Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-12-19

the pQDllc, anu not Wltn the peTSollai HctS of any one, and this seemed to satisfy him. Several gentlemen present well recolect this fact But this did not seem to satisfy his master, for the .S,qte Jornal published the next morning. contained dennnciation oE our article and personal attack on our self, un Ter the signature ot Durgevih.
 Now, if our article had been really offen sive, and Burgevn had, as he pietends, been governed by the code of honor. the time 10 lemanl satisfaction was when 1t was first publi>hed for the code does not 1 recognize the iteration anl reiteratlor Of l offensive language; 1t requires parties, w,o l consider themselves aggrieved. to demanl l satisfaction at once. Then, when Burgevin first dipped his pen in ink 10 write against Us. or our article which he seemcd to think reflected upon him. he did so to write to the world that he did not intend to fight. We responded to his article, and our read CTS know the purport of that response. Ii it was severe on Burgevin 1t is only because truth is severe on him. Everything we stated is not only susceptible of proof, but widely known to be true.
 Then Burgevin challenged us and the Governor bore his challenge. The reason of calling us out was stated to be that we were physically unoIle to meet Burgevin- conveying the intimaton that, but for our alleged physically disability, no challenge would have beeh sent. We declined to make any response in writing, but told the Governor to tell Burgeein that we were physically the equal of him or any other man who felt aggreved by any act of ours. If, like some, men, we had thought it nee essary to take out a certificate of personal courage, we ght have shot Burgevih; bat we are in no such strait, and shooting him would not change single fact against him. He would have jed a> he has lived, dis graced by his own acts and without the chance, which he will have as long as he does live, to do something towards mend ing his ways.
 Suppose, though. we had planted our self npon the bloody code, no ono who knows him, would expect any decent man to meet Burgevn as an equal. The con- sequence, then, would have been that, by the code, the Governor would have had to challenge us, but no fight would have come of it, for Governors and high functionaries who profess to stand upon the duelling co le. generally make 1t convenient to have 1 friends to intervene, and, after the exchange of several diplomatic notes, the affair Is 1 pronounced to be settled, "in a manner alike satisfactory and honorable to all par tie, concerned!'' The consequence, then, would have been, that we would have got
  | ten the advantage of the Governor in the papers Of the case, and he would have been | damaged as he was in certain affair of { honor few years ago. But both the writer and the bearer of this challenge to us knew that, while we have admitted that many good and brave men, tr,m what we think a misconception, do recognize the { duellng code, at the same time we have refused to recognize it, have in our paper 1 often denounced 1t, as a relict of barbari>m, and said that, as a general thing, dueIlinR was the profession ot towards, and the practice of murdeIers. We scoln the trick ! cry resorted to in the name of the code, as we contemn the towards who practice It.
 If the parties who desire to make them selves appear sucn belligercnts in this case, would draw a veil over their past bal acts, ' and establish for themselves anything lihr respectable reputation, we would renew our suggestion, aliealy made to one of them, that the only way of doing that thing. is to put guns on their shoulders, ! and fight, as common soldiers, until their l merit is discovered in the army. Ii they do not 10 this they are lost beyond the hope of redemption.
 1 It is probable that we may be summoned ! before the Grand Jury to testify a. to this 1 affair, but there need be no fear that any one will he indicted, for when Burgevin wrote the challenge, and t.e Governor de | livcred, both knew it, from what had long since been given out in our paper, that there would be no fight. If called upon to testi- 1 fy as to this matter, then we shall be com | pelled by truth to say, that we think it was a Hnessing operation, by which it was hoped to restrain the freedom of the press, and an attempt to repair worn out reputation; ant that the attempt, as to the attainment of both of these ends, proved an entire fail ure.
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