Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-01-06
Assault.
BY j Il. JOHN SON.

Assault is 81 attempt or al offer to do nor.
sonal hurt or violence to another. The .y,
holds the person of every man sacred, and ,bs,
no one has the right TO NEEDLE with il in ,Io
slightest manner; and so careful are statutes f.,
this subject that they make any touching Of ,ho
person Of another in anger an assault and ,t.,
no words of reproach, however gricvous, Ara
provocations sufficient for an assault. Tti. :.
the spirit of the law in reference to the mst,a-
and if prope, explanations were always d.
manded for those real or imaginary causes often
supposed by hasy thoughts to be sufcien. :.
cause an assault, there is no doubt that m4-r
| such violstions of the Jaw would be preycr,.i-
| for an honorable man deems not III expaas,iD,
An unpleasant duty when the good of hs ia,ar.
tions are surrounded by circumstances which
| may throw over his acts or words shallow II
| ambiguity Honest and sensible men aly.r:
| know how to disagree; and this is more par.IrI
| larly their privilege when engaged in the ia.
| oh rye of duties which can in no Wis. be s,,-L.
uted to selishness Most of the Causes when
lead to IN assault are wounds OF vanity. a Sen.
| sible man conceals his vanity; and shou,a "a
possess it, he scrupulousy avoids its evde,., il.
play by cautiously hiding any manifestation d:
feeling when it receives touchi ( 1t the hnut..
OF others Therefore, n wise man will nu.r.
those remarks about him worthy o! his c.-e
| that relate to his honor, and pass Is uuno,icrI
the incidents OF criticism, calculated TO wo.I
| his vanity He will be the last Man to :n,iit.rr
q duel if An individual should tell him Ii :, l..
surname is not rs euphonious as that Of Ger
| tain person, or mAl,cously concoct stree: tyh,
if some one tolls him that given membrr q
! the community is more useful TO commerce than
himself. or get into the miSdeneanOr OF ma,Ir.,
an assault if - critic in repartee should de lar,
his manner to be in appearance that Of luhber.;
pompos!ty and clumsy seli.suiii cncy Hc.c.
the difference between the sensible AMI !I:..4.
gent gentlemen, AID the mere cuncei."d ANNA.
man, Is the degree Of vanity the conduct .. Ill.
causes them to cvlnce. The weak VAIN ~!
silly creature always Wants to right if sarcasm :
directed against him, while the sea$ibl" man
makes night IN given case or dispute the :.
resort; and II ne should he forced u have r.
course to such oil extremity he knows tina. !.
decides nothing beyond the relative degree ..
brute power between nimsci. All opponent.
and knowing that 3 T. ht is = pro 20 ling j
which two usually take par, be hesi..tc
sometime before ne begins it in Consequence I.
the fact that he may not always be ab e To con
troll proceedings in manner requisite TO pro.
vent his own discontinue A sensible Han
knows how to disagree with his fellow III N s.G
if IN dealing IN the ordinary duties Of epAe:u,.
raj transactions he bears anything 1eroga,osy
| to his honor, he seeks not with prepe:lsc y als.
licious attack by brute force the person uc.c-.
ing it, bu: rather contents himself By lu.;I;.s
his detaner IN the wrong Oy proving MS utter.
snces SANDER. If the truth is spoken in r..
prouch about him, and il unkind and uaye.;r
manly insinua,ions are made by those who envy
him, he knows within himse. that lis hand a-c
clean anu his intentions are pure. sni c0nc.u -"
to live in way to correct the datrac:!on; Nd
SEEKS not TO appca:e any feeling so sr"u:ed ~
creeping upon his detractor and striking I'm.
without! giving that Timely warning wnien AZ
most all animals, except vlCiou; dog or ~.
cious man, yield Inc o;j c.s wa!ch they Ia.c.t
to stack. But the conduct OF the vain MAJ. j.:
different. He tances the individual who wogaa.
his vanity an enemy to society and instantly
magnes him an outlaw sufficiently atroc;oU. t.
be the recipient of his indignant vengeacc CO; al!
not having discrimination eaoush /, separates
pique Of vanity rom sense OF I'M red honor,
he commits the low degree OF a glo>s viV.at! II
of the law by Il secre, assault on The p.r.u. ..
the individual VINO aroused the di>ple1su"e Of
his vanity. If the assault i, !o.lowe b. Jo%S
and he should escape WI hou! much i"iur", be
ususlly has sclt-preservaton enough u hurry
away from The set-m .dc fight bo,,!lng, n
staggering manner, how hecjid nave beat. ne
person whom he, withou. warning, assaulted,
and who, in ali probability il h. tai been
warned of the attack would hav" taken, If a":
too worthless COZ such desert and no: t"Hn*ta
his scorn his assailant's lite in the very i'!r'p.
ton Of the brutal attempt OF Il secretly prem Ill
tatcd act OF assault ard battery