The Arkansas banner., 1849-10-02
Tn. Philosophy of FigAtlng.
1Y ALFRED caowoUItL.


 Rouad the fna Fighting Is dOabtiess a very pleasant Pastime; for millions spend-and eHa- their days in the pursuit ofit
 For oar 0wa part. there is oaly oae phase tn which we can regard it with say degree of coinpa- eeney and satisfaction, and that Is when ws feel a coascienciousuess ef being oB the right sids-i C of possessing acknowledged superiority la poin, of weight aud metal. and consequently 'dead certainty" of " thrashing our adversary.
 Ia any other case it appears the height of brain- less folly seek the bubble reputation in the can. non's moaLh. a s
 Ambition induces some men to "list''-to the persuasive eoqnencv of recruiting sergeant while poverty alone comPets others and the latter is the most ressonnble excuse of thestwo: for lhs man who has not shot in the locker" ls pretty sure of getting one in his chest. s# - @
 la war, the despairing lover my court danger" with better success than he courted his mistress th. may be " settled "and the trusai scholar who regrets neglected opportunities, will find the field of battle the best finishisg'' school In the world. .ss.. . sszf.r st
 The army Is certsiuy school of reform; it's moral discipline is miraculous; for the most dis honest knaves, rognes. thieves and vsgabond, speedily become sPngh men! although, in truths they are sometimes known to--Heala march.
 Round ue Second We have certainly no heroes among the mOderns whose exploits can be compared with those of the aucients--my shoiogical or histo rlca
 We have no authenticated account of any baby Hercules strangling serpents in a eradte, albeit have witnessed many displays of courage in tJi66
 The juveniles ol the present day, influenced no doubt by the superior feelings of charity instead of summarily punshing their serpeats, like Master Hercules, invariabiy--ist hem of!
 Roead the Ihtrd.--For fighting-thatis is, from the ebuililoa of that combined spirit of puEnacty and ire-the Irish are probably uueq uaed in the world; truly 1t appears < nlate dhri0k. washing. and odg- iag' Co the boys and breaks forth sponta neously even in their " wakes," fairs and erry-makings A shielagh, indeed born in the fist of every mothers son of them, so " ganty" do they han die the "sprig, with much eject and little respect to the cause!
 or the antiquity of the " tool' we confess our selves ignorant; but we have heard " broth of 8 boy'' (who has really fell the subject of his dis conrse) speak most cunangiy of it's descent. aud declare, that if the shielagh not born with Paddy it Is undoubtedly his inhertance,--it comes pal to his fist,
 The ancient Britons were no doubt formidable fighters and must have appeared in the eye of their oppoa aenis as 20 many terrible spectres, for they always DYED before they went Into battle, and ot course every tribe appeared under his own colours This not the only pecuIiarity of these brave warriors; for Julius CPsar we'll native writers, make frequent and respectful mention of them as clUb-men.
 Round he Fourth The Romans were famous fighters. The first families of their renowned city, like our Norman ancestors, were band of brigands and cut throals, who in the language of Sam Slick, were "too clever by haif'' to live In their owa country, and emgrating from necessity, pitched their colony in this favored spot, where, by degrees gathering around many spirits Of the same mould, they constituted, in course of time, nation that asionished the whole world by their exploits and wholesale appropriation, which from the magni tnde of their operations historians have been pleased 10 term glorious conquests.
 When they had subJugsted all tho nations arpun nd, they gave vent to their ferocious spirit in the public games. which were exhibited in the Circus or Am- phitheatre, iu which the choicest place was the orehesira where the senate, tribunes of the people and the vesta virgins were stationed. Before il was a platform (POdtam,| where the Emperor throne usnaIly crested
 | In process of time these amusemeuts, which al
 first consisted only of gynnasiic contests aud horse and charos races, were improved upon by the in- troduction of gIadators, and the Nanmachia, oi mimic naval engagements; and truly they were sports and passtimes worthy of the barbarous age in which they were enacted But they all !" honorable men," and must, indeed. have beeI | most honorable if they adhered to their promi- ses as strictly as they did these engagement" We have a particular description of the mauneI | in which they clothed their public eombatants, bal
 
 commentators how they fed them.
 The only word familiar" we can find Is "bdtier; ;' ! bu, we doubt whether they got this internally oi 1 externay-we firmly believe the latter. Round The Fyih.-Some men are only pugnaciou' in their cups, being what is appropriately teriheC pot .raiiiqni, and are generally found in public houses logically and literally progressing Iron 1 'ftaps" to- btocs."
 1 The evil spirit" which possesses them is, how | iah fha ha fha sfF 1 soon lays them--hy the heels.
 There are such things, too. i've are credibly iB 1 formed) domestic broiis; but these are very select and exclusive, and we would not for th' world intrude upon the privacy of a psrior; nay we should as readily thrust ourselves into the pri vate box of theatre into the theat of private -bor, No; rather let every Judy have her PaRet! 1 As for gentlemen of the Fives's Court they ar, too formidable for us. besides they professions "a tine set foo are they and we have heard som' | ot them in our youth describe their fstic exploit l with wonder and delight; but we do not quite he !,eye all they asserted. ios by their own showib, they were notorious f6bers." It is sad that pugi | IisIn has iatte.y deehued, the patrons having me | with so many losses and " crosses" | The lower grades of the sex feminine sometime exhibit in Bihngsgate, and other low localities and like the iobsiers they veDd, generally rush io thu deadly encounter with their "eiaws''-slthough th majority content themselves with another kind 0 elawihg terrible, but les. daDgerous--esile' eapper-claWing.
 | Round the Sirth--" What is honor' Who hail it? He that died O Wendesday."
 One of the most ridiculous remnants of barba rous age is the trial by eoInbat-the modern duel.
 What is very remarkable Is that these '' hostil meetings" and "aliairs of honor' nineteen time out of twenty terminate without The slightest wound a result which We chartaply suppose ,o arise frou the conscientious seconds emitting to put in tn l bullets
 We hope no man Of nice honor ~ill demand sa,is faction for thls assertion. for surely the charge can not be deemed serious where there IS nothing bu 1 powder
 Round tAe Seveath.--The days Of ehivary ar gone anu the kaigAis too have gone with the day. 1 and very fortunate "go' it Is for the peace al quiet of the present geneFaiisn.
 There are some JomaniIe enough to believe ths the lnoderns" have dwiDdled and degenera,ed that we are ss dwaTis in comparison with thos " thumpihz" boys of other days, aad that in th battle field we have become mere chidreh---sm arms | This IS false conclusion. The knights ef ol sere certainly roasd and not subsequently mangtsd