Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-07-11
FATAL DUEL.

III Is our melancholy Office to record the ISSUE q
fatal duel which took place yesterday, at 10 o.
between two well known citizens Of Louisville
MIR. John 4. Grey and Capt. Henry G. Pope
On the Monday night previous difficulty occurred
between the parties which it is needless to describe
Capt. Pope subsequently sent Mr.. Grey challenge
which was accepted. The challenged party Sc
!ected sho'-guns as the weapons loaded with single
balls, distance twenty paces the guns to be held
with the barrels resting in the hollow of the e arm
and to fire at the usual words. The guns were
fired nearly simultaneously and Capt Pope fell,
the ball passing through the upper part of his thigh
breakiag the bone, and entering the other thigh
bed was procured and placed in small boat, and
the wounded gentleman was laid on the bed and
brought down the river, but before the boat reached
Louisville he expired.
Others will pronounce the eulogy OF the deceas-
ed. He was gentleman of the most respectable
connexions, of handsome talents, and he possessed
kind and generous nature. He and his antago-
MIST had been until the night Of the quarrel bosom
friends.
1t is fitting occasion for the uttcrance of some
reflections upon the practice of duelling, and we
must not allow II to pass without some remarks on
me relations which public opinion bears TO that prac-
uce. 1t is almost universally condemned in this
city and In this State sinful i'm the extreme, as
utterly without excuse or paliation. There are
probably not in the whole city of Louisville over ono
hundred persons who do not condemn duellinp un-
der all circumstances and of that hundred there are
very few who would not gladly participate in set
Ting any difficulty the usual terms upon which
difficulties are settled that likely to terminate
IN duels. But whenever a settlement of a threat
ened duel takes place there thousand to laugh
at and rdicule the whole affair." and it often hap
pens that cowardice is imputed to one or both of the
parties for simply acting like of sense and feel
ing like Christians and men of high moral courage.
Public opinion in favor of the practice Of duelino
does not force men into duels for there is no Such
public opinion But nothing can be better calcula-
ted to encourage dueling than the thonghtless and
unmanly practice of ridiculing all avoided difficult
ties, if nothing but blood can satisfy the reausi-
tons of public sentiment, whenever some small in
suit is given or seeming injury done by one person
to another 1t is scarcely possible for gentlemen al
ways TO avoid difficulties, but when difficulties &C.
cur between gentlemen it is always possible to ad-
just them, if the parties and their friends have moral
courage enough TO do right regardless of the idle
gossip OF the town. Even if the duel takes place
and blood is not shed, the affair is not solemn enough
to silence the and check the ridcule of the
thoughess. 1t is only when the life blood is shed,
and the victim is brought home leless to his sor-
rowing relations and friends, that the public can re-
aze that there is anything awful in duelling, and
fee! that when threatened duel is arrested dread
ful calamity is avered. Yesterday, gloom was cast
over the whole population Of Louisville as soon as
the news Of the tragedy was spread abroad but had
some one OF sufficient sense, manlness, and inf1u-
ence Interposed and prevented the fatal issue, tho
whole town would have rung with laughter Such
is the folly of the thoughess, and such the baleful
influence Of idle gossip and rdicule and thus do the
foolish incur the guilt oblood We earnestly hope
that this most deplorable tragedy will sink deep into
the minds OF the citizens of Louisville, and the
hearts OF our people may never again be panied by
such an event.-LouiSville Journal.