Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-05

feet pcsccshe adiustpent Of shs a." ~ et'
WIN winch they may beeonnected. Ia will mrts
mssr ot every second, aud thus many a +. IA
save mat OF good feeling, (which is mes, gens,'
any insuhcient to become a peac,. make H.,
VIC principals The moment he bears, or for hi
rhiae accepts challenge, the penalty ofdisfian
| ensemen' Is incurred, and thus ends The induc,.
ment TO peaceful effort. But exemp, him and nj,
| pr'neipal from disqualification In fhs ,r,,f Ar a,
ah. aetnais taking place. and few will be found i.
w." no, Heslousiy strive TO bring themselves with,
w, anu oy that MEANS TO realize the benefits oI m,
condition. There will not be then. as unfo,,nn.s
" "ero frequently Is now, mere idle cutios,v 20
witness, or the foolish and unfeens ptide of bax
ing oeen concerned in duel. Each second will
sons;s potent indYcement to begin the work Of re
eooe'auon, aud the principals themselves w IN n, %
inc greater motive TO listen 20 nnv propo,ai. r.,
peace Then, too. sober and reaecting men vii
unuer,ake the office OF seconds instead of the .,h
iheonsiderate anc reckless 49,"
lin, nc'e Is any ethcacy in tho present ant.duel.
s Jaw, Is beyond doubt derived from the cir.
euns.anee That the severe penalty of dsfrancb,e.
nent winch II prescribes, addresses itself IN ,b. :,
.r noA .. 'hose on whom IL designed to operate
-, s 'ne grand apology and defence which is Sc,
| w o' 10y al the advocates Of the law Ru, mi.
nerl' Is oy no means peculiar to the presen,
'he"t against duelng. ltapperains in as grea, Il
' III greater degree, TO the plan of discrimina,;o
nov recommended by your memoriaIists. Ian.
peas equally to the ambitious aspirations of second
and principal. IL presents a motive To- ,.ees,;
before the fatal step is finally taken for solemn DE-
noe'auoh, what may be gained on the one I'm nd i, mi
los, upon the other-what may be lost bv ,el,,sipc
anu what IN turn may be gained. by conserving to
uisinterested and peaccablc arbtrament n h IN
quesuonab'y grave objection TO the nnt;duell;,.
Jaw as u now stands that il affords no Involvement
20 the offender To retrace his steps exeept The a.
sue 10 preserve lie, which though common in.
h .. human nature Is nevertheless with those
in Na nt,ot. +
the very last and the least forcible consider,,;on
me present law against the practice 70, the rea-
sons already stated, does not and cannon arrest IN.
,ss snge IN the process Of duelliug. But the evil
may be oveftaken At its second stage. and m his
point should legislative action he 2;,ec,od .fhs
pan here recommended ttacks the evil where univ
u can De reached, and applies the remedy at the
point AZ which, alone II can be applied. And your
si''st ehtertains not doubt, that the perfec-
uoh OF legislative policy on this subject Il tba,
provision, which, 10y the strong impulse of self in
'e'es, shai' convict every second-the responsible
p"'y III every uuel--into peace-maker between
.ne principals for whom he acts. Then, indeed
may expect the deadly pistol and rife to be
" by the peaceful tribunal of the board
OIL honour-a consummaton deyoutly to he ,y;,h.d
by every friend of humanity "''"'u
IL mese positions be well founded, thew conn.,
' themselves 10 the attention Of the Legislature
uuY every consideration of beneyolence and nolc,,
IL the change suggested will sustain the rr,s,;. r.
uueuing equally with the present law. the commn.
nty Will be the clear gamer in this-tbnt nil m.
Disadvantages OF the existing law will be avoided.
n"u surrey, the commonest benevolence REQUIRES
tnat d oy any other alternative the ryour Of ,bs
anu uuelng statute can he sof;ened and its had
snip ml'igated that alternative should be adonted
our memorialist might with proprietv. raise
oeiote your Honorable body, the enquiry whether
'e eAssuns enactment against duelling has exerted
',ie hhuehce IN restraining the practice which is
Claimed for II by its advocates. itat This Time ,
preventive OF duelngl II member of your bodv
were 70 rise IN his place, and grevously reflect up
On the honor oil another member he would at once
oe neS responsive IN the mode prescribed by the
code OF honor. The party aggtieved would iaush
10 scorn your laws against duelling; and honornble
men oil your own hody-the very law giyers them
selves--wou'd hold him excusabe in thus lauobine
10 scOrh the law. And It an individual thus INSULT
eu, should resort TO the courts for redress in dana,
seS, nc would receive the contempt oil ne-tenths
OF the community.
