The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-16
he Dswfe Kr0s Centrsversy-Prys~
Vorsws Potter.

Vorsws Potter.
As might naturally be expected. the news 4
papers generally allude to the ridiculous and
cowardly way in which Pryor sneaked out OF
his difficulty with Potter in such terms as the
conduct Of the virginiau Bobadh deserves.
One or two Of the lesser democratic organs.
however, attempt to manufacture some weak
apologies for him, but they only make the mat
ter worse.
One Of these journals has an articIe-of the
incomprehensible schoos-in which we find the
wonderful statement THAI 1.-The principal reason
why Potter wants to kill Pryor, or Pryor Pot
ter, Is that one has been elected by black re-
publicans and the other not,v and that the
black republicans are responsible for the fact
that Pryor behaves like q blackguard. Fur
Their on, that Mr.. Potter's proposition to fight
with knives was atrocioas and savage, and
''shows that he has no TASTE" Potter, "instead
of taking quiet, gentlemanly pop with q
pistol, insists on murderous and unusual
weapons" and he therefore brings .'the duello
into bad repute."
Now, the fact about the matter is that Pryor
bullied Potter on the floor of the House, expect
ing that he would recede from a position pre-
viously taken; that Potter did not recede that
Pryor sent him a peremptory challenge; that
Potter accepted it, and chose weapon very
common In Pryor's section of the country;
that Pryor backed out and showed feather
whittier than snow, and larger than any ever
known in any pathological museum eince tina
deluge.
The objection to the chosen weapon made by
Pryor's side is untenable for various reasons.
Pryor, having peremptorily challenged Potter,
laid himself open to any terms he might die,
tate. Under the old code-the genteman's
code, we mean-the challenged party had
always the right to magnify the danger of the
encounter, and the, challenger was bound to
accept the terms dictated by his adversary, or
bear the reproach of cowardice. The code
presumes that when man calls his enemy out
he means mischief; that he is prepared to meet
the challenged party with any weapons used in
ancient or modern warfare The first weapon
of attack and defence we have any account of
h the human fist and that still shares with the
knife and pistol the affections of the governing
classes in this country. Then came the Roman
sword; afterwards the long broadsword of the
Crusaders; and, as the world became more
elegant and effeminate, the napier, which came
in under Henri Quatre, and is to this day the
recognized duelling weapon in France. The
rapier is q sort of Elzivir edition of the Roman
sword, and the bowie knife is not unlike the
weapon used by the armies of Caesar and Marc
Antony. The Roman sword was twenty inches
long, the broadsword sometimes thirty-two to
thirty-six, and Colonel Bowie made his elegant
article between hunting knife and sword,
with wide blade ten inches in length.
Colenel Lander, it appears, had an az
lection for five pound bowies, the blades of
length. So the bowie knife is not vulgar in
strument. On the contrary, it is classic. The
only objection to It'll that it is very much pa
tronized by border rufians and members Of
Congress.
In this country, at any rate, there is no rea-
son'why the invention of Colonel Bowie should
be ruled out of the list of duelling weapons,
because there Is no fixed weapon used exclu-
sively In such encounters. The Colonel him
self fought duel STIMULATING for the use of his
own knife. Some years ago two persons who
held much higher position in Virginian soci-
ETY. than Mr.. Pryor can ever hope for, namely,
Mesars. Richie and Peasants, fought with
bowie knives, and no one said it was vulgar.
In Mississippi, Louisiana, California, and other
States where the code is recognized, such en-
counters are common.
This view Of the matter must be taken by the
South. The South sustained Mr.. Breckenridge
when he accepted the challenge of Mr.. Cutting
and chose rifles. Mr.. Cutting declared that the
rife was not gentleman's weapon, and that
he never discharged one in his life. Breckin-
ridge adhered, however, and there was no aght.
The South is, Of course, as much opposed as
the North to the way in which some members,
like Ashmore and Pryor, talk fight, and then
manage to wriggle out when there is
any danger to their precious skins
Thus in Pryor's case every chance
was given to the challenger. Lander,
upon the principle held in the Graves and Cilley
afair-(Graves was the second of Webb when
Cilley refused to fghD-was quite ready to
meet Pryor, or his second, with any weapons
they might select; but they had been quite near
enough to a fight with plucky man, and
Pryor skunk out of the affair in the most pitiable
way. There is nothing in this world so mean,
so contemplate, and at the same time so much
an object of compassion, as crestfallen,
detected, exposed, snubbed bully. No hole
ought to be too small for such fellow as
Pryor to crawl into, and hide his head from the
sight of all decent men. His apologists might
as well go along with him.
EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERIES BY THE COvODE
INVESTIGATING CoMSnrrEE.-We directed atten-
ton week ago to the ridiculous and absurd
questions of the Forney-H askin-C ovode com