New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-07
CONGREssIONAL DURLING.

CONGREGATIONAL DUELhNG.
One of the modern methods (no doubt borrowed
from the ancients) of acquiring a cheap reputation
for yaor is TO challenge q man to mortal combat OF
whom it is known that he viii not accept the invita-
lion. Nowhere is this expedient in higher favor
than among the Southern members of Congress.
Mr.. Branch of North Carolina has just given an
Illustration of this fact in bis proposal to fight Mr..
Grow. Mr.. Branch ought to know, and there can
be 10 doubt did know, tkat in all Northern cOnstit-
uencies there is powerful feeling againsduel-
ing, which almost everywhere would be sure TO
end the political career of any Representative who
under any circumstances should be engaged in
duel Most especially would this doom fall upon a
man who should rush into one on matter OF
punctiliO like that with which the Hon. Mr.. Branch
sought to impac Mr. Grow. The idea of man
going out deliberately to mbrue his hands in the
blood of fellow. creature, on account OF mere
misanangement of terms in public discourse, IN
case where no offense was intended is abborrent
TO every sentiment of civilization, to say nothing of
morals, humanity, or Christianity, that a commu-
mtg like any of our Free.State constituencies,
would visit such an Offense with swift and certain
retribution. A man guilty of such deed could not
stand for an instant in the political atmosphere of
the North.
The cases in which any Northern man could fight
duel, OF offer to fight one, without being pOliti-
caly destroyed, are extremely rare. Even in the
emarbable instance of Mr.. Burlingame, where the
patriotic and partisan indignation of the North had
beenroused to the very highest pitch BY the infamous
assault on Mr.. Sumner, Mr.. Burlingames reelection
was periled because Of the manly stand he took on
| that occasion. He was even gracelessly assailed
| by The Boston Post, when candidate for re-
election, directly afterward as "cowardly duel
| "st.' The opposition to him was, happily, not
successful; but the fact that he thus attacked,
at such a time, speaks volumes in regard to the
latent public sentiment the North against duelng.
If public press in South Carolina, under similar
| circumstances, had thus assaed candidate, for
| such an Oiiense the author of the assault would
have been booted out of the State if he had been
happy enough to escape an extemporized gibbet.
| Yes, aNorthern man who felt himsefurged to take
| hated position, from what he deemed aninexorable
necessity, and in full sympathy with the sentiment
of the hour all over the country, was yet denounced
and pursued as "cOwardly duelist" by the lead
ing Democratic organ of New England, backed by
q determined and hopeful effort of that party to
crush him under the charge. This circumstance is
of itself sufficient evidence of what Free-State
representative would have TO encounter who should
dare TO brave the hostility of his constituency by
proposing, or consentng to, the luxury Of a duel
upder ordinary circumstances. AS we have said
he could not stand q moment.
Now it may serve the purposes of the dueling
fraternity to urge that this consideration is really
nothing in the Court of Honor-that q man must
fight regardless of all consequences, when the Code
demands it. This does very well for gentlemen who
at home are not subjected to inconvenience on this
score but who, on the contrary find ii exceedingly
profitable, in personal point of view, to take part
in an affair of honor But until this state of facts is
changed, we shall very lightly esteem all such pro-
testatons. In fighting duels, as in most other
things, men in general are governed by very bust
| ness-like views. We see this in all the circumstan-
ces belonging TO the profession of dueng; fer duel
| ing is profession which has its students and its
adopts as much any other. And this is another
point in which Northern men are taken at great
disadvantage in the business For instance, in the
very matter between Mr.. Branch and Mr.. Grow,
any expert would have bowed himself out
Of Mr.. Grows dilemma with entire ease;
could have done il even gracefully aud
honorably under the Code. When Mr.
Grow had the question suddenly and unexpectedly
sprung upon him, whether he, Mr. Grow, intended
10 impute conduct to Mr.. Branch unworthy ola gen-
leman, all that Dir. Grow had to ssy, to avoid the
subsequent call for satisfaction was to declare that
ho was only abiding to Mr.. Branch in parla-
nentary, and not in a personal sense. But Mr..
Grow did not on the Instant think OF this dueistic
dodge He had not been educated in the dueling
school, and was not familiar with the numberless
eIpedients of that most renowned class ofpersons
known to chiyalry as men of honor" Any one
of these, or mere neophyte in their arts would
bave poked this ready subteriuge at the Iionors-