The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-10-24
The ssuplto.

The late duel in California and its tragical
! results have unloosened 4 thousand tongues
! of the press upon n relic of Gothic blrba-
rism which has now happily ceased 10 exist
| in Europe, and is only known in some por-
! tions of the United States. There is very
| little chivelry left in the world.
| THE knights dust,
! Their swords are rust,
And their spirits with the Saints. We trust
| We trust So too but it requires a good deal
of faith to believe it, and, if it is So the Saints
must have hard time OF IT,
For there was no one on earth that these
knights did rot worry and deyour. With here
and there a brilliant exception, they were
wolves, harassing and destroying The flock,
instead of watch-dogs, protecting it. After
the first and pure days Of chivalry, it degene-
RACED into combination OF brHtality and
| idlocy. and The knights in general We're The
| last sort Of men who could by any possibility
he proper eAemplaTs tor a decent and civilized
| ne3ple Their single combat, unknown 10 the
warriors OF Greece and Rome, those intellec
! tual and invneblc masters Of the world has
| fingered on to our own day. though II is gradu-
| ally dpparting before The rising light of nteii-
! gence and humanity. Soon we shall have moth
| ing of the chivaIrous left but their names; no
| knights but the benevolent knights OF Mason
| ~. or the facetious knights the tournament.
Iii evident that Knighthood is going out of
! fashion, and that the Duello Will soon cease 10
be held in reverence. We do not regard the
recent combat between Senator BRoDERICK
and Judge TERRY as an indication OF 4 perma-
nent revival of the duellO. California is vet
socially aud morally. in 4 state Of 1ermenta-
ZION; III transition state II The best. and is
made up of fiery, adventurous spirits, mad
drned just now with political and personal
ambition and rivalry. The people of that new
Comm onwealth will not delibera tely and dis
passionately introduce duelling as one Of the
Institutions. Col. BAKER, i'll his rhapsody
over the remains OF Senator BRoDERIcK, took
occasion emphatically to denounce the Code
and the officiating clergyman justly said that
the Church had been against it for a thousand
years. He might have added that it has
been against the principle of it from the
beginning, for forgiveness Of injuries was
made by the Divine Founder of Christianity
an Indispensable condition OF salvation, and
Charity the greatest of Chris tan graces.-
The Duello, already hemmed in within mar
row limits, cannot Withstand the irresistible
moral power of the Public Opinion OF the
whole civilized world, especially when that
Public Opinion is manifestly and undeniably
sustained by the dictates of reason, religion
and common sense. It is the Public Option
of those sections where it prevails which
alone sustains it, a Public Opinion which is in
opposition not only to the law OF the land IN
those sections, but to the lessons OF the Pulpit,
md the individual consciences OF every MEM
Der of the community Such Public OpIn-
ion has no foundation TO stand upon which
can enable it to resist the Christianity in its
own midst, and the civilization OF the world
Hence, the time will come, and 1t is not far
distant, when the Duello will be everywhere
regarded with the same feelings of horror and
wonder with which men now regard the
other barbarisms and prosecutions of the dark
ages.