The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-12-21
The Apti-AGonopo1ist.

+.
It seems to me that DR.. Merryman is
disposed to stand upon nicities, and l
don't think he ought to stand upon
nicities in a case of life and death"
The situation was plain. / sympa-
thized with Mr.. Lincoln but, while /
fully appreciated his practical good
sense, l could not exactly see his nice
sense of honor. 81 know very little
about the code Of honor,'' said L; sit
is a branch of moral science for which
have never had much respect, and
have therefore never studied it. But
if you go by the code at all, land sup
pose you must if you fight duels,) it
seems to me that DR.. Merryman is
right. l don't see how you can explain
or apologize or say one word to miti-
gate the wrath Of Shields while the
challenge is pending over you.
Mr.. Lincoln thereupon fell into one
Of his musing, melancholy moods; and
there was spread over his face that
sad expression which made him an
object of interest to every man who
had a live heart in his bosom. AS he
sat there, looking at the fire, he SEEM
ed to be saying to himself: 81 have
come to the wrong person to help me
out of my difficulty. Perhaps Mer-
ryman is right and there is no help
out of this dead lock except fight
with Shields" His compressed lips
and frmness evidently indicated fight.
There is not the least necessity for
fight whatever" said Lett may be
very easily avoided
How so Z" said Mr.. Lincoln, looking
up with a relieved expression O. face,
and turning his eyes upon me. 81
know Shields well,' l replied, "and
his cour age is not of the truest stamp;
there is altogether too much of buster
and bravo do about the man for that.
He is trying to make you back out.
and YOU can make him back out very
easily.
"How SO" said Mr.. Lincoln. "Why.
as he has sent his challenge to you, SO
you have the right to choose the weap.
ons, said I, ''and if you choose broad
swords, my word for it he will never
fight you in the world. You are at
least seven inches taller than Shields,
and your arms are three or four inch
es longer than his. so that you could
cut him down before he could get near
enough to touch you. know you will
never do this because he will never
fight you with broadswOrds. He will
show the white feather first"
Mr.. Lincoln adopted this idea: He
| nj, oV,6 Tho fnrn1o nf
the duel were arranged as stated in Mr.
Lannon's book, Up. 1861 LIST. weapons
Cavalry broadswords Of the largest
size, precisely equal in all respects
and such as are now used by the Cav
airy company at Jacksonville. ID
Position-A plank ten feet long, and
from nine to twelve inches broad, t.
be firmly fixed on edge on the ground
as the line between us, which neither
is to pass his foot over, upon forfeit OF
his life, &C.
These and other preliminaries ar
ranged, we set out for Alton in order tC
pass over to Missouri, on the opposite
side of the Mississippi river-the place
appointed for the fatal encounter. My
father and myself both accompanied
Lincoln and Merryman to the scene OF
action-he to see the fun, and to see
that there was no fight. My predic
ton was fulfilled. Shields would not,
or at least did not fight with broad
| swords.
Lincoln had put down his foot fol-
broadswords, and nothing could shake
his purpose. Gen. Ewing, the friend
of Gen. Shields, cursed and swore, and
carried on at great rate about "tht
- barbarous practice of fighting
with broadswords in the nineteenth
century," MIR. Lincoln very coolly and
camly replied that for his part he
thought fighting duels in any way q
rather barbarous practice for the nine
teenth century, and il he had to fight
| he would choose his own weapons
The more Gen. Ewing insisted on rifles
or pistols the more Mr.. Lincolnheld
on to broadswords and there was an
other 'sdead lock-" But it did not last
over an hour or two. Gen. Shields was
finally induced by his friends to with
draw his challenge; Mr.. Lincoln ex'
planned the offensive matter in the
only letter written by himself, and
the great trouble about the pin was
..settled honorably to both parties. .
The second Of Mr.. Shields had declared,
before the choice Of broadswords ''that
he would as soon think Of asking Mr.
Shields to butt his brains out against
brick wall as to withdraw that pa
per"-the challenge-but yet, after
all, this son of blood and thunder did
withdraw that very paper rather than
expose his brains to the long sword
and long arm of Abraham Lincoln.
Squelehcd Revolution.
s.Mv ann my s0n .:mildly QYclaime 3