The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-03

day gayety that prevailed among the crowds as
they precipitated themselves on the Arkansas
shore. Prentiss treated the matter in the same
spirit with the spectators, and his repartees were
passed like electrical currents from mouth to
mouth. 1t was grand spectacle, and nothing
more. After he was placed on the ground he
heard twig of a tree break over his head,
and looking up observed rosy-oheeked,
blue.eyed boy belonging to one Of his neigh
bors. The opportunity for jest did not
escape him.
"Get down, my little man." said he, "for
Governor Foote is poor shot, and you may
get wounded with his pistol"
What must have been Governor Foote'S
feelings as he heard this allusion to his want
of skill can well be imagined. ,
1t was miracle of excellent surgery that
Governor Foote was not killed, Prentis5' ball
making sad havoc in his person; and it is safe
to say that if death had ensued the naturally
susceptible tendencies Of Mr.. Prentiss' nature
would have driven him mad.
Thirteen years after Mr.. Prentiss fought
Governor Foote he found himself enriched
with wife and children, and no one seemed
more happy than he in his domestic circle.
For language used before Court while attend
ing to his professional duties he received
challenge. The sacred home responsibilities
under which he was placed gave new phase
to the circumstance; yet while suffering the
most intolerable agony, he could not refuse
to fight. He reasoned with himself, re-
GREETED the necessity, contemplated with
agony the possibility of leaving his family
unprotected, yet he could not resist the temp
tation. He finally wrought himself up with the
idea that he must fight for his wife and chill
dren, and he conceived that his mortal suf-
fering was a trial of his faith through his
religious teachings. Mr.. Prentiss, while he was
thus walking in the "valley and shadow of
death, " was to the world calm, dspassionate,
and often playfully witty. Yet he writes that
the two weeks previous to the contemplated
meeting che did nothing but pray, weep, and
read the Bible-that he was worn away to a
perfect shadow, and tottered like an old man"
What melancholy picture what terrible
fascination
This fear of public opinion has seldom
indeed been resisted. Mr.. Prentiss confess
sions Of remorseful suffering, which we
have quoted because they have been
anthentically published to the world,
are no doubt characteristic of those of every
man who has been reared to look upon
dueling as crime, while the remorse which
we think always follows the shedding of blood
in duel is universal, whatever may have
been the early education. We have the re-
cord of one distinguished gentleman who had
the moral courage to refuse a challenge, an I
the affair is doubly interesting from the cha
racter of the parties engaged.
In the year 1856 the Hon. T. B. Hill, Presi-
dental elector in the height of political dis
cussioD, spoke of the Hon. Alexander Stephens
subsequently Vice-President of the Southern
Confederacy) Gas having betrayed the Whig
party, aud OF having acted worse towards it
than Iscariot by abusing it afterwards"
Words personally more harmless, it seems,
could not have been uttered; yet Mr.. Stephens
took offense, and opened detailed correspon-
dence. No understanding was effected, and
Practice @ SoPhsnt o The dueo i0eG5Sns posted 10 Mp the
Hill as a coward. Now, this occurred in
Georgia, where the public sentiment was in
favor of duelling; both the parties were
Southern men, and had Southern men for con-
stituents, and yet Mr.. Hill, more courageous
than Mr.. Prentiss, accepted the direful conse-
quences; and instead of seeking redress with
pistols, was content to make an appeal to the
intelligent and good in vindication of his con-
duct. His letter is fine specimen of logic
and in few words, and in better manner
than we have ever before seen, disposes of the
subject. In his reply to Mr.. Stephens he
says
''You say that my letter, both in tone and
manner, is personally offensive in itself, and
without specifying anything you designate as
offensive you proceed 70 ASK OF me 'that salts.
iacI,on whjch r. lS uSpsi oeCWeea seintaeen IN IN
you TO shoot at me, though 1 should entertain
no great fear of being hit; but candor requires
deliberately shoot at you, and for many rea-
sons-a few only of which will now give.
81 might possibly kill you; and though you
may not consider your life valuable, yet to take
1t would be o great annoyance TO me ever after
ward, The ceaseless accusations of my con.
science that was murderer would be the bane
OF all my future happiness,
"If the invitation to mortal combat is ins
tended as mere formal occasion to exchange q
few harmless shots, and then have an adjust
ment, j can only say that l never engage in
1arces, or make feigned issues. If / could be
made conscious that had done you injustice
should deem it duty to repair IT, and should
not wait first to be shot at. If you did me in
1t does seem made 81 shot which produced q
VideT If not deeper sore than any within the
power OF powder and ball to produce
"Now, sir (as always speak plainly will
only add that know of nothing which has oc.
CURED between you and me which could
authorize or Justify q duel; and while have
never at any time had an insult offered me, nor
an aggression attempted, l shall vet know how
10 meet and repel any that may be offered by
any gentleman who may presume upon this
refusal or otherwise"
| This correspondence occurred more than
twelve years ago, and was at the time the sub
ject of vast amount of newspaper contro-
versy throughout the country. 1t is no doubt
true that the thinking solid men of Georgia,
as a general thing approved of Mr.. Hill 3
conduct, and yet there is reason to believe it
injured that gentleman's availability as can
didate for Office, though it did not affect his
social standing or professional career.-Harp-