The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-08

1 ucal Issues Oh the times, lor the organization OF
new and commanding national party, North and
\ South.
PROGRESS OF BARBARIsM IN THE UNITED
STATEs.-We are fond Of talking about the pro-
gress of civilization in these United States, but
really, If recent events are to be regarded as
signs of the age, the progress of bsrbarism is
far more obvious and remarkable. Within the
past few weeks, the public have been called to
witness an epistolary duel between two officers of
the Mexican war-General Pillow and General
Hitchcock, who, for purposes of their own, have
fallen foul of each other, and abused each other
as very drabs. Of course there is no reason
why military men should not quarrel, as other
folks do-indeed, their calling may be presumed
to involve something of the pugnacious element
but the people have right to expect that when
officers of the army, and especially field officers
undertake to void their quarrels in public, they
will do 30 as gentlemen and not as scavengers
This expectation these military men, and more
H. 7ticul,rly Gen. Pillow, have most emphatical.
issppointed.
he correspondence which has disgraced our
a.ym Is, Gen Pillow and his antagonist make no
trenony Of calling each other towards, liars
nd cheats In some cases the word is used in all
its naked badness in Others, it is transparency
yelled. But it needs no Gdpus to discover
that General Pillow, for instance, desires The
country to believe that his superior and many
OF his equas in rank during the Mexi-
can war betrayed their country by pur.
chasing vito money what they ought to have
won Sith the sword, and denied the transaction
Ike very Ju6ases afterwards. Nor can any
.cDooiboy fail 10 discover, on the most cursory
pe'usal Of General Pillows letters, that he like
wise wishes us to consider General Scotland,
for the matter OF thai, most OF his comrades In
srmr as Wells pretty even compounds OF the
ooSaId and the fool.
We believe that such letters. conveying such
Inspirations aud couchtd In such style. are
wholly unparalleled 10 the annals Of correspond.
eDce among gentiemfn. Certainly no such
scar dalouz]y dtsgraceiul eiFasions have been
Acknowledged by any respectable person in any
civilized country within the present or the Last
century. There was timc--it was somewhere
Dear Cbarlemsgne's era, just before the grogth
OF iefued chivalry-wben gentlemen assailod
cach other 10 terms a. coarse a. this. We have
in he old chronicles If tee ninth and tenth cen
turies letters Of challenge and defiance from
kpight 70 knight which certainly do not mnce
natars or best tbe bash, anl which therefore
hear a strong resemblance 70 the style Of
| General Pillows tlfusiona Men Of birth, "a
ton and honor, Gid, 10 those dark days, call
20, over the brutal habit when the light OF
/ chivslry fairly dawned But-be IL well reneln-
/ teod-wheo knight Of ChatIemague's age told
bis entmy ttat he lied, or wrote him down a
coward, tbe insult was coupl d With instant offer
10 meet him in single COG BAT, or 30 many on a
side, ard make good the iouI words on foot or
horst back. @ith sword or with lance IL il left
for Gen Pillow to initiate the outrage without
venturirg on the cartel
BafbArism, In truth seems 10 he on the in.
crease, not only in the army. bat in social cir.
c,s ard the other professions ~ we'll One meets
constantly In 'fhe beet society fellows who have
not one trait Of the instincts Of gentlemen; who
talk, act and think as though The Five Points was
their only home. And these ia conditioned
swearers, ohewers, Fpitters, loud takers, gross
thinkers and selfish bchavers are steadily On the
increase.
Then look at the bar. Is II possible for that
noble profession to fall lower' Lawyers whoought
TO spend the whole OF their lives in TIE initen
tiary, ard Who even then would H. In debt to the
State; lawyers guilty Of perjury, robbery, swind-
ling and every form and variety Of fraud; lawyers
ready TO couspre With any jail-hird to cheat any
body; lawyers so thoroughly educated in crime
and vice that the words honor and virtue cease
10 convey any idea to their minds; lawyers-and
rhe better class Of them-recklese Of professional
duty, scofiers at professional oecorum, eager only
to make gladistoral exhibition Of themselves,
and 70 surpaS in vituperasve slang the glibbest
scullion Of the foulest den in Water sreet-are
thee the representatives Of the profession which
bas eoed 40 much lustre on the country, and
from which threeiourths of our political aud us-
tiousl lesies are cnoeeD2 God help us; tor they
are indeed
Coed manners are the outward and visible
sign Of good morale; se cannot lose the one alto
| geihs, unless we have losi the other.