Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-11-30
MIS- CT ia N Il.
The Progress OF Pledgc-TakinS-.Ant
DueIlfng society.
fFrom the Cork Examiner.1

on the subject Of duelling. The chair.'
man, John Lee, Esq. LII. d. stated, that
"a society was aboutlo be established, with
a view 10 procure the discontinuance OF
the abominable practice of duelling thro'-
out the world. The following extract
from speech. delivered by Mr.. John
Dunlop, the well known advocate Of the
temperance cause. contains an exposition
Of the principles on which The new socle-
ty is based THE modern duel It is
now universally admitted, arose out OF the
Judicial combat or wager Of battle ct form:
er ages, some time about the year 1920,
about which time.ihe Judicial combat was
legally suppressed, oratsl least ge'serally
discontinued. lLroug bout Europe. In thol
strange military. religious, and legal pro.
cess, an appeal TO heaven was made. aud
i. was snperstiliously supposed that God
would defend The rlghl OF that champion.
who did not lie, or whose legal plea was
just In the process OF enlightenment,
the superstitious sentiment ceased; bu.
still the framework of the institution aud
practice remained among The nobility and
gentry, as monslrous aud preposiefous
method Of adjusting disputes. after the
superstilious dogma that had formerly
made it apparautiy reasonable, had de-
parted: Il may be commended, that duel
ling promotes national courtesy and pre-
vents men giving the liz. or censurIng
the motives OF another for fear Of being
called out; yet daelIing is not an element
fitted to engender and promote general
courtesy and complalsance. or sys'en
calculated to in.tructed and rear tie ma
ton into sentiments aud habirs Of civIlny
and kindness. Ii can not be- said 10 put
all men on an eqIal footing, and make
toisterous ruffidn answer for rudeness
with his blood, because it raises up TO an
undue height, and given an undue advant.
age 20 the wretch who is an adept In the
mysteries of pistol slloon practice. and
invests him wnh unlawful power over the
innocent and the high-minded. Il is EVIL,
dent that duelling cans not stand the test
of abstract reasoning, aud that no argu.
meuts founded on experience or common
sense can be brought forward in defence
OF the practice |, then becomes Us to
enquire into the means Of putting an end
TO the disgraceful and inhuman custom.
When il is known that the duelcl IN
this country amounts to but 10000, il
seems no difficult task to undertake lis
abolition. Po enact new laws on the sub.
iect would be useless. Our present laws
are sufficiently bloody aud severe on the
subject; but government has no power 10
put them in force, when the opinion of the
upper ranks and juries are against it,
Not only the laws of England, but also
all The States Of Europe, and Anglo
America, have statutes at variance With
the subject; but. all are without effect,
because the code of dueline and the laws
of punclilio, if they exist in any circle,
must be in their nature supreme. and par
amount even 10 the laws Of the land. This
has beenthe experience OF more than 800
years. So that legal enac,ments never
have, nor can be efectual, without a
change Of view and practice iD the duel
exposed class itself, against doelllng.-
/ The effects of assocrationrtofth the suppress
! ion Of lntemperaace and drinking customs,
and some other improprieties, have been
all but miraculous; AMI why should no, a
similar pledge effect similar change IN
the uppe. ranks with respect TO duelll' /?
La the workshops, and among many cir
Giles, II has oeen found that various con
ventional occasions Of drinking and treat
/ ing have been established, forming a very
lyrannical code. These drink fines, t 5ot
ines, and usages, are. in -generai, debts o
n L. I,,l has
customs are liable to. a variety ofmaltreat
meot. AID are put quite as much out OF ths
pale Of amity and social intercourse as I
gentleman would be who should ref'iss' I
: challenge. And the /" Association of Ne
: CATION" the pledge TO abstain, eslabllshpt
I among efew, has been found perfect
lily effectual in abolishing among TIT
: many. in vast number ofceases, allthes
) pernicious drinking usages. The prac
. tIcabiity Of the proposed pledge to put
. STOP to duelling in this country. however
I, is not assumed, or founded merely on a
: analogous case. The plan now propose
J. has been tried 10 France, and succeede
q Iin entirely preventing, for 20 years, III
g practices of duelling inthat country. S
q that the anti-dnellis,s are no, propoundIn
IS visionary scheme. which NAV orsma
d not succeed. The authority for this a
d sertion may be- found IN the historic'
Vritings Of Voitairs, Creqai, Mas,
% Msreier, and oilers IN France. and
e Dr. Chartes Moore, and a raJSety Of a.
as thors ,cko haze aDrttten on the sa6ject
IS, tbtdaet IN our oDa country. The partl
ct aiars toeTe shortly these.--- About The ge
ID 1913, sohen Louis XIV. a0as IN infa
ID Zee ysafs. q san 4iaa5y duel ,oas fong
IS tetpeen he y akes of Memoirs and Be-
6. fri ard their seconds. sOAen FIRE peers
or francs mere Killed. a al lnss the ich
I'd 8geernpest q hal kts gdem, then a pa
81 'desPofisn sfsfed during ne moaare
10 misorit5. ION Mesa men. fhe nation
isl come seized Nth q ~ .'e. and simaita
~, M Ella, s.sfI n fiefe a., ~ .>f~s{Is,@,