The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-07

"even the old women know that the campaign of
Vera Cruz is nothing more than farce invented by
MiramOn for the purpose of robbing the clergy and
sacking the capital"
SICKLES AND NIX. BUTTERWORTH TRIED
BY THE "C0DE OF HONOR"
The following communication appears in the New
York Euening Post, signed "Fair Play
| have discussed the subject matter of your con-
troversy with the Times on the Sickles tragedy
with large number of persons, and have not vet
heard doubt expressed to the sOundness of your
position shall not attempt, therefore, to 90 over
the ground again, far Mr.. Sicles is concerned
Very few persons outside of the circle of his political
crones, "those high officers of State" have the
slightest difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that
in his case notorious scamp has blosSomed into an
assassin But must claim permission to say one
word as to attempts which are being made, even by
people who ought to know better-tbe Tribune
amongst others-to whitewash Sickles friend, But
terworth.
! may premise by saying that know nothing of
this latter person whatever, except his connection
with this deed and if l use strong language about
him, it is because | feel that if ever there was
time in the history OF this country in which it was
necessary for the public journals to express their
! opinions of the conduct of people of the Sckles
! class in plain unvarnished English, tits now.
Taking Mr.. Butterworth's own statement of his
conduct Sunday last to be in every respect true
! and suppose it isl think the character of "a
man of honor" even in its "wordly" sense, is the
very last to which he can lay claim. Let me not
|
! Honor in use amongst Texan rangers or Mississippi
| overseers | mean the old time -honored code which
| we brought with US here from Europe. and which
has regulated the dealings of gentlemen with one
| another for fourteen hundred years. The very es-
and basis of that Code was fair play and 10y
atty, equality in all things. Its whole spirit breathes
scorn of advantages of any sort over opponent.
| There was nothing it taught and teaches more i'm
periously than the basenesS of armed assault upon
an unarmed man; of refusing his life to oppo-
nent who craved it; of assisting at a combat in
| which the weapons had not been measured, the
| word fairly given, and lots drawn for the ground.
| No provOcaton was or is, under it, allowed to
| palliate in the smallest degree the smallest advan-
tage taken of enemy. Whether the insult be
blow in the face, the seduction Of ones wife, the
lie direct, or the underhand SANDER, any man who
appeals to that Code must obey its laws to the let
ter, must give his adversary warning, must have
witnesses to see that his risk at the
mencement of the fight is in all outward respects
equal to his enemy's. And let us add, that any
man who processes to be guided by its rules, Mr..
| Butterworth apparently does, must not look on and
allow his friend to redress his wrongs in way in
! which he ought not to redress them himself. There
| is civilized country in the world in which 4 Sc
cond in an unfair duel would not be held in even
| greater adherence than the victorious principal
| What has Mr.. Butterworth done He has seen
his friend Sckles assail his friend Key without
| warning, with deadly weapons; he has seen Key,
wounded and disabled, lean helpless against tree
and crave for lite-a prayer which only Camanche
ever refuses, even in the hottest fight he has seen
Sickles advance on him while in this condition,
snap cap at him, deliberately re-cock his pistol,
and then shoot him through the body. Did he move
hand or foot to prevent this atrOcious butchery ?
Did he utter word circumstance? Did he call on
Sickes not to stain himself with deeper stain than
his wi!es conduct had imprinted on him by Staying
a wounded man? Did he, when the slaughter was
finished tell him that, though his wrongs were no
doubt great, he had not acted as a man of honor;
that he had struck felon blow, and that though
his conscience might acquit him, he Butter
WORTHY to whom Key had done no wrong, must say
bod lunY, 4a,ll, cln1,, NAtn K,f, -
He took the murderer's very cordially, and
walked away from the scene, leaving his victim pal
pitating in the throes of death.
do not care a straw which way the coroner S
jury or the grand jury, or the petit jury, or the
Washington barkeeperS, the "bighest officers OF
the American Government may say the mat
ter / say that to have witnessed such scene as
| Butterworth acknowledges that he witnessed be-
tween two men who were both his friends, and one
of whom had consulted him on the subject of the
quarrel, without interference or remonstrance of
any kind, was in the last degree inhuman and dis
honorable.
1t seems to me, sir, that those persons who have
the impudence to inform us every day that they
are "men of honor, par crcelience, have framed Il
rule of conduct in their dealing with one another,
by taking the old Code, which Bayard and Sydney,
and Hamilton acknowledged, stripping it of its fair
play, its polish, its punctiliousnessOf everything
in short, which tended to excuse the dOubtulness
of its monstrosity-and substituting therefor
the ferocity of the Maays, and the treachery of
Red Indians. If they confined its operation
to their circle, might sigh over it, and
let it pass but it is little more than human ma
ture can bear to have them come fresh from their
ambuscades and butcheries and ask US gravely to
testify that their hands pure, and their gentle
manhood unmpeachable If, as the Times has now
twice insnuated, the personal friendship Of the
highest officers of American government" renders it
! incumbent on any man-under any circumstances,
| don't care what they are-to butcher wounded,
unarmed man, who asks for mercy, it is privilege
which hut the basest and vilest "ught to wish
to retain. There few things which society will
not pardon to remorse, repentance and amendment.
A few years of honorable and useful career
woud-say what we wi-have wiped out from the
J public mind the remembrance of any dishonor
which Sickles wife might have entailed on him.
} But l sincerely trust that society will, for the
credit of humanity and of the American nation,
never pardon the crime of last Sunday afternoon
The scorn and loathing of mankind for the longest
term to which human life is extended. is pun
shment far too mild for such offence. The fact
that this aspect of the should have elected so
little comment, is a somewhat disheartenng sign of
the times. Yours, FAIR PLAY.