The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-27
Brice on DuelinG.

d lew QdFS ago Dy q SOuLn -Fn man WuaJ ne
thought about the Calhoun Williamson
duel. He declined, ne said, to ex lress any
opinion alb ut that particular duel, but ad-
| dressing himself to the whole so ithern
people b. ali: Il do most sincerely deplore
the occurre zee. and | solem ily protest
| against It's repeltioa. l honestly believe
tina the harmfnl consequences Of that affair
viii reach far beyond the bou diaries of
the locality where it occurred. That
is to say, l do not think its bane-
full effects viii be- confined u Georyi ami
Alaba ma, nor even to the entire south; but
believe it will be counted against the
whole national Democratic party. The
people of the south do not fully appreciate
how any peculiar offense az INST tae broad
est public sentiment com nitted in thai sec
ton is charged up against the national
Democratic party. Dem pcracy is regarded
the political creed of the southern people,
and consequently any Questionable act on
their part is booked by the republicans as
sin flg which our whole party is
responsible. Dueling is an insult to
the enlightenment and civilization of
our day, and an outrage against
the morality Of our land. 1t is the stalk
ing ghost of at so-called chivalry, which
has been dead ever since patriotism was
acknowledged the best test of courage. 1t
is a tradition unworthy # reverence, and
which law makes a crime to perpetuate. II
is a spot on the south's sun, which SHOULD
not be seen il this ~ daT It must be stop
ped, and until it is, the 100000 people Of
the south cannot prove themselves e Titled
to stan1 fully abreast with the A., 900, 900 Of
other American citizens who have discoun-
tenanced and frowned it out of practice
among them"
Continuing, Mr.. Brice said: st point the
sout to the daun less life of Robert E.
Lee, and ask who, in the whole realm of
southern states, conscientiously believes
that he would have fought a duel? And if
you still contend for the perpetuaton of
the so-called c livalry. and insist that there
are certain cases viii n only the provisions
of the code will meet, | answer, surely a
business dispute is not one OF those case.
Who would ever think of pawnbroker and
his client fighting q duel oyer some disa-
greement with reference to a loan? If
there was ever any excuse for the existence
OF the code, it was exclu lively as a medium
for settling social differences"
There is no doubt a lingering sentiment
in the south among a few men in favor of
dueling, but the great majority of the
southern pc pie condemn it. That this Is
true is proven by the rare occurrence of a
duel in any southern state. The time is not
distant W en- dueling in the south will b.
wholly thing of thu past. Mr.. Brice's
condemnation of it is not too severe. 1t
causes life to be held cheaply, and encour-
ages crimes of violence. Wherever dueli z
is recognized there is a greater percentay 20 of
homicides there, among the class of people
who make public sentiment, than elsewhere.
Dueling should be frowne1 upon by those
w"ose opinions command general respect,
and the pulpit and the press should spare no
effort to bring it into disrepute.
The Calhoun Williamson duel NAV dam
age the Democratic party, as Mr.. Brice
says, because, having occurred in the south.
tnut party will be held responsible for it to
certain extent. But even if it does not
hurt the Democratic p ,rty it is certain to
hurt the south, for the reaS) that it tends
to create the impression, false though it be,
that the southern people nave not that re-
gard for human life whic the civiliza.
ton of this age accords it. People hesi,at,
to settle in commu lities in which they think
they will be exposed to violence. They
would rather settle elsewhere, even though
the prospects for prosperity are less prom
Using.
The Calhoun Williamson duel has been
quite generally com nented upon, and, as
rule, to the injury Of the south. The north
ern press has viewed it pretty much as Mr..
Brice views it. 1t has been a very
long time since anybody was hurt in a duel
in Georgia, and it is sincerely to be hoped
that there never will be another duel in the
state or in the south.