The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-03-08


Mr.. barnes, member from Scott county,
in the Missouri Legislature, was guilty Of
conduct in his seat which called forth are
buke from the editor Of the st. Louis Intel
lipencer. He attacked the editor in speech,
in the course of which he said:
"If called upon to give satisfaction, the
editor meanly apologized by saying that he
was q small man-that he had family to
support. Such was the way he replied to
Col. Kennett, of Washington county"
The editor entirely disproved the charge,
having never received challenge nor any
thing similar from Col. Kenneth. He then
makes the following sensible remarks about
duelling. and right in sight Of the field OF
several bloody duels. His after remarks
about Mr.. barnes, we cannot refrain from
publishing, as one of the bitterest and most
crushing things we ever read, and well de-
served under the circumstances. We make
no apology for the room it occupies. as the
morale is good: f5f HoE
But we do not here mean to indulge in
bravado. A mans courage, like woman's
virtue, is never so much doubted as when it
is boas,ingly paraded before the public
We hope we have courage enough to serve
all ordinary calls in life-to protect our
person, character, family, friends and coun.
try. We have courage enough to defend the
right, and not be scared by name, from
our duty TO common sense and conscience,
although that name be the false, but appai-
| ling one of "Free Soier." And we have
the courage to denounce duelling, "giving
satisfaction" as it is called, as an irrational,
lawless, savage, and unchristian custom. To
90 out by appointment and aim death at the
heart OF a man, is murder in the eye Of God.
| II is an outrage on society, on the laws OF
the land, and violation of the eternal rules
of Justice and common sense. The history
of society will prove that no man was ever
as happy after duel as before-that no man
was ever as well thought of by good men af-
ter duel as before-that in no instance was
mans political hopes or prospects in life
ever promoted by duel, but invariably
bliehted, and often blasted forever. The du-
ell is false as an arbiter between right and
wrong. Its principle is to place virtue on
an equal footing with vice; and it has often
enabled the wrong-doer to increase his crime
mist. We do not approve duets, and we
would not fight one. Not from the craven
motives that barnes has attributed to us, but
from higher and better considerations OF
Christianity, good citizenship and right
reason.
But why should barnes seek more blood
shedding! Has he not enough human blood
on his hands! Some years ago, barnes, who
is stout and burly as an OK, fell ON A. J.
Davis, in this city, who was not his equal in
strength, and mashed his head with an iron
stick, and slew him. He was convicted OF
the slaughter, and washed the "dammed spot
from his hands with a ine-with money!
i Darnes was then Democrat in st. Louis
but he made quite as poor Democrat as be
has since made Wing. His victim was q
quiet and peaceful man, and barnes waylaid
and bludgeoned him whilst he was entreat.
ing to be spared.
We do not charge Mr.. barnes with muir.
der, in its black and awful sense. God only
knows the motives with which he struck and
slew his victim. We hope il is not murder,
land that barnes does not now daily suffer
y the pangs and horrors of remorse that would
move his wost enemy tc pity.
But vet it a sad and terrible thing to have
killed man. Mark the slayers of fellow.
: man, and you will see how vengeance pursues
them, and how blood series out from the
lground" against them. They seem to them.
selves to be surrounded by witnesses ana
avengers, SO that the sound oftheir own foot
fall startles them, as if they had pressed ou
. fresh groan from their victim dying under
J., their feet; and the crackle of every broker
twig and the rustling of every leaf spring:
, the horrid thought that the dead, raised BY
heaven or hell to sudden life, has sprung Il
: grasp their throat and hale them in quakin!
0 and pale horror to the prison house and t
g torment. haf
Il There is something within, presence,
= pursuer, an avenger that never sleeps, but il
. dread silence, points to blood on their hands
r blood on their feet, blood on their beds, bloo
d on their foot-tracks, blood on their clothes
Z blood everywhere, crushed out by violenc
from gasping human forms, and spiriting a
: them in Jets, keeping endless time to thu
d blows of the club that bad battered out tn
4, brain and turned into misshapen and blood
q mass the mans countenance upon which Go
? had set seal his and given to life and joy.
There may be something more than tn
lgoadings of conscience in all this. Tn
wretched man killer, who hears his murdere
victim stepping highly up behind him when
t, ever he walks in the dark-who dares no
,. lock over his shoulder lest he meet the glar
!, ING eye ofthe man he killed trans6xing hi
: own shrinking gaze and freezing his heart
2 blood-whose ear is startled in every breez
It by the low sobs that 60 by, or pierced in ev
/. cry gale by the wild shrieks that ride past
may be haunted only by the throats of hi
, own horrid deed, or he may be, really an
u truly, subjected to the companionship of mys
81 terious and terrible spiritual influences tina
1t have been evoked from the caverns of tn
Dr. grave. And, as has been said, though ther
j. may be no truth in the wild legend, that If tn
:. assassin be broucht into the chamber wher