Worcester daily spy., 1861-05-22

duel and one of an attempted assassination,
both of which help to illustrate the heat of
American blood, and the carelessness with
which the semi.Indian Yankee regards his
own life and that of his enemy,-ferce shade
of Colonel Bowie, bear with me while
write.
A few years since, an American merchant,
not unknown or unregarded by me, was com
PEELED to demand payment of a debt from
banker of high standing in a southern city,
whose affairs, it was generally reported, were
getting daily more and more embarrass-
ed The banker, after many turns and
windings, at last reluctantly fixed upon
day for an interview and a settlement.
The day came, the men met the merchant
calm and inflexibly persistent, the banker pale,
uneasy, restless, and Disconnected. Suddenly
the banker leaped to the door, double locked
it, and putting a revolver to the merchants
heaG, swOre he would blow his brains out if
lie did not instantly sign an aequittance free.
ing him from all charges. He expected to
intimidate, but the miserable bastard little
knew my friend, He knew the cheating
coward did not dare to fire, and he braved
him, and forced him at last, cowed and bat-
fled, to open the door and let him forth The
instant he left the house, he went to a friend
and chose a second, named rifles as the weap.
ons, distance forty PAGES, each man as he fired
to advance ten PAGES for the second shot, till
one or both fell. Half that night, leaving his
his friends in his boelbar to drink and wran-
gle about the quarrel, the merchant spent pre-
pairing for death, alone in his bedroom. He
would not drink he said, because he was de-
termned to kill his man, The other half he
went to bed to sleep soundly, so that his
nerves might be in full tension, and his eye
and aim sure, on the morrow. But at day
break the bedroom door opened, and friend
entered, bringing a message Of retraction from
the banker. AT first the merchant would not
receive the apology. He wanted no apology.
Nothing but lite would satisfy him. 1t was
great crime he had to revenge.
Three times repulsed, three times the her
aid returned, with each time fuller and fuller
offers of contrtion and abasement The viii
lain was a coward. Next day, in full ex-
change, and amid friends and enemies the
guilty man knell to his injured foe, and con-
tessed his sin. Perhaps not cowardice bowed
him, but the sense OF deep conrition and
shame. From that day till this the guilty man
has never lifted up his head among his com
panions. He walks the streets of --a brand.
ed and dsgraced coward.
Years ago this happened; yet, when the
merchant told it me, his eyes kinded like
those OF hungry wolf when he smells food,
his great chest dilated, and his sinewy hands
seemed to feel round him for his rifle. Yet he
was as tender-hearted man as ever kissed
chllds forehead, and, save when ro used by in.
suit would not have hurt fly.
But what is this to stories | could tell you,
on equally reliable testimony, of duels fought
but yesterday in the western states, in dark
rooms, in saw-pits, or 'in open day, with
knives, each cOmbatant having Ills right arm
tied to his enemy s And did not visit that
lively place on the Mississippi, where the rival
stats Of the Daily Avalanche and Daily Mos
quito used To meet every other week, and
pot at each other with rifles in the open
street?
But OF the attempted assassination. 1t was
Captain Bunser OF Mobile who told me that Il
year ago, having exerted himself to rescue
American sailors from the hands of the lodg-
ing-house keepers, who get hem in debt and
then ship them off trunk, receiving their
wages for them in advance,--a vile $ stem,
thai is worse than dry-rot TO the American
navy,-one night, returning from Il party, a
notorious crimp whom he had observed dodg
ing him, suddenly fired at him, (the captaiu,)
sending a bullet through his hat. He (ihe
captaln) ran to the nearest guard house, aud
begged the man might be instantly arrested.
Not ihey~--nOt man would stir.
"Why | guess" said the foreman, splitting
disgusItuly, 'mister you amt hurt What on
arth's the use OF troubling? Let well alone"
And SO the man escaped. So much TOR the
sanctity of life. These are hard facts, o shade
OF Col. Bowie; relate them with regret, yet
not with any self,righteOusness. When the
Highla:dcrs carried aims, they fought perpet-
ually; when we English carried swords, eve
ry tavern night had its DUEL when we Eliza
betlans wore daggels, stabbings were perpet.
ua
Yet still, o Colonel though Indians are rag
ing on your frontier, and the desperadoes Of all
Europe throng your cities, still regret the
Ameflcan's habit Of carrying arms. 1t is hard
to forgive when one has pistol in his pocket
and knife next the shirt. The shot fired,
the knie-bow struck, is too often irremedia.
Bile. The fist gives time for reflection, and a
man must be bad indeed if he does not relen!
before the hour or two it takes to pnmmel an
enemy to DEATH
Brother jonathan Brother Jonathan
throw, then, to the butcher thy butchering
knife, double thy fist like a man, give up
gouging and other Indian and barbarous prac
tices, and learn to fight and be friends" as the
good old English maxim runs.