The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-15
"a Victim of the Code -

We take this caption from one of our
city contemporaries, and are not little
curious to know where this "code" can
be found. We know of but one in exist
ence, and that is so full of vhimsicalities
and nonsense that it would be difficult to
tell whether it was code or a Galway
bull Of the first Irish water. This cele-
brated code was constructed for the pur-
pose of enabling seedy and neglected Irish
gentlemen, or those considering themselves
such, to be shot into responsibility, or, as
celebrated writer of the day expressed it,
"to be shot into the fashion of a gentle
man." Under this code, one poor
fellow, described in "Curran and his Con-
temporaries," was in such execrable bad
odor among his companions at the bar, that
he could get nobody to shoot him. lie
went about challenging erybody-fum-
ing, fretting, chatting and affronting, but
all to no effect. His legal companions,
including the best dead-shots
in Dublin, seemed determined on being
guiltless of his superior blood. "Never
was dilapidated Irish gentleman so unfor-
tunate," says the record, as this poor
fellow, until, at length, one Sir Darlington,
out of pure Christian charity, accepted his
cartel, and shot him into fashion. He was
a man again, without SO much as the
scratch of a hair, or the slightest abrasion of
skin-an Irish gentleman, every inch of
him, restored to all his lost prestige, and
the highest respect and consideration of
society, seedy garments to the contrary,
Notwithstanding. ... -e. .z....
But where is the Virginia code ?n
Where is that quintessence of intangible
law-that ideal rule and embodiment of
social compact-which requires one gentle
man to shoot another into responsibility |?
For the whole "code," as we understand
it, rests upon this point and this only-that
there has been such loss of respectable
ity. in consequence of something done or
omitted to be done, as can only be repaired
by an exchange of shots between the two
gentlemen most Immediately concerned. To
put it on any other ground is to ingredient
the affair with assassination and murder,
which would never do /; for this would be
elevating assassins and murdercrs to the
dignity of gentlemen, or the reverse, which
would be a monstrous peryersion of all
gentlemanly code. But whence the loss
of responsibility A, who is bully,
gives personal affront to B, who is gen.
tleman. B is not to notice it. He sinks
to the level of bully if he does. g, who
is two-thirds of a bully, gives like atfront
to ID, who is a like fractional part of a
gentleman. Still the discrepancy as to
gentility admits of no duel. II requires
one gentleman to shoot another into the
fashion Of gentleman. a
There can be no loss of responsibility
then, except where the parties are equally
balanced as to gentility or certainly nc
loss that can be repaired by an exchange o.
shots. But here again the scale changes, and
now kicks the bully beam. No true gentle
man will give another personal aifront; i
he does, it is universally conceded, among
gentlemen, that the loss of responsibility is
with himself only j; and he can consequently
make no demand on the other to repair
his loss. And so, you may silt tn,
code any way you will, there cal
be no loss of responsibility on the part o
a true gentleman, and no elevation of 1
bully into responsibility, by an exchange
OF shots to repair broken character. A
bully has no character to repair, and tru,
gentleman none to lose, in an affair of honol
based on the idea of personal affront ant
: reparation.
But, it may be urged, one gentleman
owes another an apology, and refuses te
make it. This is the only other ground OF
which duel can be safely predicated, tt
save it from the ingredients of assassination
and murder. "But he owes an apology
: and must be made to pay it," An ex
, change Of shots does this. But on wha
principle? A gentlemen owes you debt
money loaned upon honor, if you please
, He neglects, on demand, to pay it. You pro
pose to give him an acquittance 10y putting
yourself up to be shot at This is thu
logical conclusion Of the apology" argu.
ment. " 5la
Why not come right square out fo
e duelling as means OF personal revenge
, which it is? Put it ON some tangible
, ground-something that will save it from
I the rdicule that must always attach to i
under the Galway code. Don't insist that
, public sentiment demands it, where
D that sentiment requires the parties to b
, placed on trial for murder, when thu
death of either one of them ensues. W.
are pleased to see high sense of honor il
= any community where we may reside; bu
fastidiousness about honor, as if 1t needed
constant patching and mending, or wa
hung up on a punctilio and might be mad'
to draggle al the first Whit of a popular
sentiment, is no great thing for admiration
anywhere. @ # #."
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CoMMOD ORE VANDERBILT conclude
It that discretion is the better part of valor
Il