The daily enterprise. [volume] (Livingston, Mont.) 1883-1884, 1883-12-24
Dt,ciinS, Fast aIrd l'fescas

i1nciiES, TasC Alrd IfeScAh
Twenty-Five years ago, at the tahlc
# gentleman whose father had fallen
n duel, the conversation fell upon
lueling, and after it had proceeded for
some time the host remarked, emphat-
cally, that there were occasions when
t was q mans solemn duty to fight.
The personal reference was too signic-
.ant TO permit further insistence at that
able that dneling was criminal folly,
md the subject of conversation was
changed
The host, however, had only reiter-
.ted the familiar view of Gen. Hamll-
;on- His plea was that, i'll the state OF
public opinion at the time when Burr
challenged him, to refuse to fight un-
ler circumstances which by the "code
If honor" authorized challenge, was
20 accept q brand of cowardice and OF
want of gentlemanly feeling, which
would Danish him to moral aud social
Coventry, and throw cloud of dis
credit upon his family. So Hamilton,
one of the bravest men and one of the
acutest intellects of his time, permitted
there is no doubt that lie stated accu-
cately the general feeling Of the social
.ircle in which he lived. There was
probably not conspicuous membe: OF
that society who was of military ante
,edents who would not have challenged
any man who had said of him what
Hamilton had said of Burr. Hamilton
lisdained explanation or recantation,
and the result was accepted as tragical
but in a certain sense inevitable.
The most celebrated duel in this
country since that of Hamilton and
Burr was the encounter between Conr-
modores Decatur and Barron, in 1880,
near Washington, in which Decatur,
like Hamilton, was mortally wounded,
md likewise lived but few hours. The
quarrel was one of, professional, as
Burr's of political, Jealousy. But as
the only conceivable advantage Of the
Hamilton duel lay in its ,arousing the
public mind to the barlarity of dnel-
ing, the only gain from the Decatur duel
was that it confirmed tllis conviction.
In both instances there was al unspeak-
able shock to the country and infinite
domestic anguish. Nothing else was
achieved. Neither general manners
nor morals were improved, nor was the
fame of either combatant heightened,
nor public confidence in the men or adj
r1iration of their puplic services in
creased. In both cases it was calam-
ity alleviated solely by the resolution
which it awakened that such calamiti s
should not occur ngain.
Such a resolution, indeed, could not
st once prevail, and eighteen years after
Decatur was killed, Jonathan Cilley, OF
Maine, was killed in duel at Washing
ton by William J. Graves, of Kentucky.
This. event occurred forty-five years
ago, but the outcrs with which it was
received even at that time-one of the
newspaper moralists lapsing into rhyme
as)he deplored the cruel custom VIII ch
led excellent men to the fatal field
Where Cilleys meet their Graves sasQa
and the practical disappearance of Mr..
Graves from public life, showed how
deep and strong was the public con.
demnation, and how radically the gen.
eral view of the duel was changed.
Even In the burning height OF the
political and sectional animosity oi
1856, when Brooks had assaulted
Charles Sumner, the challenge OF
Brooks by some Of Summers friends
met with little public sympathy.
During the excitement the Easy CHAIR
met the late Count Gurowski, who was
constant and devoted friend of Mr..
Sumner, but an Old World man, with
all the hereditary social prejudices OF
the Old World. Tie Count was furi-
Gus that such dastardly blow had not
been avenged. HAS lie no friends p
he exclaimed. "Is there no honor left
in your country?" And, as if he would
burst with indignant impatience, he
shock both his fists in the nir, and
thundefed out. "Good God! will not
somebody challenge anybody?"
Hdrpes's Magazine.