The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-06-09
TIE BuRKE-pARKER DUEL.

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We sympathse with the energetic and able
editor of the NJ o. s-Democrat, not only
on account of his physical discontinue, but
because he had recourse to barbaric methods
to test the truth of charges against his integ-
rity which he felt was unjustly assailed, in
stead of to civilized methods.
Trial by battle, which Ma or Burke resorted
to, had its origin in the superstition that the
gods would give the victory to the right
Hence, when the world abandoned that
philosophy and gave up the superstition, it
should have left behind it wager of battle
No matter what this argument of arms is
called-no name, even ''The Code of Honor"
can be more absurd than it is itself-a pro-
gressive mind and representative man, as we
take Major Buke to be, should not have been
deceived into an instant's thought of resorting
to it. The logical consequence of the encoun-
ter, so far, in the court to which he has thus
himself referred the question, is that the Par
ker charges, whatever they were, are sus-
tanned. That is to say, Mr.. Parker
who refused to retract them, and who,
at the invitation of Major Burke
staked his life on their truth. has so farproved
them true. Let us follow out this logic and
see what recourse Major Burke has by which
he may escape that judgment. tits tribunal
of the last resort, there is no appeal. He rests
under its judgment unless and until another
follows and, SO to speak, novateS it. So that
he must denounce its methods and confess
that he was in error in having recourse to them,
or he must follow up such recourse till conse-
quences arise which make it impossible to fol-
low further. That is to say, get we'll enough
to resume fighting and 60 on with the argu-
ment.
We trust Major Burke will not confound
the thing he will find himself commended for
in most of his exchanges, and which they will
call courage, with any thing of the kind. No
man of courage will fight duel-only cow
ards. They only fight duels-unless brutes
for the love of fghting-who are afraid not to
fight them. 1t was the Majors lack of cour-
age that caused him to send the challenge.
Bear in mind that courage is a quality of the
mind-not the heart. The latter is not cour
age, but physical endowment-nerve. 1t is
not courage that qualities a man to be a
butcher, or surgeon. But whatever caused
him to send it, whether the imputations against
him were false or true could not be established
by such resort. The act showed that he was
not afraid to do wrong, which, at least, con-
veys the assurance that he is not certain to do
right If MAJOR Burke is an arrant and indie
feasible coward, he will prove himself SO by
following out the logic Of his argument and,
as soon as we'll enough. call Mr.. Parker out
to shoot him again, or be himself shot, and
thus continue until the argument exhausts
itself in murder. If a man of courage he
will make manly statement over his name if
unable by any further evidence to retute the
statements made against him, which, if they
impeach his integrity, We are satisfied
are made in error. The only danger
that they will obtain any belief lies in the ex-
traordnary methods to which he has resorted
to prevent it.