Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-03-20
The Recent Great French Duel.


MUCH ~ the muueTn uuet iS fl0tCute0
by certain smart people, il is in reality
one Of the most dangerous institutions
Of our day. Since Il Is always fought
in the open air, the combatants are near
~ sure 10 catch cold. M. Paul de Cas-
sagnac, the most Inveteraie Of The
French duelists, has suffered 10 often in
this way that he is at last confirmed
invalid; and the best physician in PARIS
has expressed the opinion that IL he
goes on dueling for fifteen or twenty
years or more-unless he forms the
habit Of fighting in Q comfortable room
where damps aud draughts cannot in.
trude-he will eventually endanger his
life. This ought 10 moderate The talk
Of those people who are so stubborn in
maintaining that the French duel is the
most health-giving OF recreations be-
cause Of the open air exercise Il affords.
And il ought also 20 moderate that fool
ish talk about French dueIIsts and So
cialist-hated monarchs being the only
people who are immortal.
But IL is time to get at my subject.
As soon as ! heard of the late fiery out
break between NJ. Gambetta and M.
Fourtou m the French assembly, kne W
that trouble must follow. knew il be-
cause q long personal friendship with
M. Gambetta had revealed to me the
desperate and implacable nature Of the
maa. Vast as are his physical proper
tions, I knew that the thirst for revenge
would penetrate TO the remote frontiers
OF his person.
] did not wslt for him to call on me,
but went at once TO him. As | expec-
ted, found the brave fellow stepped in
q profound French calm. ! say French
calm, because French calmness and
English calmness have points Of differ
ence. He was moving swiftly back and
forth among the debris Of his furniture,
now and then staving chance fragments
Of il across the room with his foot;
grinding q constant grist Of curses
through his set teeth; and halting eve-
~ little while 10 deposit another hand
ful Of hair on the pile which he had been
building Of Il on the table.
He threw his arms around my neck,
bent me over his stomach to his breast,
kissed me on both cheeks, hugged me
four or Eve times, and then placed me
in his own armchair. As soon as
had got well again, we began business
at once.
said supposed he would wish me
70 act as his second, and he said, ''0l
course" said I must be allowed Go
act under French name, so that might
be shielded from obloquy IN my coun-
try, in case Of fatal results. He WINGED
here. probably at the suggestion that
duelhng was not regarded with respect
in America. However, he agreed to
my requirement. This accounts for the
fact that in all the newspaper reports
NJ. Gambetta's second was apparently q
Frcnchman.
First. We drew up my principals will.
/ insisted nPon this, and stuck 70 my
point. said ] had never heard of Q
man in his right mind going out to iight
q duel without first making his. He
said he had never heard OF man in
his right mind doing anything of the
kind. When we had flashed the will,
he wished TO proceed to a choice oil his
''last words" He wanted to know how
The following words, as dying excla-
nation, struck me:
81 die for my God, my country, for
freedom Of speech. for progress, and the
universal brotherhood OF man rs
objected that this would require too
lingering death; il was good speech
ior o consumptive, but not suited TO the
exigencies Of the iield OF honor. We
wrangled over good many ante-mor-
TEN outbursts, but ! finally got him to
cut his obituary down to this, which he
copied into has memorandum book, pur-
posing to get il by heart:
81 DIE THAT FRANCE MAT LIVE"
I said that this remark seemed to lack
relevancy; but he said relevancy was q
matter oi no consequence in last words
what you wanted was thrill.
The nezt thing in order was the choice
of weapons. My principal said he was
not feeling well, and would leave that
and the other details Of the proposed
meeting TO me. Therefore wrote the
following note and carried il to M. Foar-
tou's friend:
SIa IN. Gambetta accepts u. Fourtou's ehal-
Ienge, and authorizes ne 10 propose Plessi-Pi-
qass e The place Of meeting; tomorrow morn
Ing at day6reak as the time, and axes as the
weapons. am, sir, with great respect
MARK TwATx.
! 81. Fourtou's friend read this note,
and shuddered. Then he turned TO me,