The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-05-31

You levelled me to the gronnd.' coniin-
ued the Colonel. Behold the mark Of your
blow'
He paused-the silence deepened. The
COlonel's voice and look were calm, but
firm; Payne's face was flushed; his eye in
dignnnt.
And now, sir, | hnve word to say to
you,' continued the Colonel, still calm and
firm. And first let me ask you u question.
Is it manly-is il Christian, To attempt to
justify wrong by a murder? Or, 10 il
more generous, more just, 10 confess a
wrong with frnnkness, and solicit forgive
ness from the injured? Yesterday l appli-
cd an unjust and ungen.lemanly epi,het to
you--you promptly avenged yourself, are
you satisfied? Here's my hand; let US be
friends.
Long before the words had pissed from
tho Colonei's mouth--long before the spec
tators recovered from their stupefaction;
Payne Ind flung both hands toward his an.
tagonist. Tho tears were streaming from
his eyes.
The seconds rccoilcd, the audience had
no speech; they could only stand and look
Then the Colonel, with the mark on his
forehead. led Mr.. Payne toward the table
A dccanter stood there with two glnsses.
Gentlemen said The Colonel, filling n
glass and binding it 10 PAYNE, and then
raising one to his own lips, 4 give you the
health Of my good friend, Mr.. Paync.'
They emp,ied their glasses with one i'm
pulse.
And now, gentlemen allow me to hope
that when, in after time, You recall the va
rious personal comha,s which Won have
witnessed, you will remember with some.
thing like admiration the Duel of Mr..
Payne aud his enemy, George Washing
toni
Was there one man in TINT assemblnrc
who could have called young Washington
COWARD?
And il wns because hc had courage
enough to bear the name IF Corn,d.' that
he became tho man of counsel and of bat
tie, the Delivcrer of a country, the Presi.
dent Of free people; his name the watch.
wosu ~ 81
For moment Lei us glance on far dii-
tcrcnt scene, which took place after The
revolution.
There is the blush Of dawn upon the
Hudson. In a glade, shaded By rocks over
grown with vines, aud cnnopied hy n
glimpse Of blue sky, two men stand ready
for the Duel.
In 0tl.er words, they came here, in
the silence Of the morning time, to do
Murder, in accordance with the rules Of
Honor.
Both OF the same agc; the very prime Of
mature manhood; renowned nike in the
history Of their country; they stand apart,
while the seconds load the pistols and
measure the ground.
One attracts Your attention with his
great forehead indented bet wcen the brows
and swelling with the sublime proportions
Of grca, soul.
That is Alexander Hamilton.
The other wins your gaze, not only BY
his forehead, but by the Understandable, al
most supernatural fascination Of his eyes.
That is Aaron Burr.
They have been together in the Revon-
ton, in the ten, Of Washington; amid the
perils Of battle among the win,ry hills Of
Valley Forge.
Both grea. intellccts, renowned alike for
eloquence aud courage; they have come
hero, TO steal side-long glances at each 9th.
or for little while--and then stand back
10 back, aud, nj a word, wheel md murder
Burr challenges Hamilton, but HnmiI-
ton, unlike Washington, has not the .cour-
age to bear the name Of Couard' Ham.
ilton, convinced, as any man in his senses
must be, that the law Of Duel is simply n
aw Of Murder, accepts the challenge, aud
llings his lie away like Abncr of old.
Gaze upon the cold form Of Alex. IIamil-
ton--bchold Aaron Burr, shrink shuddcring
" awny from the corpse; and thea con,ras,
the conduct Of Hamilton and Burr, the one
accepting the challenge rendered by the
o,her-wilh the sublime courage of Wash
ington--'a courage which was not afraid OF
the name Of Coward
A OSE WHEELED CARRIAGE: THE Hon.
sEs INsIDE.-A new md very novel inven-
ton called one wheeled coach, has recent.
" been tried out west, and promises 10 be
Of much value, especially on praisies, or
wherever the ground is tolerably level
The vehicle consists ola largo hollow wood.
en- wheel fourteen feet in diameter, and sir
feet vide. The horses IRE placed inside,
and propel i along in the same manner
that : Gagged squirrel makes its wheel re-
volve. Stats are nailed on the inside floor