New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-28
TILE or THO CITIES.

printed TWO bIOlIco III lliC it'oO 10" wy VIZ"
should not pass without comment. One Is a
tale of life in New York City, the other OF life
in Richmond. Each points terrible moral, and
indicates want of strength in our society which
should receive the attention of every lover oil
his race.
In dark neighborhood of New York
CITY we find ruflian named Larkln, ac-
companied by one or two of his friends, set
ting forth in the middle of the night, mad
dened with liquor, determined upon quarrel.
This man was known to fame as the hacker
of q celebrated pugist and leading
politcian OF Tammany Hall. He was
the representative of controlling clement
of New-Y6rk politics, 10 worse ana no
better than the men around him-a fair sample
of what might be called the Politician of the
Period. He enters q low grog-shOp, calls for
drink and food, aud forces a quarrel upon The
proprietor. A more terrible combat we have
scarcely known. A woman was standing
by. "her terror being great as to
deprive her of both motion and speech.
There was sailor in the company,
whose comment was that he " had just
seen one of the prcttiest tights he had
lever Witnessed What was the nature
of this contest7 Campbell, powerfully-built
man. over six feet in hight, threw himself
upon his opponent, Larldn, who was
also muscular and strong. When the
police came, Campbell, with the night
EARN thrown around Larbin and still glasping
" the carving knife, was pressing the uncon-
" scious man back against the wall with the
cleft It required the combined efforts OF the
"oilicers to tear Campbell from the body OF
"his almost lifeess opponent Blood formed
Gin pools upon the floor. The table and arti-
'cles upon it had blood upon them. There
twas blood upon the gas jet, and the wall
"bore the impress Of Larkin's bloody head and
"hand.r "The physicians state that in all
"thcir experience in post norton examinations
" they never before saw person so fnghtiully
beaten and stabbed. Seven OF the wounds
were considered fatal, any one of them alone
being sufficient TO produce death" Here are
two men without enmty, without knowledge
of each other, without rivalry, without motive
for quarrel They meet casually, and out OF
the brutality of their nature springs this fear
full personal combat, in which one IS hacked TO
death and the other alive only by miracle
When Iarkin was found he held pistol IN his
hand which had not been discharged. But Tor
the agility and savage assault of Campbell,
il ia possible that both of them would
las been victims of their demonism The moral
of this is only another appeal in favor of tenn
perance. IL is the old. old story of wine taking
nosses,ion of the man, and making him devll,
especially with a man of brutal nature, and
low instinct. When honor and decency die,
very little remains. TO q man who can live
like Larkin, and be the associate OF bull
lies aud prize -hghters, and the representative
of the worst element Of American society, hui
man life is of little moment. The death he met
was the death lac sought to. give. The philoso-
pher may see in this whole combat the stern
law of rctributon, but he will see beneath 1t
an absence of honor, Of true courage and de
cency, which il saddening. Why need we read
of the cannibals in the South Sea Island, when
these missionary fields surround and darken
our own homes
On the morning of Tuesday last, the editor
of n Richmond journal. driving in from his
country residence, was entering his Office.
accompanied by ono of his staff. AS he saun-
tered up the steps. his companion heard n shot.
The editor fell within two feet of him. and
" still held his cane and gloves in his hand.
" lie had fallen on his face. He made no eX-
" clamation. but groaned, and instinctiyoly put
" his hand behind him where his pistol was
1t was the groan of death, for gun-shot had
entered his heart. The editor was known to
the American people as a violent SecessiOnist
and the conductor of journal which had done
much toward destroying the peace of Virginia
His assassin was a Young Nirginian, the son of
"A rich family, well born as Virginia birth gOcs,
IL II 10 hal nlr
room opposite the editors office, and locked it.
Aiming himself with one rifle-pistol, Colts.
repeating pistol, Dorringer pistol, and a shot
gun, he had deliberately waited until his vic
tim made his appearance in the street. and then
killed him. When the officer came he surren-
dered himself, and simply said, "lou will see
me protectcd;r to which the minister of the
law replied, Certainly ami this Virginia
gentleman, well born and highly connected,
with the blood of assassination upon his hands,
went out into the world to receive the accla-
nations of his class.
The history of the Southern States is full
of reckless daring. In these warm countries
where life is SO easily sustained there has
always been great contempt for life. The
annals of tho early settlement of the South
w 'oI iN iuiA VI uuSlS' H'iSoiiil Ch'VuhtNlS anu
fierce cQmbats in which we find rude men de
liberately Staying one another to satisfy
rough notion of honor Much rs We may
have deplored the sentiment Ihat made exist
cnce SO cheap, it was generally attended with
n sort of coarse chivalry which took from it
the malignant element of murder. If Andrew
Jackson attacked Thomas IL. Benton in the
public highway, Benton knew his intentions,