New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-05


,he Eie,,ions-Pardon of Daase-Di,i '''',.,
az tho s--siayery-iieaith--n oI'"h*
.mo,o the e-Extraordinas' n"'"
1ctiens-PrictS OF PROVISIONS
srni,s- Waaes- " eSdiags Nevada snow
Aous of Temperance
e,,us,penas nee Of The y T. Ifv''' -.
s.. FRAsc. .co MONDAY, Sept - ie0i'
The dueliss epidemic has succee1e1 tne
hanging. our city has produced 10 less man
fan, Of those affairs OF d,shonoF sincc my last
writing. Two OF them grew out oi me uoefty
Of the press" and the editors we're me chai-
lepgers. The Aua newspaper denounced 1Ov
ucDoueal for his unustfabie pardon OF the
seoundrel Duane The Governors brother TOOK
mo the quarrel, and received challenge ron
KImhalI, the editor. They were 10 fire at i've
pacee Before the critical moment l&e panles
were arrested-umgI say they tad HemSttess
arrested so, they incurred the crime Oi uueI'
and the dishonor of violating the law without
riskIng their valuable hives. Altef ms II was
easy TO make up the quarrel, ana to become
JJriends ,,ao ..
abatement imputing TO Capt Folsom an improper
attempt TO secure the election OF Judge, loI
the purpose If obtaining the title 10 certain
lands Folsom was agent OF the Lledsuolh es-
tate. and is now the claimant OF that immense
property He is suspected, IN connection WIN
others, of getting up or sustaining me 'lgilaDce
Committee, for some Interior purpose III reiatioh
70 land titles He published the author OF the
article in the P,cayune as scoundrel ana mar,
and received challenge from Russell one Oh
the editors They met, exchanged harmless
shots. and snuffed the sulphurous smoke, wnen
all at once Folsom became an hohesl iiidn' anu
Russell ceased TO be scoundrel and llaf.
A certain Capt. Schatfer, OF the l ;. Army
Oh NNotharpb rfpmDpT of the
late Legislature, were the heroes OF the thlrd
combat They shot at each other ani then
shook hands Beautiful code You believe
man 10 be puppy, liar, and a sc0undrel-you
try to kill hun, but mss your alIn-at tne IN
etant, however, he Is transformed into gentle
man. and the villain whom you have Just al,
tempted to murder, and who has just attempted
10 murder you, becomes your tueHdl
The fourth was the old case OF rrahalh ana
Lemon, who had fight on the Plaza month
since This quarrel originated IN the bed
chamber and Helen was at the bottom OF IL
Lemon refused to fight duel, Iii the nIst place,
and was attacked by his antagonist on the Plaza
In the fight that ensued, Graham received BAH
in the neck and one or two sf the DISCLAIMERS
were hurt, but Lemon escaped. Grahams
wound was considered mortal, but he recovered,
and renewed the quarrel, his challenge beng
now accepted. On Saturday evening they lett
the city, aud at the time of my writing, no one
can tell what has become OF them. But there
u no doubt OF the desperately murderous intent
Of both parties
How far these events indicate an Improvement
In the condition Of society, you must Judge for
yourself Whether they have any connection
with the lawless and murderous course OF our
self- appointed Vigilance Committee, there viii
be some difference OF opinion. When the law
In despised and dishonored by community, we
cannot expect individuals to treat 1t with m
creased respect. Certain II is that most OF the
parties in the duels aforesaid were among the
active members and abe.tors OF the vigilance
Committee.
Some OF our citizens. and not a few either,
have opposed the usurpaiions OF that COMMITTEE,
and their violent proceedings, not because they
murdered honest men--not because there was
no exigency requiring remedy-blt because
we thought the Oh ect might have been accom-
plshed by lawful means, and because we saw
in the means employed, permanent evils OF a
moral nature more serious than the evils 10 be
remedied. We have been cursed with thieves
and burglars, i, is true, and II IS equally true
that this curse is partially removed, or suS-
pended. But what has the removal cost Can
the worst passions OF community be aroused
and kept excited without injury TO the moral
constitution Can repeated hanglngs be &C.
complished murderously, without SHADOW OF
law, in barbarous haste, with fiery revenge and
bois,erous exultation, without telling fearillly
on the morals Of society Verify, human lie
las been deprecated II IS much cheaper now
than before. The laws and constitution OF the
land are much less respected. The disposition
20 "take the law In ones own hands as II Is
called, and 10 redress injuries by personal vlo-
ience, is vastly augmented. The lea idl'o.ls-
the law OF revenge and Tetaliau0n--tho code
Of the savagc--is supreme. Will the eXtermi-
nation OF few "Sydney thieves y pay for all
this
regret exceedingly that so many OF the At
lantic papers have Endorsed the sanguiaary pro-
ceedings of our secret tribunal, and tanned the
fame OF laWleSsness aud violence. True then
appreciation is qualified by general condemna-
ton OF lynch law, but that is nothing. Catching
up the exaggerated stories of murder and incen-
aiarism, under cover OF which the eXtromest
measures have been Iesorted TO, many OF the At
lAnhc papers come to the conclusion that If all
these statements be true, there was some ground
for action They declare their decided hostility
to lynch law-"but' An, that III and that
"but," mob wants nothing further The
individual or the body Of men who contemplate
lawless act, want only that little Dat fos a
shield and justification. Every one OF the
thousand popular gatherings that have arrayed
themselves in mobs for the suppression OF hber-
" OF speech and free discussion, have derived
and and comfort from the Us and 6afS of editors
and public men, OF citizens OF standlng and repu-
ta,ion. The Shareholder is opposed to slavery
8@t. The topper is opposed TO lntemp
The duellst Is opposed to duelins-bGf Ga,
upon such cant Let us have an honest, an
open, decided testimony for the one side or the
other.
The pardon OF Duane, already referred to,
Was certainly gross outrage. tie had been
convicted OF an assault with intent TO Kill, and
sentenced TO only one years imprisonment. HIS
enlargement Is the strongest fact IN existence
10 which the Vigilance Committee can cling 10
sustain their proceedings. Everybody reloices
at the prospect OF McpougalS retirement from
the gubexnatorial chair lie reached 1t by acci.
den,-through the resignation of Burnett Some
curiosity exists IN regard to the reasons Tor the
pardon No one believes ham TO be beyond the
reach of a bribe. In addition 10 this, he was
probably driven to desperate reeklessness 10y the
abuse heaped on hun for every thing he DID,
xhe,hav s.nd or had