The Nevada journal., 1853-06-17
Duelling.

The baneful practice OF duelling seems
to be reyiving in this state with extraordi-
nary rapidity. The press abeunds in re-
ports Of bleodless and bloody meetings on
"the field of honor and some of the fra
ternity, we are sorry to say, aim to give
eclat to that which is branded by our con-
stitution as crime, and which is certain
ly such in the light Of reason and moral
ity. The utmost ingenuity of the de-
tenders of duelll:ng has not availed to
give it more than false glitter, has
failed to Secure it the assent of cool
reason, or the excuse of right. Fer in
definite phrases, such as honor" 81 sat-
isfaetion," &C., men engage in scenes of
gross brutality, and thereby blot that ma
tive honor whereby man is dignifed,and
place themselves in position to forgo
all satisfaction for injuries inflicted upon
them. We conceive duelling to be,
whenever not farce, o most brutal
practice. What is that but british
feeling that leads two men to proceed
by appointment to any spot and there
level weapons with the purpose to wound
and slay each other? If one falls the
honor of the other is not satisfied but
his brutality, for he can then gloat over
his fallen companions agonies, drink in
his death sigh, witness his stifening
limbs and glazing eyes, and at the part
ing breath laugh aloud at the deed ac
complished. If he will do none of these
he is no less the life-taker, the slayer of
his perhaps recent friend. If he desired
not to feast his eyes on misery and death
why is he there on that baleful errand,
through which fellow mortal bites the
dust, q CHASTITY spectacle Brutality is
indeed satiated, and the surviving
wretch may stink from the field more
pitiable being in his sickeuing self dis
gust than the grim object he leaves be-
hind him, but how is honor healed? 1t
is hard to tell. But if he whose honor is
aggrieved is the one who lies writhing,
or silent, on the sod, what empty mock
cry it is to say his honor is satisfied! If
it is honorable to consent to be shot Down
like dog, or to slay fellow being in
cool blood, then may the dying and the
slayer both glory in the happy acces-
sion of honor they have received. We
hold neither to be honorable; nay both
to be such stains on mans honor that
nothing may wipe it out. We hold du-
elling as an iniquity and shame, and
no man, however high his position, should
be allowed to go unscathed of public
opinion who gives his example in aid of
the demoralizing practice.
A curse of California is that her lead
ing public men are the most regardless
of her laws. One man kills another in
q duel and the governor shortly appoints
him to high Office, though by the con-
stitution which he has sworn to support
the duellist is disfranchised. Another
public man, who sat in the constitution
al convention, and now represents the
state in the Senate, violates the consti-
tuition by fighting with member of the
House, both violating constitution tow
ards which they have peculiar obliga-
tions. DeCourccy, Gilbert and Nugent
are examples in the press of men who
disregard the public obligations of their
position by violating the constitution and
laws.
While duelling has such exemplars
where is the hope of reform? From
these, weaker heads catch the mania of
duelling, till many lives are sacrificed.
1t is almost impossible to organize public
opinion against any wrong, when the
most influential minds of the communi-
are committed to that wrong Never
theless the effort must be made to pre-
vent that relapse into barbarism towhieh.
the state seems tending. Cannot those
of the press who oppose these brutal
sacrifices on the altar of o misnomer,
speak oUt and try to check in their own
limits too formidable evil?
AN IMMENSELY RICH LUMP. saw
at the clearinghouse of n. Davis on Fri