New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-13
THE SHAKESPEARE CLUB DUEL.
From The Commercial Adre-tiser.


From The Commercial Adperfiser.
"The Revised Stttutes Of this State make the fol-
lowing provisions respecting dueling
fights due ont Of ur sdctou Of the State aud nfta
9O1d sem han a II he INIT The State shall be
deemed guilty Of murder shall be indicted and e oT Tat
Tyery person who ,hs sh duel with any deadly weapon,
although dea al upon conviction be sentenced 70
imprisonment in state Prison Tor term NOT exceeding ten
Every person sending challenge, or accepting
az duel or be any way accessory, shall be lab TO i'm
pis in Stale Prison for term not exceeding seven
Every pesrn convicted of fighting duel with deadly
wespon shall be disqualified for any Office or post OF trust Or
ihabsnt Of the State leaving the for the pur
pose 81 eyadins the laws of the st'te in respect duen
whether "a trincrn shall be deemed guilty aud
b. uec the like punishment If the ole nse had been
Posre person for not fighting duel for not sending
accepting challenge or ung reposchia or conte HpJuous
enguf any such account shall be punished -
il msGe the duty Of the Attorney bring
all p.rsons indicted for ohenses against tese laws
These laws ore sufficiently explicit aud Ineligible
He that runs may read and understand Messrs.
Leavenworth and Breckenridge, two young gentlemen
members of a club ia this City, OF such position III
life ~ 10 know the law or TO b. utterly inexcussbe
if ignorant of it, deliberately violated its provisions
az did aso their seconds and Others OF their youthful
friends. Il challenge was sent and accepted; the par
Ties eut bey ond the limits of the State each OF the
urucivals " as wounded enc of them if not fatally at
least so as 10 be manned and crippled Tor ilie lhs
was done in bod defanoe OF the laws OF the State.
The surgeon who accompanied them, the principals
and Their seconds deliberately chose TO expose them
az YES TO iprsoI nent in Stale prison for years, to
cut themselves of from egibl 10 any ONCE OF trust
or emoumont and TO en- AL upon their friends aud
themselves al irretricyabe disgrace Now 1t would
be foolish to suppose that they would have ioughttAis
Cud / cd they not suprCfed that the law could be
sotlv deied-hat they mi mt violate II without incur
ling liz lenalty. Can they escape The consequences
Il. =. 81 ftsfY
Il ey rs well be-nay had b. tier Decreased from the
statute book for if TRUMP hauty dehed IN so bold a
II amer and plain case II VIII be ulJust ana IN
van 10 atienItto e. force II hereafter
Woiviug for the present any comments upon the CIR
cumsaucen in Which the duel OF mated AMI the FOLLY
md ciiunality of duelDg under any circumstances,
let us look at It's es aliiy alone ard the effect of ls
passing unpublished III the present instance. In the
mt place It is to be noted that neither of these two
foolish Youths las done the State or the world such
service should exempt him from the equal operation
of laws enacted for the government and restraint OF
tie people That boh we're fayorably clrcum5anced
pecuninrily is only additional reason why they
should have set example Of obedience to law since
none have much al stake as the Weather classes III
the SUPREMACY OF law. Ii with such temporal COM
forts as almost preclude discomfort or temptation ney
act the example Of OUT aging law it be matter
of surprise If the ignorant and poor set law AT dell
ance even in excess OF the example. And we can
conceive reason why these young men SHOULD NOT
lie punished for their oiense as certainly, promptly
and severely as if they had been modern EDITIONS OF
Snug the joiner and Bottom the weaver; but rather
the reverse for the r,GsOn already glanced at.
II Messrs. Leayenworth, Breckenridge and their
associates ere allowed to pass without indictment and
tial for an oense against the laws that Is os papabe
as an oflense can be, for what crime shall man be
rui shed Highway robbery Is no more felony IN
he eve of the law than dueng even when The latter
is unattended by fatal consequences. Neither Is bur
plary nor other crimes thet might he named. Inc
law that nal Is duelng State Prison ohense-and
ca, i,al CRIME when death resuls-haS the came origin
and the same sanctions thai appeT'ain 20 INC Ias 1'
makes burglary and highway robbery penal aud now
shsll the magistrate the people rightly VISIT the
breach of the laws against robbery with penal cohse-
if breaches of the law against dneng are per-
mitted to pass unrebuked and unpunishedf Nay
there is question OF still greater import. How can II
be expected that the masses OF the people shall submit
TO tie restraints and governments OF law tnoss
moving i'll higher sphere may throw OIL tnei restraint
with IMMUNITY whenever arrogance or folly Temps
them TO 90 SOL And where shall be found secuf1y Tor
life and Jroperty, when, the wealthy leading and the
1907 following, each sets at defiance thai la" the
estrunt Of which he most sensbly feels The ole,
the law that imposes restriction upon his temper the
her tie law that restraints lis hand.
We have said nothing OF the circumstances IN when
lis Iit OF oxravagan folly on the part OF TWO not
terored youths originated Of the practice OF duel
i il alleged yindicGtoE OF mans sO-cailed honor.
That we hold the practice in the utmost contemp; md
nhhorronce Our rcaders well know. When the parties
Get without the intention OF killing each other, It Is
broad farce mean and contemplate pretencei when
Whether these two young gentlemen met with muir
d,rous intent or only for make-beeye and to gam
ocot is nnaieIial at present, since they both i've.
Each has escaped the guilt of actual murder, end boin
have earned the fame OF liability TO imprisonment IN
tie State Prison. But they have gained no honor.
Far from IT, The origin Of the quarrel was too dis
honorabe-too discredi able TO them protested gen.
tlemen-io bring them honor, whatever tie result OF
tie duel. The one knowingly violated q rule OF tue
club to observe which lie had pledged his honor, by
voluntarily becoming member OF it. The other re
taated by an act of ruoeness of which the humOest
iradesmar or the exasperated dun would scarcely
have been guilty Was there any thing gentiema9iy,
civalrous hol orable noble minded IN the conduct
| of eitherl AssuTedy not; and nothing but frank
mutual apology to each other and TO the members Oh
The club who were present, could make ntting aiohe
uent for such an obvious breach OF good manners.
From The Albany AtaG
Ieayenworth had invited q stranger TO the Ciuo,
which Breckenridge impertinenty assuming duly
belonging 10 the officers, told him he had no night 10
| DO ard that be had right to be there at all not
having paid mp bis dues. Mr.. Lesveuworth, after In
terrogang the managers as 10 his continued me .noei
ship, returned and accused breckenridge Of faeeooa