Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-10-14

Nen' Ildmlllon and Governor OF the State
oy the gentleman whom | had most I'M.
fortunately offended, by dife ring with
him at the public meeting, and informed
me at the same tins that Major Hamil :
Ton would make the necessary arrange.
ments Tor the meeting, &c. On reading
the note rose and made several pro
found bows TO the gentleman, finding
that this was a business Of very serious
importance. We took our seats near
each other, talked oil the weather, OF war,
palmetto forts, rice birds, cotton crops,
and saVeral agreeable subjects for | was
very happy TO make his acquaintance,
unit the Major, in The most polite man.
ner imaginable, reminded me Of the dol
lcate object Of his mission, and the ne
cesslIy Of a reply to The note he had
Just delivered Novice as was in such
matters, ! was still aware that etiquette
required a prompt reply, and | assured
him that he should receive an answer
at an early hour. forthwith called the
Ieaders Of our party together, 10 consult
and determine what was to be done 10
the premises. They were unanimous
" OF opinion that | must fight: there
was no avoiding the responsibility the
honor of the democratic party required
that ! should fight; it was the usage Of
the country, and no leader of a party of
such high and patriotic pretensions,
could evade an engagement in which the
dignity oil the party was so vitality con
cerned. As this was, therefore,, a bona
tide point Of honor, upon the result Of
which II was impossible 10 loresee what
might be the deslinIes Of our country
1t was resolved hat should give hin
a meeting, and a high lunctionary OF
great discretion was fixed upon as nv
second, and ! answered tho note in the
most polite manner imaginable acca pit =
ing the invitation, and leaving the pre-
l'ml naries 10 be settled by the plenlpo-
lenIiarles and high contractive parties
Early in the afternoon a carriage drove
10 the door, containing two particular
friends with a request TO take a ride
S%upposing 1t was intended 10 talk over
matters and arrange contingencies, the
weather being exceedingly pleasant, ]
sPrang into II, and away we went as
last as two spanking grays could carry
us. In the bottom Of the carriage a
case oil pistols lay very comfortably, and
my friends informed me that we were
going out OF town TO ere at a mark. sup
posing that | was rather out of practice,
which was The fact, never having, to nv
recollection, fred a pistol 10 The course
Of my life. We aIighted in the centre
Of a field and a card was pinnad to a.tree
and the pistol Iuaded. and placed 10 my
hands al the distance Of ten PAGES
Nothing dauted, | raised my pistol a
Iious y and firmly and hiI the card
"BraVo-caPllaI-try again." said my
friends: and | went on firing and hitting
the mark. with all imaginable GOODNESS
,terum Gique iterum.
you are first rate shot," said one.
Poor devil" said The other, "he viii
be XII ed, there is no escape for him
no standing such Shots"
pray" SAID | to my friends, "wha
kind Of a person is this who | am t
neet2"
"A very clever fellow, Of great prom
Use, a gentleman Of fortune and cha rae
ter, OF a large and ancient family, high
y esteemed and respected"
Sand am | to kill him." said | 10 nv
self: GOOD heavens! a man who neve
! wronged me. and to whom, OF course,
entertain no i'll will: out the honor q
my party was implicated, he must die.
could not reconcile myself to the mo
raIily or the philosophy of this ISSUE
but | was 10 the hands Of my party
and Of right honorable men as friend,
and it was my duty, | supposed, to sub
O NIT. The city was alive with the pre-
jected CueI-we were both the lions {
the day had not the honor to kno,
y my brother lion, who was to kill III
: next days. was quite sure that | had n
& i'll will towards him, and if the homo
n Of our respective parties had nj
i been a question at issue, | felt con6der
that we both could have adjusted III
4 difficulty over a bottle of south side NJ,
de'ra, in The most pacific name mag
nOble. The police, with a strict eve
their duty, took special care 10 inlorI
y all sporting characters that the affa
was to come off at the race course
four O'Clock, and all the gigs in tow
were engaged 10 witness the e~xhibuio
n The ladies' sighed, and thought il a p,r
a that two such nice young fellows shou
i run the risk Of killing each other: b.
9 finally they entered into the spirit {
al The contest, and both Of us stood a chanc
le of representing the dying Gladiator f
e. the amusement of the audience in II
le coliseum, Just oil the very nick of tin
g when the period for negotiation ha
l-l h.