New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-21

When two gentlemen with their honor lacerated
enter the field of mOnOmachy to cure their dis
tempers by duo of what Mr.. John Phoenix calls
1.-The soft notes of the pistol it is exceedingly
desirable, morally and ply scally that one or both
of them should be hit. To "go OUT for "satisfac-
"tion" and to como home without gettingt, is very
much like sending long prescription to the apothe-
cary, which, after pr0digiOus manipulation and
flourish of ste and spatula and the payment there
for ofyour beloved shirgs you administer external
ly out of the window instead Ofnternaly ria theeso
phagus. Profound ss our ignorance is of the rules
of single combat, little versed as we are in the
punctlio of the duel, we have always fancied that
the object of fighting duel was either to kill or to
be killed. If neither of the contestants is, to use
the forcibe expression of Mics Matilda Squeers, to
be "steepled in gore, why not fight with syrinses
and dirty water, and 80 save the ammunition for
blasting rocks or for shooting game
We have been induced TO make these reflections
by an event which recently occurred in Paris,
which conyulstd our leg alton in that city and which
NAV even have frightened the Hon. Mr.. Mason out
of his propriety. Of this our Paris correspondent
has already given some account, to which we
now desire to add one or two authentic partlcu-
lars The combatants, as our readers are aware,
were Mr. Calhoun of the American Legation and
Mr.. BrevOOrt of nothing in particular. These
gentlemen were partaking Of little saltatory,
vinous and other Anacreontic refreshment at res
taurant, in company with divers DANES Of charac-
ter by no means doubtful. We will not say that
all was going as merrily as marriage bel. for that
would be ncOngruous; and so we will compromise,
and say that all was going as nerrily as dinner
bell-when Discord, envying the serenity OF these
noble minds tossed into the festive crcehe ancient
but welI-preserved apple. Mr. Calhoun, seeking
relief from bis overwhelming diplomatic labors,
and striving to forget for whileint the charmed cir
ces of Bacchus and of Venus the exhausng tolls of
his official position, had like another Aclbades, at
tacbed himself TO Partisan Aspasa. Mr.. BrevOort,
not respecting this short, but for the time sacred
relation addressed to the fair one words of art and
gallantry: to the intense disgust Of the devoted Cal
houp. who forthwith informed Mr. BrevOOrt that
he was no gentleman, referring his maternity
zoolosicaly speaking, to the canine orders to
which genealogical observation Mr.. BrevoOrt an
swered by vigorous use Of the muscles of the
ripht ann. There was nothing for it but Fontaiae-
beau and the pistols after this. To be dsgraced in
the presence of men is terribe-before the bright
eyes Of ladies' insupportable. Our readers know
the rest-how Mr. BreyoOrt was too deliberate in
bis 6ring-how thereupon the fight was ended BY
the seconds before any body was killed or wounded,
and how everybody went back to coffee and eggs
,,;,h ro mora holes in their cutcles than nature
had provided. The whole mstter was referred to
Court of Honor who decided that the seconds did
right in stopping the contest after Mr.. Brevoorts
late firing. And so (for the present) ends this
strange. eventful history. The reader must judge
for himself whether America has won laughter or
laurelSin the sfrsy. The tendency OF the profane
il 10 grin at bloodless duels the savage disposition
of the race being to rejoice over slaughter, and to
ask respecting such combat,
"sinoe ne hsr was done for,
Whx WAS begun for =
The tendency of the American diPlOmatstsi in Eu-
rope to get into .crapes is philosophical puzzle
which ought to be especially studied by the Secre-
tary of State. They range from exuberant folly to
downright swindinr. They stsrtle the frigidity Of
ancient courts by the eccentrcites Of our back.
VIC DDS; they do the right things in the wrong
places sud the wrong things in the right places;
aid may be generally divided into fossils who do
potbire ard /, ole VINO would do we'll TO follow the
example of the fossils They do not even tell Lies