The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-15
1.-THE CODE OF HONOR :"

"THE CODE OF HONOR
There has been feud between them.
(the Richmond Enquirer and JVhiq)
amounting to vendetta" since the duel
between Richie and Peasants in 1915. in
which the latter was killed. Several duels
have been fought since that time and hostile
feeling has continued very bitter. The pre-
sent affair is peculiar in one respect, and
MIR. James Q. Southall, of the Enquirer,
deserves credit for taking position which
will tend not only to interrupt the personal
warfare between these papers, but to rob
the duelling system of its last remaining
popularity, even in Richmond. He is in
family and personal history representa-
tive Southern gentleman, and the following
words from his pen are significant :" All
know who have been conversant with my
lifelong opinions, that | would neither give
nor accept challenge to fight a duel.n
We are sorry that Mr.. Southall felt obliged
to assure the public of his personal courage
by informing his opponent that he was
ready to resist IN proper manner any
attack made upon his person." and virtu-
ally to taunt him with not resenting
newspaper attack by a street fight. The
principle of duelling, however, is boldly
set aside by Mr.. Southall, and if other
Southern gentlemen follow his example,
we have no fear that the curbstone brawl
will take its place as an established and
popular institution.-N. Y. Erening Post.
We copy the above from one of the
ablest and most influential journals of the
country as an evidence of the general dis
favor with which the educated mind of the
country looks upon the institution of
duelling. The New York Eceniaq Post, it
is well known, is not an extreme journal
in politics, nor is it at all illiberal or unjust
in the judgments it pronounces upon pub
lie men or public measures. 1t is more
conservative, perhaps, than any other Re-
publican journal in the whole North, if not
as much so as any Democratic journal any
where. The men who edit it are old-lne
Wings, and old-school gentlemen of the
VIM. Cullen Bryant stamp, and their opin-
ions have great weight in all educated cir
Giles and may be taken as constituting the
higher tone of sentimentprevailing in Ameri-
can society. AS it makes the late short
but sharp and decisive utterance of one of
our city contemporaries the subject of
leading editorial article, we give our read
ers the benefit of its chief point, with some
opinions of our own which we may not
find better opportunity to express than
now.
An EDITORS position is one that calls for
higher spirit of manliness and indepen-
dence than almost any other that can be
named. He is called upon, almost daily
and hourly, to pass Judgment, in one way
or another, upon whatever is passing
around him. For he is not only to give
the current events of the day, but he is to
apprise the public as to their character, and
accord his approval or condemnation as the
circumstances Of each particular case shall
require. This duty is imperatively de-
manded of every journalist who would
make his profession what it should be, and
who would give to the press the legitimate
power it should at all times exert. "The
liberty of the press" says Junius, sis
the palladium of all the civil, political and
religious liberty of an Englshman.n I'll
this be true in government that is mon
archical in form and principle, it is vastly
more so in republic which depends for its
stability upon the intelligence of the people
md the proper diffusion of knowledge and
correct principles among them.
With this duty of sharply crticising the
actions and opinions of men in their public
as well as those who set the con-
'entlonahties of society aside in their inter-
course with the world, an Independent
journalist may be called upon any number
II times in year to respond to some spit
ire of duellist who may imagine himself
'ggrieved by this independence of Journal
SIN. And here is where the inquiry
presses, whether the editor should turn
aside from his legitimate duties as Jour
lalist to fight every professional spitfire
Who may send in his card of proposed en-
The answer of every sensible |
nan will be the same, that no legitimate
criticism upon the actions or opinions of
public men, and no properly scathing re-
Duke administered to those who set the
of society aside, will ius-
lily either the giving or accepting chal-
enge on the part of an editor. We now
peak of communities in which the " code
# honor" so-called, is recognized insti-