Litchfield enquirer., 1856-07-31
An Affair of Honor

1loh !thSoa Durtingame, of Massachusetts, has got into an affair of honor with the assassin Brooks The latter taking offence at the remarks of the for mcr upon the Sumner assault sent a friend to ask him if !e would accept challenge. The result was an explanation on the part of Nr. Burlingame in which he dsclimcd any intention to reflect upon the discriminated ' between the man and the ac," con dcmnng only the latter. With this Brooks prorssed te be satisfied, and Burlingamc, on meeting him afterwards resoct"Ay accepted his profere.l but bloody hand! Mr Burlinsame, finding himself charged with cowartcc in certain quarters published a card oa Monday, in which le withdrew his expla- nation on the ground that it had been perverted and misunderstood and said, explicitly II leave my speech to interpret itself and hold myself responsible for it, without qualification or amendment" Brooks took an opportunity after to send challenge to Mir. Burlingamc-whch the latter acccptel at once, and named the Canada side of Niagara fal,s the place Of meeting, that being the most convc nent spot secure from interference. Burlngame ac- cordinsy started for Canada, hut after reaching New York found the valiant Brooks had sunk. The bully refused to go and publishes statement respecting the affair. After reviewing the history of the diff culty, he closes as follows:
 He requires me to meet him in Canada, distance of near seven hundred miles by the mail routc-a route running through the cnemys country, and through which no man knows bet ter than Mir. Burngame that could not pass without running the gauntlet of mobs and assassns, prisons and pcutcntiarics, bailiffs and constables He knew that could never get ! fp hat I fp ,l< L., were to fa that l never would get back. He might as we'll have designated Boston Common. 1 His proposition is of so lrcpoStcrous character, that the public will appreciate it without coul- ment from mo. When he repudatcd the menl- orandum which was prepared by his friend, and delivered in his own presence, felt some sympathy for the agony of proud man, driven to doing wrong, that he might retrieve the unworthy representatives. But his last con dition is worse than the former aud deliver him to that condemnation which honorable men in every community will sternly uRct have no further demands upon him, but should he be screwed ap to the point of making dea,aKs upon me, will treat him as gentleman, and meet hlm at any convenient and accessible point upon equal terms.
 MT Bfooas t.luS declines, says the Springfield Re- puhlican to fight the duel except under such crcn- stances as arc agreeable to himself; although his opponent as the challenged party has by the duel ing code" the selection of both place and weapons Nor will his choice of Canada be regarded by the public, we think, iu the light represented by Mir. Bsooks. It is probably the only place where the parties could meet far such hostile and unlawful pur poses without interference. Mr Brooks magnfcs altogether the dangers to which he would be subject cd ia going and returning. His movements anywhere must have been secret to avoid arrest; and they could probably have been secret in going to and returning from Canada as anywhere else.
 Mr. Brooks also wthdraws his challenge or threat of one but endeavors to provoke Mr. Durlingame into challenging him, which it is we'll known the Massachusetts representative will not do under any circumstances, and would not to any one. Mir Bur
 ngane does not profess to b. a duelist but will ac. cept of challenges simply as, in his view, the best means of self defence and of putting stop to the system of personal assault and political bullying which the representatives of the slavery party at Washington largely indulge in towards northern men.