Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1873-05-21
The Duello.

1T New Ork ORD makes tie
recent duel in Richmond, Virginia.
the particulars OF which appeared in
our Geographic columns N day last
week-the occasion for Il savage arti-
Gle against the code under all circum-
stances 1t is especially severe on the
people OF the South, as the annexed
will show: The ferocity and bloody
purpose of the duel, says the World
seems a~brogated everywhere except
in our Southern States. There it is still
savage and murderous. The honor
of the contest seems TO be correspond
ent with its deadly character. 1t was
thought 4 very fine and manly thing
when years ago a Virginia Congress
mar challenged a Virginia Senator to
jump with him from the summit of
the Capitol. their hands tied together.
Long-haired plantation persons, with
swiftly revolving guilds beneath their
somewhat gaunt iowls and heavy re-
volvers beneath their coat-taiis, stood
transtixed with admiration at this val
orous proposal. 1t came to naught.
More regular methods of contlic
were determined on. They fell back
on firearms. One Of the contestants
was blown out of the world the 9TH
err had his arm blown of, and subse-
quentlv blew his brains out with
whisky-ripened into a fine, healthy,
one-armed drunkard then spent
the remainder Of his life con-
templating the zine quality
of his valor, an ornament Of society.
a person to he particularly admired
and valued. Peculiarly savage and
brutal were many of these Southern
duels. Some were fought with bowie.
knives; some in dark rooms and
Of these latter it is recorded that one
of the beliigerents, not wishing 10
hurt his adversary, fired up the chin
ney with the surprising result of
bringing the said adversary down.
Some were fought with shot-cuns
cra!nmed with buck-shOt-a sort of
artillery and missile which put q good
VI a pdO Silpl oil an cINiilllN anu al
most certainly assured the death of
me or the other, not unfrequently of
both, Of the c~oniuatants. These
duels were frequently fought on pre-
texts of ri 'iculous frivolity. Society
rather applauded the person who had
slain his nan or his dozen men. He
was looked upon as Il hero.
Social conditions out of which such
facts grow cannot indeed be called
civilization. They are conditions of
mere savagery and harbarism. In
stead of the trained reserve and
habitual self-cOmlmand which all
civilized persons must display if thev
would he worthy or even tolerable
members of a community. there was
there exhibited the headlong and
brutal lust of anger, thOughtless of
all things except vengeance, which
characterizes all turbulent and undis-
cipiined people. We thought the
war had to some extent changed these
conditions. OF course the half-horse
and half-alligatOr sort of people
would and will 90 on killing each
other on trivial or no preteXts with
derringers, dOuble-barreled shot
guns, OIL howitzers, Just as it hap ems:
but we hoped that the gentlemen of
that region had turned their attention
to different pursuits. But here comes
news from Virginia that two OF her
choicest swells, panoplied with the
biggest sleeve-buttons, kindled with
the most fiery neckties, and anointed
with the most aromatic hair-oil, have
met on the field Of honor, that both are
dangerously and one perhaps mortal
" wounded. The cause Of the
strife was, as is usual with COM
batants of their age and advan-
tageS of costume, a woman
There was first a quadrille, then a
little conversation, then an anOny-
nous poem, then mor conversations;
following which came the catastrophe,
which may bear results better deserv-
ing of stern censure and lega. punish
ment than of that ri icule which all
sensible persons desire to cast upon
it. It matters little that two empty,
hot-headed youths parade themselves
at ten PAGES and hurl leaden slugs
into one anoth sabdomens on trivial
questions of dispute, literary or anna
tory but it matters much that there
is in any community a public senti-
ment which not only condones such
offenses but makes heroes OF such
offenders.