The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1855-02-07
non Sense? What lifts from their

labor in vain to imagine q reply
The plainest of all murders is the one
most easily found to be no murder.
What bloody dclusion is it which,
upon this subject, has SO crazcd the
public mind, that it makes void The
laws which Heaven declared and llu.
manlty approves, makes that honora
ble which is the highest crime, and
declares that chivalric which is unmt.
ural and affected And how much is
each individual. whose sentiments on
this matter go to make up public
opinion i'll favor of duclling, answera-
bic to his own conscience for the
PerpetnatIon of the practice, for the
lives it has sacrificed, for the suffering
and anguish Of heart it has caused, and
tor the pervcrsion Of moral sentiment
it has effected ! How many there
are, especially of the youthful, who.
IN the unreAcctiveness and impc:uosity
natiral 20 their age, become compli-
Gated III affairs OF honor,n that find
themselves, almost unconscously car
rled onward by the ponJcrous ma
chincry Of the institution to the dread
consummation; oft times facing each
other with deadly weapons in their
hands, but with no malice in their
hcarts-one perhaps to fall, n victim
to false principles of honor, the other
to lead a lilc Of bitter regret. We
fccl convinced that, in the majority OF
fatal duels, it is not the unhappy sur
'lvor who is the real murderer, but
Society. which by its perverted moral
scntimept has set in action Influences
mechanically, as it were, s-srlnn. i've oi
the disastroas effects. 80
We ask not to be ..s4loned f;,,
having thought thus 49,. ~, p. III. ~
! iect (for it J.. ono '.'..i, every mem.
"er Of the co'nmnn,5 ,',o,''d kc in.e
rested in) but we feel that, perhaps
we have trespassed by the too lengthy
expression of our imperfect and ram
bling thoughts. The consilcia, ion .!
The subject at this time, was suggested
to MS by the following which we take
from 'he correspondence Of the
Charleston Courier:
| NEw-OnLEAss, Jan. 10.
| The duello has at last been decrecd
i crime by ajury. Juan Pages, who,
us ! mentioned in my letter Of yestcr.
day, killed some three years since a;,.
other Spaniard, named juan Faster.
in duel with knives, has been con.
vicled of manslaughtcr by twelve i'm.
partial citizens. The verdict, though
tempered by n Recommendation to
mercy, consequent on the chivalrous
manner in which Pages conducted his
portion of the affair, by giving up to
his adversary IN advantage which he
had in weapons, yet establishes IL
precedent which it is to be hoped will
have good effect in deterring many
from engaging in such horrible butch.
cries as have ut times disgraced this
secti"n of the country. "Up to this
PERIOD" says the Crescent, sit has
been next to impossible to obtain II
jury that would convict in any case
where fair duel had been fought.
notwithstanding the numerous laws
That have been Incorporated into our
different constitutions, and stringent
statutes that have been passed by
different Legislatures on the subiec, Of
ducling."
We have thought this fit time for
these comments, because there are no
contemporhncous circumstances to
which they can be applied, and we
cannot therefore be charged with per.
sonality.
In concluding we would, to corrobo.
rate our opinion as to where the sin
| i'cs, auVeTC 10 what has been stated of
Illinois: that the survivor of the first
and only duel in that State was con.
victed of murder by the Jury. 1t
stopped there. Shall this degcncrated
feature Of the DarkAgcs longer darken
this enlightened age? 1t is for the
men ofthe country, the sworn Juries
OF the country, to say when it shall be
cffaccd.
] --.s s%.).se
! INTERESTING STATISTICS OF THE PpEs.
DYTERIANs. Baltimore has one Pres.
bytrrInn commitment to 1lS of the
population Philadelphia one to 7s;
F'ttsburg one to At; Richmond one
to SO; Louisville one to 25; Nash.
vile one to 22; Charleston one to So:
vi, a. ~