Daily national Democrat., 1858-09-18

ages which shed its radiance upon the hill
tops of civilization, although its light might
be lost in the dark shade of the valleys he
low" if even held this view, l should still
hold that a duel should be fair and eoual
that skill should not be matched against ig.
norance, practiced training against its ab.
sence. And while | am in no sense 70 be
understood as expressing an opinion as to the
late duel, knowing nothing of the matter
myself; yet | do say that no duel should
stand the test of public opinion. independ
ent of the law. except the great element OF
equality is there. In the pursuits of common
lie, 10 one not trained to Il profession is sup
posed to be match for Il professional man
in the duties of his profession | am no
match for physician, in any matters con
nected with his pursuits, nor would the
physician be match for me in = legal argu-
ment The soldier is no fair match for the
civilian, when the latter has not been trained
to the use of arms-nor although his cour-
age is equal, and he may have profound
conviction that he is right, will, therefore,
the contest be rendered equal and lust.
repeat that | do not make these remarks in
tending thereby to reflect upon the character
of the late duel. Personally, know nothing
more than what | and you all have heard -
Whether 1t was fair or unfair, it is not my
province to inquire. | am denouncinr the
system itself, for it loses annually hundreds
of valuable lives, and in the present state of
civilization, it does no good, profits nothing,
arrests no evil, but impes thousand evils !;
but, above all, do | protest against any con
test of this nature where in skill, knowledge
of weapons, or from any cause, the parties
are not equals in all the conditions Of that
stern debate.
The friend whose loss we deplore was un-
doubtedly a man of courage. Whatever
may be said with respect to the code of duel
ing-whatever may be said as to his motives
his conduct on the field was in all respects
what his friends expected He stood four
fires, at distance of scarcely twenty feet,
with conviction that there was a strong
determination to take his life--that the mat
ter should be carried to eXtremity-and that.
too, when, until the day before he had never
fired pistol off in his life But courage is
shown not merely in action, but in endurance.
woman may show the higher quality of
courage in many instances where many men
would fail. brave mana really brave
man-shows his courage no less in endurance
than in action. 1t is n higher q greater
quality, to suffer than to do ; and in this res
pect our friend was in no way defective He
bore a long and painful confinement: he
bore severe operation; he saw his hold
upon life uncasping day by day, hour by
hour, and amidst all neither his resolution nor
his eheerfulness faltered for an Instant
When he lay helpless, looking back upon the
errors land who has not erred p of his life
he seemed to recall them for lessons of in
struction and warning for the future and,
han ho L |, L.
himself for the last contest to die as became
a man, amid all sweet and pous and holy
recollections. He died with no vindictivc
passion in his heart. lie died with words o.
affection upon his lips He died with the
thoughts of his mother present to his SOUL
He left this world with the thoughts of home
and mother. lie left with words of forgive.
ness and kindness His last act of conscious.
ness was an act Of prayer. Oh Affection,
Forgiveness, Faith Ye are mighty in spirit
\ e are powerful angels; and the soul that in
its dying moments trusts to these cannot be
far from the gates of Heaven, whatever the
past life may have been however passion or
excitement may have led a soul astray-if at
the last and final hour it returns to the les
sons of a mothers love-of fathers care
If it learns the great lesson Of forgiveness to
its enemies-if at the last moment it can ut,
ter these words Father of life and Night and
love! These shall be winged angels-troops
Of blessed spirits-that may bear the faint,
ing, wounded soul to the blest abodes, and
must forever guard her against despair. Oh,
my friends, those mighty gates built by the
Almighty TO guard the entrance to the IN
seen world, will not open at the battleaX of
the conqueror; they will not roll back if all
the artillery of the earth were to thunder
forth demand which, indeed, would be lost
in the infinite regions of eternal space, but
they will open with thoughts Of affection,
with forgiveness Of injuries, and with
prayer.
But am not here to speak of the virtues
of the departed alone. lie had his defects
they were great; they were marked; but
they were incident to his career and his char
acter. He was, by nature and habit, poll
tcian; and, of all callings, the calling of
politician is the most llusive and unsatisfac-
tory it kindles the mind in state of con
stant excitement; it is constant struggle,
which is frequently injurious in its effects
and our friend, with all his fine qualities, was
no exception to the rule Let him that is
without sin cast the first stone OF how
many can we say than no greater defect can
be recorded; and of him who is dead what
worse can be said y? lie was honorable, hon
est, loving, generous placable and if, amid
his virtues, there were some defects, they
are but to be mentioned to be forgiven and
forgotten.
Felow-citiz the words utter should
not deem complete if | did not, before
close, utter IL word of warning. The most
powerful intellect, the most amiable quail
ties, may be shaded by love for excitement,
and the evils which the life of politician is
but too apt to engender. What Ferguson
was, we know. What he might have been,
if he had conquered himself, who can tell.
The inspired book says that che that ruleth
his own spirit is greater than he that taketh
a city," and if our departed friend could
have conquered himself, who could have
stayed the resistless course of his bright in
tellect? 1t should be a warning to us all,
gray heads as well as to young men. All
should remember that the pursuit of politics
is delusive and full of temptation. No man
should forget the duty he owes to his coun-
try, but all should remember that they owe
duty to themselves When men-l refer
now more particularly to young men-when
they see great statesmen stand forth in the
midst of a listening Senate, and mark the
stamp which they make upon the public
mind, and upon the policy of the country,
by the force of their intellectual vgor, they
are apt to forget the labors by which that
proud position has been achieyed-to forget
how many have sought to attain such lofty
position and have failed; and to forget that
he who is now filling their minds with ad
miration, may be on the eve of sudden fall
Politics should not be the pursuit mean the
only pursuit of any man. Representative
bnnors official station should only be the