Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-04-24
RLUSTER.

Southern men boast largely of their
courage, and dueling, or at least the
" code duello," is one of their cherished
institutions. These murderous rencon-
tres are sustained by public opinion in
land of slavery, while in the North pub
lie sentiment looks upon the man who
kills another in duel as upon any other
murderer. This being the case, North
ern men, from regard to public senti
ment, as wellas convictions of right, gen
orally discard the barbarous and bloody
code; and knowing this, Southern bullies
are prone to attempt the manufacture of
cheap applause from their fellows, by
challenging Northern men to fight duels,
with the secret hope that the challenge
will not be accepted.
Everybody remembers with what a
flourish of trumpets and bombastic pa
rade jeff. Davis, of Mississippi, some
years ago, challenged Col. Bissell, late
Governor Of Illinois, and with what a
hang dog whine he sneaked out of the
scrape, when the Colonel unexpectedly
accepted his challenge According to
the ''code, " the challenged party has the
choice of weapons. Col. ,Bissell, as he
had right to do, chose rifles but the
clustering bully, afraid to meet the man
he had first sinsulted, and then deter
mined to murder, backed square out, be-
cause he had only practiced soith has Pis-
tozs' Showing himself a coward, we be-
lieve he has challenged no one since.
The celebrated case Of the South
Carolina bully, and Burlingame, of Mass
achusetts, is still fresh in the public mind,
in which the fre-eater, after sending his
challenge to the Massachusetts, Abolition
ist, was taken all aback by its prompt ac-
ceptance, and then, amidst the jeers and
scorn of all men, showed the white
feather and submitted to the brand OF
coward upon MS pfoW.
The latest case is that of Pryor, OF
Virginia, and Potter, of Wisconsin,
Pryor, in his overseer style of rufian in
suit, undertook to play the bragadocio
over Mr. Potter, in the House of Repre-
sentatives, at Washington. But, being
worsted in argument, and supposing that
Potter would not fight, Pryor sent him
a peremptory challenge to mortal combat
And, . the CONSERVATION of Pryor and
his staggering friends, Potter promptly
accepted the challenge. But, when he
named his weapons-which were Bowie
knives Pryor quaked in his shoes, and
consents to be branded as blusterer and
a coward rather than meet the man he
had first insulted and then challenged
under the belief that public sentiment il
his District would not allow him to fight
We think this game of mock chivalry
is about played out. As long as North
ern members of Congress refused all al
legiance to the "bloody CODE and de
clined to accept challenge, these mis-
sives flew thick and fast But Northern
Representative have learned the fac
that the blusterers are constitutions
towards and will not meet their own ap
pointments, or from some other cause
have concluded to bluff the bullies, anc
such is the result. How long will th
farce be kept up?
We are no apologist for duelling-
we believe it remnant Of utter barbar
ism. But we think it quite safe to ac
cept all such challenges hereafter will
the full belief that they won't fight, i
made to face the music.