The sun., 1873-07-03
The Revival of puc,I,ng.


! styled the Cole of Honor. Two members
! of fashionable club IN tins city re-
/ Gently went TO Canada and exchanged
shots. neither Of them was in
/ iurrd, although the thiVh Of one wus
! cra1ed by the ban from the pistol of his
antagonist.
An encounter near New O.lp1us was at
! tended by more serious consequences.
Col r. Is. RIiErr, Jr., editor of the
PtcOyUHc, an accomplished writer aud
gentleman, challenged Judge WILLIAM II.
COOLEY. They met AZ IA retired spot, an
opening in the pine woods, about two
hours rice from Now Orleans. The
weapons, selected by Judge COOLEY, the
challenged party, were doubl,-barrclleI
fowlmR pieces, only one barrel loaded, and
that with single ball. On the first fire
neither of them was hit; hut they were
bloody and bent on the work of
death, and one shot did not suffice. So-
they loaded and fired again, when Judge
CooLVv fell, mortally wounded. His only
words were: II AN shot through the
heart;' and he expired in six minutes.
one good influence may be hoped for
from the RnETT and COOLEY duel the
character OF the weapons used was 80 eS-
cCcdingly barbarous as to produce in con-
nection with the fatal result, IA shock TO
the public mind which would have been
less felt had pistols been employed.
TO lght n duel in this state. or to leave
the state for the purpose Of lighting "a duel
elsewhere, s made by statute II state
prison offence.
Soon after this law was passed, Gen.
JAMES WATSON WrBB. at that time editor
of the courier and Enquirer, had II diff
Guilty with col. Tom MARSHALL, an ecccn-
tI1c and eloquent member Of Congress
from Kentucky, ami "a nephew of the great
Chief Justice MARSHALL. A challenge
passed between them, and WEBB left the
state to hght. He received an ugly flesh
wound in the calf of the leg. aud came
hmpne home only 10 he more severely
dealt with by tho law.
JONATHAN CIILuy, "A member of Congress
from Maine, had been killed in a duel only
a short time previously 10y WILLIAM f.
GRAVES, n Representative from Kentucky,
IN difficulty also growing out of WEBB's
matters. GRAvES had l,oeu the bearer of n
challenge from WEBB. which was refused
on the ground that WEBB was not a gentle
nan. GRAVES theu as hc was bound by
tb, code to de-. TarHw"d ih" "h"' .i,ge IN
hi, own name, and on the second iirc-the
weapons were r,lrs--Eot his antagonist
through the heart, Killing him instantly.
Ji. GBANr. Who wis Il practising lawyer
i'm Iuu.~s ME. died Il few years aftcward.
Many people thought that he was broken
down by rcmor-e; but ne stated to old
Gen WootIUT not long before his death
that his conscience had never troubled
him about that duel; that he looked upon
1 ~ a political necessity; and that he
Killed. col CILLEY without feeling the
/ least malice toward him.
Owing especially 10 these preceding cir
c,mstanccs the public feeling against
, duoling wn' very strong nj the time Col.
WEBB fought, and there was "A general de-
mand for his punishment. But as soon as
he wa, convicted this feeling changed to
one OF clcmcucy toward him. II WIS felt
that hc had suffered II good deal already,
and there was an almost universal desire
manifested that he should not be sent to
prison.
4 petition for his pardon was inme-
] diutcly started. II was headed by JAMES
/ GoRpoN BENSETT, the editor of the HcI-
/ dld. who had once be, n assaulted bv WfBu
/ in the street. and had ever since been his
| unsparng foe. WILLIAM II. SEWARD was
/ M thnt time Governor of New York. ill
/ granted the pardon, coupled with the sin
/ gulnr condition that Col. WEBB should not
engage in another duell
| The courier ana Enquirer used TO poke
a good Il, al of nn at HORACE GREELEY IN
! those days, especially about his vegetarian
dict aud ncouth dress. Finally GREELEY
rptult"d one morning with the remark
that he had never in his life worn IL SUIT o
clothes which excited half the attention
that cob WEnH's would have attracted
but for the executive clemcncy of Gov
SEWARD!
We trust that tho effort 10 revive duel
ling Will be 50 stcnly discouutcnanced y.
the community that il will never come Il
he looked upon again as the appropriate
resort 81 gentlemen for settlement %
their differences. There are other mode
of redress for grievances quite as adequate
for this il very impcrfrct-and more il
accordance with civilization and Chris
tiouitV