Daily national Democrat., 1859-09-20
was the Duel a fair one .

This question Will proOaply oe "Hs"N' w
in few days In the meantime we call at
tontion to the following card in the Bulletin
from the seconds Of David c. Broderiek:
Fnrrop or r,tr Bulletin In the Herald
of Ills morning under Topics of the Day"
we are renorted as saying: And if there
wos any advantage on either side, it was
surely in favor of Mr. Broderick" We have
not made this statement; nor at the same
time, have we imputed any unfairness tc
Judge Terry or his seconds
Further, we have passed no judgment upon
the press and its peculiar views as to thi'
unfortunate affair our duty being simply
to correct statements emanating either from
the friends Of Nh Broderick or Mr.. Terry
not warranted by the facts. This we have
| done in all cases.
The Herald this morning itself contains
/ the most serious misstatement we have yet
seen. Rr. Broderick had not the choice q
peaDouS; nor were his friends aware, unlil
this publication Of the Herald, that one
weapon was easier on the trigger than the
other Had we believed there was any un-
fairness. there could have been no meeting.
Jos. c. McKIBBIN,
DAVID d. CoLroN
As the Express of this city has relied upon
the statements in the 5. Z. Herald, we call Its
attention to the above card There is a distinct
declaration in the card that the seconds Of
Mr. Broderick were not aware that there
was any difference in the pistols "Hod we
believed, say they 'there was any untair-
ness, there could have been no meeting" The
seconds are evidently, therefore, as well
aware as anybody else that, if there was any
difference in the pistols and they (the seconds)
were not made acquainted with the fact,
there ,cas ,a,tairness, The Herald says there
,gas difference. Now, why were not the
seconds of Mr.. Broderick informed of this
circumstance
There is manifestly something wrong, or
at any rate unexplained in the matter of
these pistols. The Sacramento Standard, in
denying that the pistols belonged to Judge
Terry-and the charge that they belonged
to him is a sufficiently serious one, without
any reference to the question whether there
was difference in the trggers-says that he
only fired them three times in his life. Other
papers say they were the property Of 10.
Beard. Mr.. Beard, if we mistake not, is an
intimate friend of Judge Terry. Such being
the case, how does the Standard know but
that Judge Terry may have fred those pistols
hundreds Of times? Furthermore, what
right according to the code, had Terry to
use pistols with which he was at all acquaint-
ed, when Mr.. Broderick had aeper seen them
before that day? Anybody who knows any
thing about shooting knows that to be in any
manner acquainted with a tirearm is to have
large advantage over a man who knows
nothing of the weapon. In firing at marks
the best shots in the world are at a loss in
firing their first shot or two from an unfa-
miliar gun, and are by means of this. unfa--
miliarity, frequently beaten by very infe-
rior opponent who happens to know his
weapon.
We do hope for the honor of humanity,
that the facts, when published, will show
that there has been no tom play in thi:
bloody transaction. We sincerely hope so
Until the facts do appear and fully, too, We
shall suspend our opinion.
The TINE FOR DELmERATIoN IL DUEL
As an illustration of the amount of deHbera-
ton which may be exercised in duel after
the word is begun to be given we copy the
following extract from the duel between p
II. Aylett and O. Jennings Wise, of Virginia
which recently took place in N. Carolina:
Between the words zone" and "two' Mr.
Aylett raised his pistol A little before the
word "stop" Mr.. Ayletts pistol was pointed
horizontally towards Mr. Wise; Immediately
after the word ''stop" Mr. Aylett lowered his
pistol without firing. Mr. w. did not move
his weapon from its original position, but
held it, pointing upward, until the word
"stop;" Immediately after which, he laid the
barrel on his left hand, resting it there. Both
principals retained their positions. Colone
Davis remarked whats the dilficulty?" Mr.
Old Immediately added that there seemed tC
be some misunderstanding about the word
and said, "Resume your positions" :" and
Gentlemen, remember the word now giyeI
is an order to fire."
The word being then repeated by Mr.. Old
Mr.. Aylett fred deliberately about the wore
two" Mr. Wise after receiving the fire
turned from Mr.. Aylett and discharged hi
pistol in the air