Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-08-07
Is DueIIing Murder?

A writer in one of the city daily
papers argues in favor of dueIling, on
the ground that man has a right to
defend his reputation at the risk of
his life, and, when both parties con
sent to the exposure, no wrong is done
to either.
This is the popular idea, and so in
bred is the error that it is not likely
a jury can be found in any commu
nifty. North or South, to adjudge a
dueIlst guilty of murder when he
Stays his antagonist We notice the
sentiment in the case of two business
men of this city who went to Canada
few days ago and shot at each other.
Had either of them pursued the other
across the line and attempted to as
sassinate him, the city would have
cried out against him and demanded
his punishment. But as both went
voluntarily TO be targets, their duel,
though an offence against our law.
and going out of the State for the
purpose of lightning a duel is punish
able in the States prison, no attempt
is made to arrest these men, who are
now pursuing their ordinary business
as if they had not exposed themselves
to an ignominious penalty. The crime
they have committed is morally the
same as if they had killed each other,
and the law has very properly pro
vided punishment suited. not to the
moral character of the crime, but to
the offence in the eye of society.
But when the public sensibility is
ShOnlyaA If hoe hoon hvy tho
fatal duels in Richmond and New Or
leans, the actors subject themselves to
the reused and righteous Indignation
of the people, and we ask ourselves,
with some considerable seriousness,
if we do not indeed live in the midst
of civilization and Christianity.
The New Orleans duel, which re
suited in the death of Judge Cooley,
was fought with ''buckshot guns at
the distance of forty PAGES Pace of,
that ground, forty steps, and think of
two rational men, with immortal souls,
standing with guns in their hands and
shooting at each other with intent to
kill Has the spectacle in it one
feature of civilization? Has reason,
even, been the guide of these men in
IiG uuCSbIOlS GIldG HAVE DEOu0nJ IuGtu
now face to face with death and judg-
ment? And Christianity how it
shudders at the thought that these
men profess to be under the control
of its precepts, and responsible to its
Author! Tried by any standard, rea
son, sentiment, law, Bible, how un
worthy of respect does the conduct of
the duelist appearl
Such has been the language ofthe
moralist in all the ages that have been
afflicted with this horrible custom.
And. what good has the preaching
done We might ask the same ques
ton regarding all other vices and
crimes OF society, for they live and
flourish in spite of the law and the Cos
pei. But there is no good reason why
the Christian sentiment of the age
should not put down the practice Of
duelling, and we call upon the public
authorities of this city to make an
example of the two Wall street men
who brought disgrace upon our COM
munity by their Canada duel a few
days ago. They defied the law, but
they did not evade it. We once saw
a distinguished citizen of New York
sentenced to States prison for going
out of the State to fight duel, but the
pardon of the Governor saved him
from the felon's cell. If both these
duellists were sentenced and sent to
Sing Sing, there would not be another
duel in or from New York in u CEN
tury. And if the courts of Virginia
and Louisiana had vigor to enforce
the laws of those States, make an ex-
ample of one man in each State, by
putting the man-slayer to the death he
deserves, the duello would be extin-
guished.
The system is now entrenched in a
public sentiment that forbids the in
Fiction of adequate penalty. The
duellist is not regarded as murderer,
though the voice of his brothers. blood
cries from the ground against him
". Y. Observer.