Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-09-11
DUELLING ANECDOTES.

4 In most cases of duels growing out of ID
ferences in society, it is the man most in Il
wrong who seeks redress. He feels himss
in the wrong, and therefore in manner di
graced he wants something to take off Il
sense of the public censnre, and he. remen
bers tina, by the code of honor duel absolye
parties of all that went before it,. We remem
Der an instance which occurred in a packs
ship, where man, either drunk or in som
violent excitement, made an assault on ,abl
at which several persons-some Of them la
dies-were sitting. The nearest man repell
ed him by force, and was afterward called up.
on at Havre. to fight him for, his satisfaction
lie replied, Sir, you brought disgrace upon
yourself, and shall lend you no aid to wipe
1t off, The answer was most logical, and in
| accordance with sense, and our customs and
opinions but by the code Of honor he must
have fought. And he should have fought
forthwith, Without waiting to learn what, in
this case, he would have learned, that his adj
versary was fclon and fugitive from Justice,
and was not person Of sufficient rank to be
considered in such circumstances, even TECH
nically, gentleman. "a
Lord Brudenell, son of the Earl of Cardigan,
ran away with a married lady, who was az
forwards divorced, and he married her, But
his lordship after the first escapatIe, was some
what surprised that he did not receive chal-
lenge from the injured husband, and, was SO
anxious TO make repara:ion that at last he
wrote TO offer it. His note was worGed as fol-
lows: 'Sir-Iiaving done you the greatest in
jury that one can do another, J. think i, incum-
bent on me to offer you the satisfaction which
one gentleman owes TO another in such cir
cumstances.' The reply was this My
Lord-ln taking off my hands o woman who
has proved herself wretch, you have done
me the greatestiavor one man can do another!
! think II incumbent upon me 10 offer you the
which one gentleman owes
to another in such circumstances This
man took coid-blooded view of the case, but
he was right; revenge, in such a case, was
no PREPARATION and the unworthiness of the
cause must completely neutralise its relish.
The real cause Of the most violent duarrels
is very often beyond The. reach of evidence or
explanation, and this it is which accounts for
permanent aud mortal differences breakup ont
on trivial pre.exi, which seems like moth
ing F; but is backed by old hatreds, and nnde-
Unable sights, rivalrics, and horded animosi-
ties. The once notorious Baron Won Hof.
man challenged man for not inviting him 10
dinner, cause not likely to be ayowed, but
certainly it was the real one. The Baron
had lost his trunk in the river, with all his
letters OF introduction, and consequently, till
more came, his standing was not we'll ascer-
tanned. some persons received him, Others
denounced him; but this latter class The Ba-
ron, ii he could get at them, was always ready
to fight. He knew very well that the ratio
ultima regum, the logic of kings, was also the
best logic for lmposiors; and if any thought
his credentials were short weight, he was rea-
dy to throw his pistol in the scale.
In the case in question, Mr.. j RI
whom The Baron met in a certain set where
he had access, was famous for his good din
ners, from which the Baron was always left
out. Weary of this, he called one day on
Mr.. r. and spread his credentials, such as they
were, before him, by way of removing suspi-
cions which he said he had heard r. had
expressed, and against which be made labor.
ed argument. He left his papers and desired
they might be returned with a note expressive
of the impression they had produced on
his mind, but R returned them in blank
envelope. The Baron thereupon sent d chal-
lenge, which was left at the door as if it had
been all invitation to dinner Mrs. r.
opened it, and Immediately replied to il as
follows, -'Sir: Your note is received nv
husband will not have any thing to do with
you under any circumstances; but whenever
you produce official proof that you have been
aid, de-camp to Prince Butcher, as you say, /
will fighta duel with you myself. MARY r.
One story suggests another, and to stories
about dues there is no end. We will make
an end of telling them, however, with one
from Boston, where, we are told, there is 8
correspondence going on still, which began
ten years ago with challenge. MI. Al
bachelor, challenged Mr.. B. married man
with one child, who replied that the condi7
uons were not equal, that he must necesssri-
ly put more at risk with his life thar The
other; and he declined. year afterwards
he received another challenge from Mr.. A.
who slated tina, he too had now wife and q
child, and he supposed therefore the obec-
ton of MIR. B. was no longer valid. Mr. B,
replied that he now had two children, conse7
quenlly Tie inequality still subsisted. The
next year Mr.. A. renewed his challenge, hav-
ing now two children also, but his adversary
had three The matter, when last heard from,
was still going on, the numbers being six 10
seven, and the challenge yearly renewed.
Ben HARpIN.-We have already published