, 1876-12-08

r.-gH,l. Cllloy fired at the word one,
aal Graves at the word two. Still they
were both uuhurt. \ parlcy then took
Illrn between the two seconds, and
uu'lisr effort was made q adjust the
ul.llruliy. but II WAS impossible. Graves
would hc satisfied with nothing less
than m ayuwal from Cillcy of his lack
ui intent tn reflect on Webb. and Cillcy
siIBiprnly refused 10 make any such
avoval. He rigIdly held 10 his first at
t;udo. all the morc. perhaps. because
his adyersary's ball had at tho previous
tire passed within a few inches Of his
heal. At the third fire both rifles were
discharged simultaneously. The bull
lots seemed 20 have missed; both men
Stpnd like statues. In another moment
Ciilcy fell headlong. with outstretched
arms, clutching at the ground as he fell.
His second and surgeon bent over him;
he had been shot through the body, on
the left side. near the heart. He never
spoke; he tried to smile; he lifted his
hand To his heart, Gaspel few times,
and, while the surgeon was trying to
probe the wound, expired in the arms of
his second.
The corpse was placed in a carriage,
and, two hours later, wrapped in a cloak,
was borne to Cilley's lodgings. While
Webb and his friends were still con-
sulting in regard to the whereabouts of
the combatants, and just as he had re-
marked, ''I must find Cilley, and pre-
vent this duel at any sacrifice, an ac-
quainance entered and said, "The duel
has been fought"
WHO has been hurt ?" asked Webb.
"Cilley."
g Is he much hurt?
"Shot through the heart"
"Great God" exclaimed Webb; land
1, who am the unhappy cause of it all,
stand here unharmed and free from
danger" And, so speaking, he dropped
into chair and covered his face with
his hands. He has often declared since
that nothing in his whole life ever gave
him such exquisite pain as the Graves
Cilley duel.
What would he have done had he
found the hostile party before Cilley
had been hit? He has never known
himself. His only thought and pur-
pose was to prevent Graves from assum-
ing responsibility which he firmly be-
heved belonged to himself. If Graves
and Cilley and their second had resented
any interference, as no doubt they would
have done, it is quite likely that the op-
posite parties would have begun firing
on one another, and several persons
would have been killed, Instead of one.
1t appears certain that Webb and his
friends had made up their minds to des-
perate issues, and it may be we'll that
the tragedy ended as it did, for it might
have been infinitely worse. The duel
was particularly distressing because it
turned upon a technicahty. It might
have been avoided by the speaking of a
word. but for lack of word-such is
the obdurate pride of man-some of the
direst woes have fallen upon the race.
The duel was judged, of course, in
partisan way. The Wing newspapers,
while they expressed regret for the re-
suit, defended Graves on the ground
that, under the circumstances, he could
not have acted otherwise. The Demo-
cratic newspapers denounced him saw
agely. They called him cold-blooded
murderer, and Cilley a martyr to free
speech. They attacked Henry Clay,
who had been friend and an adviser of
his fellow-Kentuckian; they assailed
Henry A Wise as an alder and abettor
of the assassination; they pronounced
Webb sneak, bravo and coward.
In fact, on everybody who had anything
to do with the duel, nearly or remotely,
the walls of political wrath were merci-
lessly poured. 1t is marvel that scores
Of homicides did not grow out of it.
They might have taken place but for
the fact that so much and such general
offense was given, that no one person
had any right to appropriate any partic-
ular part of it. 1t was an enormous
elimination and recriminstion of par.
ties. 1t was a blunder. and also crime
Cilley, in the main, was right. 1t was
his privilege to say what he chose on
the floor of Congress, and with entire
impunity. The attempt to deprive him
of a privilege guaranteed by the Con-
stitution, he naturally resented; and he
stood by his privilege to the bitter end.
CHRISTIAN CHARITY.-The other day
a superanuated beggar, says the Cor
nell Era, might have been seen going
I. u II