
friends of ducllrg, and equally to dis
courage the friends Of humanity, who
were laborng to suppress that inhuman
practice. Examples good or bad, set BY
rulers and men in high places, make IA
strong impression upon The minds Of the
people, and, when they see the death OF
a dueIlist 81 ignalized as if it had been the
death of patriot, statesman, or hero,
The effect upon their moral sense in re.
gard 10 the practice Of dueIling is inevi
able.
This was the correct view taken OIL
hose proceedings by the Judges Of the
Supreme Court, as appears by the reso
ution they passed upon the occasion,
which | can give, will always be read
With interest -" Rcsoired, that with
very desire TO manifest their resDect fol
he House Of Representatives, and the
Committee of the House, by whom they
lave been invited, and for the memory
IF the deceased, the Justices of the Su-
,rcme Court, cannot, consistently with
he duties they owe to the public, attend
N their official characters, the funeral
Df one who has fallen in duel"
And, of those proceedings in honor of
he duellist, aud so decidedly calculated
10 give countenance and encouragement
% the practice of duclIing, the duclling
friends of Mr. CilIey, with the use Of his
colleague Fairfield, were the authors
rs they were also the authors Of the sc
;ond series Of resolutions introduced the
lext day by Fairfield, pretending to call
OF Investigation, when, rs their own
subsequent conduct soon proved, ,-fai,
nvcstig cation was the last thing they de
'ircd, and their sole object was to give o
political direction to the existing popular