The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1855-02-07

that defeat was visited upon the guilty
one-it has come down to us disrobcd
ofits supcrstilions investiture severed
from piou- jnstice-a game Of hazard,
in which the injured one may have
fearful odds against him, and the stake
the life of one or both. The men ofthe
Dark agcs, who believed that Heaven
presided over it and awarded Justice
by its result, should not be condemned
by those whose Ignorance has beer,
enlightened: but how can VIC pardon
ourselves? Do we believe that by i,
wrong is punished and Right re.
dressed? No such pious superstition
sombres the mind Of this aye. Then
it had its foundation in the confessed
inability Of human tribunals to read
the secrets and detect the guilt of the
heart, and the Great arbiter, to whom
all secret things were known, was
i"vokcd to make manifest the truth
by the issue of the comnat.
Now that reason does not support it.
The duclist of this day knows, if he
thinks at all, that God, uncnyokcd, is
there, but only to be insulled and an.
sered by the violation ofhis own com
mandment. The duel now is, confess.
edIy, no Court Of Justice. The chances
are, perhaps most frequently, in his
favor who has spent life in insulting
and injuring, and has skilled hiu,sclI
by practice in the art Of destroying
those who resented the wrongs done
| them.
But it is absurd to reason and dcs.
can't upon this subject. Common sense
rcvoIts at it. One who really feels Il
wrong or insult may be willing to
hazard his life for the chance of re.
vengc. 1t is but 4 chance, he knows,
but life and its concerns then seen IS
nothing compared with the aratiiica,ion
of the Ahsnrling passion. And The
Nrongdocr may meet him, either from.
a wish to injure him more, or from
rccklesSncss-or frequently from fear
OF what the world would say were he
to refuse satisfaction. And this yer,
.fear is the cause Of many ducls. M.l,
fear to do right by making acknow.
clSemcnts and rcpara,ion when they
have done wrong; the others fear To-
do wha: God himself docs constantly
towards man-shnw mercy and for
give; misunderstanding and diilicnl
Ties are complicated and inilamcd until
they end in blood, because Of fear thai,
the world Will SlIecr ut their want Of
courage and spirit. A chivalrous in
st'tntion to be pr"pped up by tear!-
Duclling is really the most ridiculous
absnrdity Of the age-iftmt could be
called ridiculous which has DESTROYED
SO many thousands, not only Of repro
bates: but ofthc really high soulcd and
nrblc minded. To treat man like
gentleman when you are about t.
XII him because YOU say he is not one:
TO give man means and opportunity
to ntlIct an irreparabIc injury upon
you, because he has already injured
you to be calm and composed, when.
II your feelings at all consort with the
act you are about to commit, your
heart is boiling over with hot wrath :
all this may be very fine and clival.
rouS, but it is unnatural. An angry
man, when he acts naturally and with.
ont ailcctati"n, assaults his foe immcdi
ately and with violence his feelings
force him to corresponding action-he
uses no soft words, assumes no easy,
idittrrcnt manner, but looks and acts
the angry man. Yet for him there
are laws, that will be enforced too
Should he not be able to meet his in
jurcr thcn-should Il day, though it
may not abatc his wrath, yet delay his
ve"gcance-then the law against mur-
dcrers would be enforced in his case.
Let him receive the same injury, de
lay his revenge for as long time,
avow his purpose; deliberate, malig.
nant, calm in his resolution from the
knowledge that n quick eye, q steady
hand and superior cxpcrtncss will cna.
pie him to kill his adversary as safe
ly to himself rs if he too were not
armed-and the laws of Honor will
shield him from the penalties of his
conntry's laws. Ought these things