Ahd even admitting that duels are less frequent
IMAM before the passage Of the anti-duelns act il
hishIy unphilosophIcll to refer the diminu,ion 10
Tue exclusive operation OF that act. The progress
oil civilization and morality may have done its oart.
ana To the extent of the operation of this The
introducing law IS unnecessary because inon,rn-
tive. Again: though the number of dueIs NAV
nave Increased, that OF Gssassinations may have
Increased. IL is the opinion of many that one eff.
lect of prohibilory enactments against duel;ns has
oeen the substitution Of the Dirk and the Bowie
nhlie Tor the less barbarous weapOn-the Pistol.
ana tnat 10 this cause are chargeabe the frequent
IsSassInauohs mat occur IN the Southern States.
one thing Is certain, that even in our own Safe,
ana despite OF a law prohibiting it. thousands now
carry concealed weapons and the practice is on tic
Increase. How far the Iigour of the law ngains,
uueilng has led 10 this evil, and to what extent as
aSsnaloh mas by the same cause, been substituted
Tor settlement IN the field of honor, are enquiries
worthy OF the gravest consideration
Du' the true reason why duellins has become les,
Heiutht-if, indeed such be the fact,-is that not.
HimSiandtnS the PrOhibiiory laos on The subject.
the obligations Of the Code of Honour are ,e,r.c,
ed and acknow edged not only bv tba; clsss ,gh;cb
IS most likely TO be concerned in duelling but Inv
inc community at large. IL is not so much the
oread OF the penalties OF the law as the certainty of
oehg heid accountable, that produces that par,icu
any any VI c1nu1ct from man TO man which renders
resort 10 the Code of Honour unnecessary
our memorallst would respectfully enou;re r.
Socisy DC not inconsistent with itself in exactne
obedience to law, the observance of which suh
lecis those who obey it to disgrace2 Is there ma
hardship IN Furnishing an individual for doing the,
which he did do, he would incur the
OF socIety-ot those even who pretend To ne s,ict
iers Tor the law! There is no man so exalted thai
ne may refuse, with impunty TO accent a CHALLENGE
w %y coming from source equally rsspectable.S
ca, III proportion to mans elevation in the
community, Is his obligation TO yield obedience IN
the requsitlon OF the Duelling Code, considered 70
DC enhanced. Yet, II he dare answer the reonisi
uon which society makes upon him, the law imno.
seS upon aim us heaviest penaltIes-disgrace and
disiranchlsement are the hard alternatives before
him. 'sO''
Your memoraisi would also ask. if there 10 M,
IN the nnt-Duelllng Law OF Virginia, an upneces-
sary seycrIty-a Tgour, incompatible with the sprit
o' our institutions and dspropoftionate TO the Of.
ieneef where IS tne mercy Of Furnishing the duel
nSt forever when all o:her offenders may hote for
Pardoni Where Is the Christianity OF the tbino7
anu "here Is the justice or consistency of impos
ins upon MN who lights duel in obedience to the
laws OF society, n punishment which is not inono,
ed upon the vIlest mileiactor-upob the traitor o
the assassin "Whv TO adopt the l,ngnsse ~
John Randolph of Rodnoke) single out this 5ar,;-
cular class OF offendersl The traitor who has noi.
ted the reintroducton OF the Tarqons into Inc Ca.
Pto, ne Is not pronounced objectionable; Won do
TENDER to him oath that he has never plotted
TO oVerturn your Government he is not to mo M,
10 the torture by an oath but your oath Is in Inc
very spirit OF the Spinsh Inquisition il puts the
man OF virtue only TO the torture and passes owe,
the rufhan and assassin ''''
Inc great harshness anb hardship Of the anti.
dwelling Law were doubtless the results of the vetv
erroneous conception th,t due'ling is an unmired
evil four memorIalist would be among the lnst IN
encourage dnelng; but u IS no encouragement of
points. '''''''s
"rhe wisest heads and the best men (snvs nm. NJ
the most gifted minds IN the STATED are divided dds
PIopouonaliy perhnps,) on the subject of dueliing
ne majority regard II rs relic Of barbarism with
out a redeeming ieature-but many very wise or
cepilons view it very diTcrently-as an inst,tuton
aOhorrent, indeed, IN the Individual instance vel
productive Of the most sautary general eonseousn.
ceS' We believe that, next TO the Christian Reli-