The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-05-22
From Noahs Sunday Times
James Bowie, the Napoleon Of DueIists

-Four years ago, when Theodore Parker, the emf
nent ophtanthropie preacher of Boston, visited
Europe, having a letter Of introduction for that
purpose, he called on Thomas Carlyle The Eng,
ish solitaire piled the American with innumerable
questions relating to our customs and habits Of So
cial existence this side Of the great water but
manifested the keenest curiosity concerning the
people of the hack-woods. Parker drew for the
others amusement vivid sketch of the achieve
ments OF Bowie, the famous arch-duelist Of Texas.
Carlyle listened with sparkling eyes till the close
of the narrative and then burst into excamations of
involuntary enthusiasm:
By Hercules the man was greater than Ca
sar or Cromwell--nay nearly equal 10 Odin ol
Thor. The Texans ought to build him an altar >
The burning sympathizer with the heroic in all
its phases, rubbed his hands together, chuckng in
an ecstasy OF savage glee, and made Parker repeat
his story of bloody anecdotes. Finally he put the
question
"But by what miracle could it happen that the
brave fellow escaped the capital penalty of the law
after such countless violations ?''
To this interrogatory Parker, he himself con-
fessed, could return no satisfactory answer and as
ten thousand readers have perhaps pondered the
same problem without receiving rational solution,
it may be not unnterestiDg to explain it briefly,
especially clear eucidalion can be detailed in
few words
Let it be remembered then, that although the
great system of common law, that "perfection oil
throughout all the States OF the West wholly as to
its definition of crimes and partiallyas to the mode
and measure OF punishment annexed to each, never
theless in its practical application to given cases
is controlled by the power of far mightier law
the omnipotent law of public opinion because in
most Western courts juries absolute Judges oi
both the law and the fact and their interpretations
often evince direct antagonsm with the dict0 Of my
Lord Coke and the classic comments Of Blackstone
On the subject Of homicide in particular, public
opinion has passed the bounds Of all books Of juris
prudence, apd settled as immutable statute thi,
extraordinary axiom:
1t is ustfable to kill in fair combat every body
and any body who ought to be kinedI'
In B0wie's numerous rencontres he always kep
within the prescribed limits of this latitudinaral
rule, and hence he was always acquitted by frou
tier Jurles, and frequently with oddenda to thei
Verdlcts highly complimentary to his character as
chivalrous gentleman. In truth, most of his des
perate engagements grew out Of his innate and in
vincible disposition to espouse the cause of III,
weak against the mighty. One illustration by in
cdent will present this peculiarly in the stronges
| light, and may, besides, reveal thorough know
| ledge Of the heart and soul of the man.
| On the evening of the 4th of June, 1885, III,
steamboat Rob Roy" started from st. Louis 4
New Orleans with full crowd of passengers. I'm
| mediately after "getting under good head-way,'
/ 10 adopt fav0rite backwoOds phrase, one person
attracted universal attention by the annoying eager
ness with which he endeayored to make up party
at cards. Indeed, his oft-repeated and perseverins
efforts to that end soon became insulting and unen
| durable; and yet his appearance was such as Il
| deter the bravest on board from administering the
| chaslisement which he so richly deserved. Hi
was huge mass of mighty bone and muscles, with
| swarthy features, bearing the impress of many
scar piercing dark eyes, that seemed to posses
the power of blasting the beholder-eold- cleaning
| eyes. such as haunt the memory painfully ranI
luxuriance of coal-black hair, immense whisker
and mousfache.
This savagelooking figure was habited in the cost
liest clothing, and adorned with profusion of jaw
elry, while outlines Of several murderous weapons
plainly distinguishable beneath his gaudy yes
and superfine coat Nor did he need these to rem
der him an object of terror A connoisseur in III,
science of belligerent gymnastics would have con
fdently pronounced him match for any five mel
on the deck without any aid from lead or cold steel
At length, after many failures, he prevailed on
wealthy young merchant of Natchez 10 Join hin
in game of poker. They sat down beside sma
table near the lar, and were soon absorbed in Iha
most perious of all excitements, of which the tw
alluring ingredients the vanity and pride of in
dvidual skill, and the uncertainty of general haz
ard. At first the stakes were small, and the run
the cards seemed wholly in favor Of the merchant
but presently they bet more freely, and gold eagle
and hundred dollar notes were showered down O
the board with extravagant ardOr, and then III
current of fortune ehanged-ebbed away from III
young merchant and flowed TO the professional gan
Dier lu stFeetn IKE tne ocean noe. AS usual
happens in such cases, his want Of success onl
| piqued and maddened The loser, and he sought
recover himself by such desperate ventures as coa
| not but deepen and confirm his ruin. And thl
| they continued curing that long summer nigh
The intensity Of THAR excitement became equiv
lent TO insanity. Every nerve, was strung-eve
energy of the brain was taxed to the ulmosl-the
teeth were set hard as those of antagonists in d
| tug OF mortal striie-the sweat rolled from the
hrows like great drops OF rain.
Tbs passengers formsd siFsis around the pln