Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-01-25
HOOTs aaIpI
0Duers ana Due,rinr.
From the louisville Courier.l

In the good old days." whereof Sii
Jonah Darlington is the most approved
,chropicler when to hunt foxes, and ride
races. aud fight duels, and drink oceans
OF hot whisky punches we're the esseutia
marks of " f ae ould Irish gentleman,
and it was positive luxury to pluck your
man before breakfast, there existed q
Code of Homer so bloody and 80 bruta
that it came into discredit even among
the people of Galway where it had mos
partisans. 1t was superseded ly on Eng
ish Code, which was q trihe less barbar'
ous. This was finally modified by the
importation of the broad.sword and rapieI
from France and Germany; but in Amer
lea during the last half century the code
of South Caroline, which observed q
sort of middle ground between the
Saxon and Creole Codes has prevailed
Originally, however, there was no code
at all.f A duel was duel Seclusion
was csnsidered necessary TO its perfec-
ton, and seconds we're unknown to it.
At length third party, an umpire, was
admitted, and ultimately friends" or
seconds" were introduced, till of late
years it has not been unusual for great
numbers of people to be present. But
in England and Germany, where the
highest standards of law and culture ex-
ist and where society has reached a de.
gree of conventional order most srdently
sought by all civilized people, the duel
has become not ouly obsolete but dis
reputable.a gRwE wEWEE
The reason is obvious even ito those
who hold that, if men must fight. is is
better to fight like Christians" Duels,
which were originally most sanguinary
and disastrous, gradually came to possess
fewer terrors until they were made light
of and languished out of fashion. And,
as the law grew to be more popular by
giving greater protection and securing
more satisfactory redress, and as gentle-
men themselves observed more courte-
ous demeanor toward one another, the
desire to refer differences of q personal
nature to the arbitration Of deadly
weapons decreased as the occasions be-
came less and less frequent. Thus duel
in Europe, outside of doubtful class in
France, is an extraordinary occurrence.
Real injuries are taken before the courts,
where they properly belong .Fanced in
juries are dispoeed OF by friends. Harsh
language, born of sudden passion, is al
most unheard, and when heard is seldom
needed. This ia the practical result of
civilization joined to the industrlsiism
which rules the present course of most
mem thoughts and actions.
In certain parts of our own land the
duel Is still resorted to in extreme cases.
But the combstants are generally to be
found among the younger members of
society. Wherever age and experience,
combining recognized courage to un-
doubted reason, are allowed to intervene,
they have succeeded in staying blood
shed, and preserving. in part at least,
lava which do not lack In explicitness
and rigor. But laws are the creatures OF
public opinion. No one within our mem
ory has been successfully prosecuted for
murder, although many lives have been
sacrificed under the code of honor; and
we doubt whether, in the existing state of
popular sentiment, successful prosecu-
tious would amount to much. The war,
which developed personal courage 10 un-
common measure, and illusteated it be-
yond the possibility Of suspicion by so
many thousands of examples, did much
to moderats the dueling proclivities
among Us. 1 HU
A man is of course less sensitive when
be feels that his antecedents place his
M -rage beyond the shadow Of question.
wsn ,oo who have survived the perils of
battIe rate the a,:;.nlay of individual valor
uar ar' 90, somawha, lover ssoale. An anec-
dote is told of Gov. Scott, the o,c lAqisn
fighter, which exemplifies this A eha'-
lenge being placed in his hands. ne care,
lessy read it over. and began leisurely 20
tear tito pieces. The bearer said, wen,
Governor, what are you going to 90 ahont
it2' The Governor said, qnietiy, ou
see what L m doing" Why, don't you
Intend to tight7"E No. "Then he'll
most YOU" "Post me how post me |"
z Post you as q coward" The old Gov
ernor, who wac universally recognized ss
about the brayest man of bis time, rose
to his feet, and, with hosrse voice and
flashing ave, replied, {" If he does be will
post himself as God damned liar I
But, where dueiing is sanctioned and
the estimate of mans personal oour-
age enters largely into the popular vie"
Of bis character, it requires either very
palpshle record or very. strong moral
sense 70 dsnljps q challenge. Almost
every man eutertains pretty much the
view OF the duel 10 the a5strsot EhIch We
have expressed. Men who have often
fought duels have only reprobstion 70
offer for dpeliug. Governor Henry s.
Foote once said . have had thiriy-one
personal encounters, aud | siFs Il as the
experience of my life that there were Sut
two q the thirty one that might not have
beer avoides 9Th perfect homer to every !
one concerned
Tnis may be said Of ninsiS,sine out Of
every han ndred that are fought or dreansd
of. They are slE-ost always the fruit OF
sudden psssion rather thsl yilful injury;
but IN s.sher esse the renedg IS sssy.
The higbest honor is that which repairs
its wrong-doing aud Ieealis ms nasty
words. Next to this the nBsst el4isalJ
is that which is 90 cultivated " uassy
generosity and grace that It never gives
osesss This should be The ain oi gen