Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-03
DUELING.
Social Law aud Social Custom a Better
Regulator Than the Sword or the
PistOl-HOW the
Bretteurs Wefe Put Down by the Fra
ternelle-A Bully Badly Beaten
by a BOurgeOise.

Last Saturday, says the Boston Advertiser,
NJ. Jules Levy, in the pleasant eouserie with
which he entertains his hearers every month,
referring to some remarks OF ours on the
FIGARO actor fmbroglio, defended France and
dueliug the country from the accusation OF
having let the duel become bloodless, the
duel from the accusation of being a needless
bloodshed, Frenchmen, he says, are still
occasionally killed in duels. We cannot say
we are glad TO hear il, for we cannot give a
hearty assent to his second proposiiion-that
the duel is defensible. He did not go far in
its defense, TO be sure; he only asserted that
it WAC not wholly bad; that it protected gen.
tlemen from the insults OF scoundTels, since
an ill-bred or ill-natured person will think
twice before uttering language that will
bring him before The point of sword or the
mouth of pistol. Perhaps it does; bat TO
our American ideas the method seems little
clumsy So the admirers of the Eoglish pub
lie schools point oul that tagging trains boys
in habits of obedience and habits of COM
mand; the clancy" friends of the ring boast
of the courage and endurance which that
fosters; the gambler might claim that his
profession" leads to self-con,rol and gives
co0l head. In all these cases the defense is
weakened, not go much by doubt whether
the game lie worth the candle as by belief
that the came result can be attained at vastly
less cost. We cannot see that gentlemen
are more e1pOSeU 70 lHsUil tuis
(from the class with whom 8 French gentle
man would consent 10 fight duel) than they
are in France. In fact, we had always cup
posed that the absence OF the duel had a
tendency TO produce precisely the opposite
effect. Ia this country to say anything in
sultiDg, especially in the presence OF ladies,
Is considered TO be in the highest degree
ungentlemanly, and in a community where
public opinion is so powerful, it is as good
4 regulator of manners as the sword or
pistol. In France 1--WE must confess that
our impression is derived only from poyels
and plays, very unsafe guides in such
matters) the courage which il requires to be
insulting seems 10 be felt as in some slight
degree reeeemiDg the impolteness, and with
certain spirits even to offer temptation to
be offensive. But granting that the duel
does partially, and in eases, aes-as-
peace officer, this merit is balanced by the
power which it puts into the hands OF the
professional duelist. We have in mind a
case which occurred under the second empire
where promising young officer, who had
just received his com mission, was wautonly
insulted by veteran duelist for no reason
but TO add one more 10 the proofs of the
latter's skill, one mere scalp to be worm
metaphorically- at his belt. The officer was
insulted in the presence Of ladies, and all
The 'protection" which the duel afforded
this young gentleman consisted in letting
him be shot.
r. 1t has always been so. 10 Bordeaux. about |
1880, a club called the Fraternelle was
formed, for the sole purpose of exterminat- |
ipg,, the professional DULLES and duelists,
termed 6retetTs. M. de Graves, in his Curl |
GUS Drames de PEpee, tells a story which |
shows how much protection the duel afforded |
in those days. The Count de Larilliere met |
one day business man, NJ. Casters, walk |
lug with his young and pretty wife. With |
polite bow he said: ~ beg your pardon, |
but have made bet with my friend here, |
whom beg leave 10 introduce TO you, that l |
could kiss your wife while she was walking |
with you, after having given you slap in |
the face" Next day they fought with pis-
tolls. The count hit him first on the right |
through the eye. Another bourgeois found |
a better protection. One of the breteurs |
picked a quarrel with him al an inn. 1--WE |
will fight Tomorrow" said the bully. "On |
the contrary, we will fight now" replied the |
bourgeois, attacking him with his fists
and giving SITg him sound drub-
when tired of his amusement, Gas often az
you please" The next day his crestfallen
opponent left the town. The Count de La
rilliere, who murdered Casters, was himself
slain by the sword, but this could give but
very little consolation TO the widows he had
made and the mothers whose sons he had
klllcu. All lDls ndppeueQ utty years ago, II |
is true. The 6retteurs were put down by the
Fraternelle, and the Fraternelle was put
down by the decree against secret societies.
But we have told above a story which shows
that there were brettetTs under Napoleon III.
M. Claretie tells us, in his preface to NJ.
Graves's book, that there are 6reneurs now.
There always will be as long as dueliug
lasts. Luckily, NJ. Clsrstie thinks that its
vogue is rapidly declining, and that it will
be laughed out of France, as in England it
was partly laughed out and partly driven
out by Christianity Wherever it exists it
is the survival of primitive state of soce.
ty, in which self defense rests with the indi-
yidual and not with the community. France
can at least claim that she is far
more advanced than our own Southern
States. There A, having quarreled with B,
sends him notice that he intends to kill him;
that ia to say, he proclaims that intention
with the expectation that somebody will
report it. Then, without any formaity of
seconds, both A and B go armed, aud the
first time they meet, whichever is quickest
at drawing bead" on the other shoots
MIN. All the frat opportunity afterward, his
son or brother or friend rel urns the shot, and
hen the others son or brother or friend cou-
inues the vendetta. Nothing whatever can
be urged in favor Of this kind of duel; it pro.
ects nobody; it is never bloodless. Let us
hope that when it disappears, as disappear it
must if the South is ever to prosper, it will
20 entirely, without passing through the
Intermediate stage Of the civilized, formal,
emf bloodless duel.