The Sierra citizen., 1854-03-18
SATURDAY, MARCH Is, 1854.
The Code Of Honor.

he Euu!ocT Oi uTC-edteTS III NdiliOTlila
is truly astonishing; almost every week
we could record, if we thought worth
while, an affiir Of honor, but duelling has
become So common that it is looked upon
in the light OF an ordinary fisticuif. There
is one thing. however, which mitigates the
atroeity of the practice-usually these
alfiirs terminate without much bloodshcd,
with no other loss to the community than
the consumption Of quantities of gun-pow-
der that might have been used in the ex-
termination of crows and no1ous animals.
Dazzling has become the raga-a sort
Of indispensable accomplishment necessary
for every public man who wonld avoid
having his nose pulel by the fast young
men Who figure as supernuneraries about
tae public oG.es OF State. There is 10
country where 80 many bad marksmen may
be found. The chances for surviving one
osthes, encounters is very good, as sight
out of ten duels result in no particular
harm to anybody; hence the reputation of
fre-eater can be obtained at little cost.
Messrs. Brown and Sm.thers meet at
bar or dance house. get half seas over, the
honor Of one or both is supposed to be
damaged and the matter must be settled
b. the code Of honor. They accordingly
repair to some sequestered spot take
their places, shut their eyes and pull trig-
ger, all the time quaking for fear that the
thoughtless seconds have neglected to ex-
tract the balls from the pistols. A sharp
report is heard, the smoke clears away,
Messrs. Brown and Smithers shake hands
and retire from the field with reputation
for 6re-eatng which will bring them into
notice in the drinking dens and back
alleys of the city. as the gentlemen who
fit the jewell"
1t tmltters not whether the duel is fought
By coal-heavers or members of Congress.
the eclat and notoriety are the same-long
accounts Of" a hostile meeting appear in
the newspapers, and Messrs. Brown and
Smithers are lionized. The papers con-
tanning accounts of the bloody alfray are
collected. carefully enveloped and sent
home, so that when they make a visit to
the old homestead, their coming may be
looked for with as much maternal pride as
that OF the Gracch Or the young crusader
returning from the wars.
= If duelling were attended with certainty
or even probability of death-such dead
ly code of honor as existed a few years ago
in the Southwestern States-such occur
rences would but seldom appear in the
public prints. But this is the shortest and
easiest way to become notorious, by such
as have not the courage or tne talents to
distinguish themselves in legitimate war
fare.
But as long as duelling is tacitly sane
toned by the officers of Government, so
long will it be practiced by the smaller
fry-as long as the homicide is permitted
to walk armin arm to the capitol with the
man whose hands are unstained by blood
80 long will legislation on the subject be a
miserable farce, calculated only to bring
the State governm ant into contempt. In-
stead of complaining of the law, which il
executed would take away the liberty OF
the man who provoked his fellow to quar-
rel and then deprived him of hfe let ths
duellists be dabarred the Offices which
they hold by sud.rance. and be mad,
amenable to the laws of the country. The
administration Of the laws in this partcu
lar Is iniquitous in the extreme. If twC
lahorers in the street or on the publ,
works are found arbitrating a point o
honor with the shiilelah, they are seized BY
the officers, dragged before the authoritie.
and sent up for three or six months as th,
case may be. Hal they been allowed t,
settle the dispute unmolested, they woul,
have returned to work with no serious in
jury either to themselves or the communj
nifty, and in week afterwards might hav
been seen dividing loaf of bread an
forming league ofaasive and defaasiv
for the preservation of the we'll earne
character of "sprlg Of shilelah.' Blu
they have broken Tie peace, the majcst
OF the law INST be vinaicated. and til
poor f''ows axe seas to is.l. Let other