Middletown transcript., 1877-05-12
Are Brave Men Ever Frightened !


General W. G. Harding, of Tennes-
see, says that on one occasion, visiting
General jackson, he asked the gruff old
soldier 10 the eour4e of conversation ii
brave men were ever frightened, add
ing:
1.-The world, and especially those
who know you best, accord you as much
courage as belongs to man"
General Jackson replied:
IF that be so, sir, would say that
| have been as badly frightened as any
man ought ever to be | was, sir,
when l fought the duel with Mr. Dick
inson. In the first place, sir, had
no unkiud feeling against Mr. Dickin-
son, and DO disposition 10 injure bair
on his head l had gone as far as an
honorable man could 60 to avoid the
difficulty with Dickinson be had not
injured me, and therefore | bad no
ground Of complaint against him my
quarrel had been with his father-in-
law, Colonel Erwin | knew Dickin-
son to be brave, honorable gentleman,
and the best shot with pistol ever
saw-far better than myself. for | was
never an expert with that weapon.
knew that be could shoot quick and
truer than could. therefore went
upon the ground expecting to be killed,
and l owe the preservation of my life
on that occasion to the fashions Of the
day, for wore coat with rolling col
lar and very full breasted but, for
tunatsly for me, sir, | was organized
with a very narrow chest Diekinson's
ball struck very near the centre Of my
coat and, while it scraped the breast
bone, it did not enter the cavity Of the
chest. In an instant under the impress
sion that | was perhaps mortally
wounded, and under the impulse Of the
moment, fred and my antagonist fell
and no event of my life, sir, have l
so much. My determination
before and after taking position was to
my pistol in the air, but be-
cause felt the effect of his shot [ fred
at him. just here, sir, let me add
that The world has done me great in
Justice, for 1 am charged with having
brought on the difficulty, and with hav-
ing fixed the terms so as to reserve my
fre and advance and it charges me
with having advanced upon Dickinson
md shot him when | was within a few
'eet Of him-all Of which is false, sir. /
[ fred instantly after receiving his shot,
md from my position, and Dickinson
tood in bis position and received my
ire like a brave man as be was"
Curran and the Judge. I
Among the many anecdotes related {
# Curran, we cannot help thinking of {
be following, bearing upon the imper- :
inence and assumption of Judge Robin. G
on, as among the most telling and
attacks of unprecedented
attire upon "bloated empiric" and r
'puffed pretence" that ever even Cur 3
an afforded to the world. The same L
udge Robinson. according to Lord
twas author Of many stupid, P
lavish, and scurrilous political pamph- G
ITS, and, by his demerits, raised to the y
minence which he thus disgraced" =
urran, very soon after being called to
lie bar, on some statement made by :,
udge Robinson (before whom he was y
leading), observed that "he had never G
et the law as laid down by bis lord O
Zip in any book in his library" That R
ay be, sir" said the Judge. "but | :
lspect that your library is very small" !
urran replied: Il find it more instruc-
ve, my lord, to study good works than D.
compose bad ones My books may Sc
) few. but the title pages give me the ne
riters' names, and my shelf is not dis nc
,aced by any such rank absurdities =
at their very authors are ashamed to
gn them" "Sir," said the Judge,
you are forgetting the respect which i
u owe to the dignity Of the Judicial
aracter." Dignity ~ exclaimed Mr..
lrran my lord, upon that point / Yc
all cite you cause from a book Of N y,
me authority, with which you are,
rhaps, not unacquainted He then
icay recited the story of Strap in col
Roderick Random. who. having strip an
d off his coat, entrusted it to BY 6 nll
lnder. When the battle was over, Da Do
d he was well beaten. be turned to {
sumo it. but the man had carried it /
!, Mr. Curran thus applied the tale
80, my lord, when the person en-
listed with the dignity Of the judg-
snt seat lays ii aside for moment to sis
ter into disgraceful personal con- Eer for
it, il is in vain. when he has been
,rsted in the encounter, that be seeks
resume tit is in vain that he tries 6 6ri
shelter himself behind an authority Nh Nh
lich he has abandoned IF you -
: another word I'll commit you, re-
ed the angry judge to which Cur
D retorted: IF your lordship will do :
we shall both of us have the conso-
ion of rejecting that | am not the