Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-09-02
THE FATAL OATH.

t Perhaps in no part of the Uniol
not even in the boasted "Old Do
Minion n--can mt o be found, who are
Mt heart more chivalrous than il
Kentucky, that is,.if, as take it
chivalry consists in ever being ready
to defend The weak and wronged, t.
punish oppressors, to never give in
tentionally AN unprovoked insult, anG
in no case submit to one.
And yet there ale, probably, more
encounters, desperate in their nature,
and almost always fatal in result,
heard Of from that State than any
other--if ss except Arkansas and
Texas 10 their almost laEless days
my own State of Tennessee not
excepted; famed as it has been for
the trays Of Benton, and Of Jack
son, Houston. Carroll, Zollicoffer,
Crockett, Bowie, and others whom l
could name--one, at least, Of whom
is contributor to your paper,
aud perhaps more blameless than
any other have named.
Why they have had so many des-
perats fights in Kentucky is hard
even for Western philosopher to
account for. Some may lay it to
the spiritual potency of ''Old Bour-
bon used there, instead of milk,
TO rear the children on. Others
may say that there is something in
the very atmosphere where Boone
and the old pioneers fought, bled,
but conquered and won the lanG for
themselves aud descendants, suggest
i've, or rather compellative, Of a
combative nature. Yet both may
be wide of the mark. To shit Gen.
tre,' l suggest this idea.
The old families. mostly coming
from the two Carolinas, Virginia, and
Mary land, aud sectional as pioneers,
because coming from different local
tiles, had manya a bitter feud in the
past time when the law Was not, and
might alone was right. And those
feuds- rendered traditionary by
many tale Of desperate battle,
fought long, long ago--hsve been
kept up by the warm-blooded habits
of the people, by their long cherish
ed construction Of the ''ways and
mems to redress wrong. But a
pardon for prefacing my story thus,
if you please, reader.
1t Was only six years ngo that
two distinguished citizens of Wash
ington county, Kentucky, whom
| will call Messrs. Borland and Har-
land, running for a high political
place, met at at barbecue to argue
their claims before the people. Be-
tween them--as it had been between
their families for generations before
- bitter hate existed, dating back,
| believe, to quarrel about the time
of the Revolntion,' Or prior to it,
when in Virginia one family claimed
and held attachment to the king.
while the others clung 10 liberty:
even while it was a pursuing, in the
hands OF Patrick Henry, waiting for
strength to be placed under the
guardian care Of Washington.
AS this barbecue, both of these
men--gray-haired they we're, toe
appeared on the stump withou,
arms upon their persons, SO persua'
ded by their friends, who know o
the hatred each had to the other,
and had no wish to have their differ.
ent party candidates cut off-ai
iaast until they knew how the elec
ton would turn.
| But here fresh fuel is heaped or
cid embers, blaze is sure to rise
| And so in this case. The speech O
Mr.. BorIand, bore hard upon thu
party Of Mr.. Harland, yet harder still
upon himself. The latter. when i
came bis turn to reply, spoke with q
scstbing bitterness and personality
which fairly maddene1 Borland. III
bore it, though chaGng like cagee
tiger, for time, bot at last he broke
over all restraining bounds. ant
pitched into bis opponent, With al
argument more so.fstical than phil
osophical. The consequence was
free fight, which, though it lastee
but few moments, gave goo'
grounds for challenge between tn
principals.
1t passed, and meeting With rihe
at twenty PAGES was the result. A
;. the frst FIRE Borland fell dead with
ball through bis head. Harland ais
fell mortalIy wounded, but llingere'