The Polynesian., 1841-08-07
: f |. T. CT ED .
From The Boston ,erc,nt ;lo .io,,,nI
5 n 1T w a Il E Il B UBDIES
BY HAWSER MARrINGALE
HINT 70 MEN OF nONO2-O2 \ DUEL I
STYLE

The practice of fighting. ducls with
sword aud pistol, as carried on so exten-
sively at the South and West in the pres
ent day, when we boast of having made
rapid progress IN civilization, is poor and
unprohiab.e business, to say the least
and sometimes a dangerous one into the
bargain. 1t is an unpleasant thing, sure
ly, to kind and benevolent man, to be
compelled by the laws of honor, to turn a
deaf car to the whisperings of conscience
and benevOlence, and strive to xiii a res
pectablc man. good cilizcn-nay more.
perhaps neghbor or fricnd-aiid some
would consider it still more unpleasant,
to receive, while III the full enjoyment of
health, social comforts, and domestic hap
plness, bullet in the thoraX, or a small
sword or bowie knife through the dia-
phragm. But as long as honorable
men " conceive themselves bound to fi.ht
their neighbors and friends with such
murderous weapons, on slight provoca-
tions, so long, it may reasonably be ex-
pected. will duellins be attended with
such disagreeable such disgusting results.
| have never fought duel, and think
it highly probable that never shall fight
one. My reasons are briefly these:
Firstly, | have an instructive repug-
nance TO exposing my own precious per-
son, where The chances are equal that |
may receive my quietus by lump of
lead, impelled by gunpowder. Secondly,
My life, have reason to believe is neces-
sary to the comfort and happiness of 9TH
ers-consequently | have no right to peril
it in this way wilhou, the consent of 9TH
ers-a consent which have the vanity to
think cannot be obtained. Thirdly, Du-
cling is a savage custom, unworthy of the
present age--and it is the duty of every
man who has any pretensons to civliza-
tiun or refinement, to exert all his intlu-
encc by precept and example to set the
seal Of public odium upon this barbarous
practice, which had It's origin in the dark
ages-and Four,hIy, DucllIng is a prac-
tice directly opposed to the laws of man
and the laws OF God. 1t is therefore ex-
tremcly unlikely that | shall ever seek
satisfaction for an insult by standing up
in fair combat, and Shooting my aMlago-
mist through the head, or couring favor
of this description from hiin.
1t may be unreasonable to suppose that
the hlgh-spirl,ed citizens of the South aud
West, will ever relInquish this absurd GUS
tom Of duelIing-bccause "lhcy are all
honorable men and none but honora-
BILE men fight dueIs. The most we can
expect is. that they will submit to some
qualification Of the present rules of honor,
and perhaps agree to substitute some 9th
er means of deciding who is the better
man." than those which are furnished bv
gunpowder and lead and steel recol-
lect of hearing some years ago Of mode
Of settling dispute on shipboard, where
both the Comba'ants were = men of hon
or )" and the duel was fought with unmil-
itary weapons-wlthout actual danger TO
life, and yet was conducted in a manner
which satisfactorily established the inlre-
pdily and vindclivenesS of both the com
batants. and was attended with result
which would satisfy the most tenacious
and cholerc man of honor Such being
the effect of the experiment, would most
resDect(ullv urve il upOu the attention of