Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-02-23

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Honor.
The frequency with which the
telegrams are burdened with ac-
counts of duels In France must
have been remarked by the most
casual reader. The consequences
Of these hostile reneounters are
often 60 slight that a deal of rail-
lery has been evoked by them,
AID Mark Twain has employed his
satiricat pen in ridiculing without
stint their participants. Aud yet
the statistics of French duelling
show that there is little to warrant
this fippant wit. Louis Veuillot
says that amongst the amusements
OF Paris must be counted snels
amongst Journalists. OF late duel
ling and everything connected
with workmanship has become a
sort of mania, and 80 prominent
feature of Partisan life that they
are well worthy q little notice.
Before speaking Of the duel be-
tween civilians-the duel OF the
world of fashion-it ought to be
promised that; in the army, the
duel il obligatory. Tive privates
have q misundersta nding. They
exchange some sharp words. I'M
mediately their corporal ipfiicts
upon them two or three days. i'm.
prisonment, and the following
morning they are led out, each &C
companied by bis seconds, to fight
until one wounds the other and
honor is satisfied. Stripped to the
skin, with the exception only Of
shoes and trousers, they are COM
PEELED to skewer each other. In
every regiment there are ct leasl
fifty duels year, and not infre'
quently they end tragicaliy. II
nine cases out of ten these duelI
are absurd. The officers them
selves admit them to be absurd
but they say that without the due
il would be impossible to maintain
discipline and dignity In the army
The duel is q necessary evil. II |
were not for the prospect Of tina
pointed rspier before them, th
soldiers would beat and kick eaci
other to death. Two men whit
were half joking in their quarrel
or who do not bear each other tht
slightest ill.will, are forced to fighl
simply to hold the others in re-
spect, and to awe them by an in
flexible rule.
Among civilians duelling is de.
Tended on the ground that 1t gen.
orally compensates for the INSULT.
cheney of legal justice. This is, oil
course, matter of opinion. We
are not discussing, but simply ex-
planning the French point OF view,
and accounting for phenomenon
which Anglo-Saxous are inclined
to look upon % relic Of barbar.
ism. The duel, it will Re objected,
does not give the offended party
the means OF repairing the wrong
that has been done him. Materi-
ally, no; morally, yes. Opinion
has ordained that the single fact OF
the combat washes away the Of
fence. Evidently, if a man were
thirstiDg for vengeance, assassina.
ton would be surer means; BIZ!
precisely the equality of the dan.
ger and the loyalty of the combat,
give to the duel color of chivalry
which prevents all but the most
prejudiced minds from confound.
ing it with criminal man1uvre.
The present French legislation has
no special law against duelling;
the dusllist can only be prosecute
as murderer. The consequence
10 that the authorities rarely or
never interfere. Opinion has sane
titled duelling, and, in spite of the
edicts of Henry w., of Richelieu,
Of Louis XIV, in spite of the elo-
quent pretestation of Jean Jacques
Rousseau, and of the philosophers
Of the eighteenth century, it con-
tinues to be, in France, an import
ant social institution.
just now there is kind of epi-
demic of duels. Every day in the
week there are meetings in the
woods in the environs of Paris.
The com batants no longer cross
the frontier as of old. In the first
place, the journey to the Belgian,
German or Spanish frontieris cost
ly; In the second place, Partisan
wit has given II out that If the
combstants cross the frontier 1t is
because they count on the engage
ment being interrupted by the
gendsrmes. Thanks to the tolera-
ton of the police, engagements
may safely take place around Paris,
and net long ago more than TIVE