The Shasta courier., 1859-07-09
NUMBER IS.
Declines to Fight a Duel.

IL is rare 'uing TO md public man with
sufficient moral courage to decline a challenge
to fight duel We last week stated the causes
which. it was thought, might lead to hostile
meeting betwefn n D. " Perlev. an Enelishmmii,
and D C. Broaer.cl United Suite. Senator I,
appear- thn Ps,ieY id SEM. NJ D challenge.
aud .or decliniae - tept which Perley de-
nounces him tevoid of courage as he is of
principle. and th-i he has no longer any right
to call himself gentleman" The unusual cir
cumstance of public man declining TO fight a
duel in this land Of fighters, induces us to pub
lish the entire setter Ct Mr.. B. We desire
to accompany it with the remark that Mr.. Brod-
erick acted the part of a wise man and n law
abiding citizen in refusing to violate the laws,
for the purpose of enabling an insignificant sub
ject of the British Queen to obtain little noto.
riety We suppose if Mr.. Perley were to chal.
lenge Gov. Weller for some offensive remarks,
that no one would expect the Governor to fight
him. Is not Senator, if possible, more dir,,.-
hec and important Office? We contend tha, It
is preposterous to suppose that Governor. or
United States Senator, or the President is re-
CURED by the g code of honor" to meet in NOR
tai combat every Insignificant individual who
may choose to challenge him
1t appears that it did not require much bra
very on the part of Mr.. Perley to send the chal-
| lenge, he had been positively informed by
! Mr.. B., at the time the insult was given, that he
would not accept it. Here is the letter:
San Francisco, June 20, 1859.
d. w. PERLEY-SIR: Your challenge of the
Eth inst. was handed me last evening by Mr..
! S. Ii. Brooks. This morning, between seven and
eight o'clock, one of the servants at my hotel
informed me that two gentlemen were below,
who desired to know if had risen. | told the
servant to say to them that had. The servant
returned with note pHrporting to be signed by
| Mr.. Brooks, informing me that Gen. L. J. G.
| kewen had arrived and desiring me to address
any answer designed to your challenge to Gen.
Kewen, instead of to Mr.. Brooks. This mode of
procedure was so unprecedented, that had no
recourse but to decline the recognition of any
note coming under the circumstances by the
! hand Of servant. Subsequently, Mr.. Brooks
and Gen. Kewen called on me in person. At
this interview, the error committed in sending 9
note by servant was corrected. Two days
have elapsed since the alleged insult was given
| If had been inclined to recognize your righ; TO
demand satisfaction, you have placed it out of
my power to do so, by the publicity you have
given the matter.
When affairs of this kind are to be arranged,
1t is the custom 10 keep them q secret even from
| intimate friends. While have refrained from
making mention of the affair, | find it to be the
subject of newspaper comment and the theme of
public conversation.
4 You knew at the time you were searching for
a gentleman to bear the challenge that it would
not be accepted ] informed YOU of the fact at
the time the alleged insult was offered-in the
presence Of two gentemen-and in language
that could not be misinterpreted.
Your own sense of propriety should have
taught you that the positions we relatively oc-
cupy are so different as 10 forbid my acceptance
of your challenge. 1t is but few days since
you made oath that you were subject of Great
Britain. The giving or accepting challenge
could not therefore affect your political rights,
as you are not a citizen of the United States.
For many years, and up to the time of my ell
ovation to the position ! now occupy, it was
well known that would not have avoided any
issue Of the character proposed If fcompelled to
accept challenge, it could only be with a gen.
teman holding position equally elevated and
responsible, and there no circumstances
which could induce me even to do this, during
the pendency OF the present canvass When /
| authorized the announcement that would ad-
dress the people of California during the cam
| paign, it WAS suggested that efforts would be
made TO force into difficulties, and deter
| mined to take no notice of attacks from any
source during the canvass If were to accept
your challenge, there are probably many other
| gentlemen who would seek similar opportuni-
| ties for hostile meetings, for the purpose of ac-
| complishing political object or to obtain pub =
lie notoriety. | cannot afford at the present
time to descend to violation of the Constitu-
tion and the State laws, to subserve either their
or your purposes.
Your Efforts to give publicity 10 the fact that
it was your intention to send me challege,
would justify me in giving copy of this reply
to the public. Circumstances will determine my
course in this regard.
Yours, ETC., D. c. BRoDERIcK.
1t must be confessed that while Mr.. B. de-
serves credit for refusing to violate the vonsti-
tuition and the laws, of the reasons set forth
in his letter of refusal are not such as to
enttle him to that high praise which would
have been bis due had his refusal been based
upon other grounds. Had he refused to fight
because the Constitution and laws of his coun-
try forbid-because the laws of God and sound
morality forbid-because, in short, duelling was
unlawful and wrong, he would have gained from
the Christian world need of praise which this
| letter can never win for him.
| BURcH AND SCoTT.-These two gentlemen
have been nominated by the Lecompton State
Convention for Congress. Put both of them
together, mix them up, body and brains, and
remould them into one forn and they would
not then make half the man. morally or intel
ectually, that Old Zach is, of Sutter county
And yet Old Zach was aovhere in the race for
l