The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-23
THE CODE OF HONOR.


time and with no announcement before
hand, as the killing of DAVID S. TERRY,
cannot all at once be comprehended, nor
can all It's Importance be measured. The
victim of the deputy marshars bullet has
been one of the conspicuous figures of the
nation ever since he met and destroyed
BRoDERIcK on the "tield of honor" grossly
so miscalled; and either before or after, he
has all along been recognized as
the stormy petrol of any society
in which his lot might be cast. He was the
last of the partisans to what was known in
California forty years ago as the ''scarlet
letter feud," himself being supposedly the
author of that once famous letter, it being
SIMPLY a notice after the fashion of vigi-
lance committees, which was served upon
certain Objectionable politicians in those
days, requiring them to leave. All under
stand that the contest was upon the ques-
ton of slavery or no slavery for California,
TERRY representing the former and BROD-
ERICK the latter sentiment; in other words,
one was a southern, the other a
northern Democrat since the Republican
sentiment had not then acquired definite
shape. The one who planned the meeting
was a lawyer who has been in Salt Lake
many times, and the immediate cause for it
all was statement by TERRY that BRODE-
RICK was more a follower of FREDERICK
DOUGLASS than of STEPHEN a. DOUGLAS;
this being repeated to BRoDERICK. he re-
piled, ~ have said that TERRY was the
only honest man on the bench, but take it
back" These words were communicated
to TERRY and challenge from the inter
venor followed, which being declined
TERRY withdrew from the bench in order
that challenge that would be accepted
might be given. The sequel is well known.
We mention this more for the purpose of
showing what a blood-stained god this
alleged honor is than for anything else.
Here were two rivals in politics, friendly
enough apart from that who were willing
TO Stay each other in order that a mere SEN
timent might be gratifed OF course there
was something above and beyond the i'm
mediate question of honor, but that was the
foundation and excuse for it all. In the
name of honor, BRODERICK became the vic
tim of conspiracy and TERRY made him
self an assassin. That is the only word
that describes the victor in an engagement
between two men when the one who is
slain is not the equal of the other with the
weapons chosen and this fact is known
beforehand.
The man who issues challenge to fight,
whether pugnis ct calculus or in accordance
with the code, may and doubtless does pos
sess certain quantity of physical courage,
but he invariably lacks moral courage and
that rectitude in man which makes him
superior creation. The one who accepts
such an invitation, however much he may
previously have been above and beyond the
one who issues II, at once descends to the
latters level, and so far from becoming ex-
empt from the charge of cowardice, subjects
himself to it, for the reason that he fears
being called a coward and will commit a
great and irreparable crime to escape it.
This was well enough illustrated in the
celebrated duel which cost the life of
ALEXANDER HAMILTON; he was afraid of
the social consequences that might re-
suit from refusal to meet AARON
BURR, and would rather be murdered
than exercise the manhood necessary to de-
cline contest with wild beast in human
form. He was murdered, so was BRoD-
RRIoK, and so is every man that falls at the
hand Of another when there is no greater
incentive than sentimental attack upon
the moloch ''hsnor." And is it not little
singular that those two murderers died
while constructively, if not actually, en-
gagged in conspiracy against the United
States or some portion of its authority!
Ha1d Of ic icyb
stripped of all the glamour and fantasies
with which a less perfect civilization than
that Of today invested it. The duelist and
the murderer occupy nearly equal ground
in the estimation of the better classes
everywhere, and in Utah territory there is
merely the distinction of name made. 1.-THE
code of honor" said the eloquent Senator
BAKER at BRoDERICK's funeral sis
a delusion and snare; it palters |
with the hope Of true courage and binds !
it at the feet of crafty and cruel skill 1t |
surrounds its victim with the pomp ard |
grace Of the procession, but leaves him
bleeding in the altar. 1t substitutes cold |
and deliberate preparation for courageous |
snd manly impulse, and arms the one TO |
disarm the other; it may prevent fraud be-
tween practiced duelists who should be |
forever without its pale, but it makes the
mere trick of the weapon superior to the
uoblest cause and the truest courage. Its |
Pretense of equality is a lie; it is equal in
all the form, it is unjust in all the sub
stanoe-the habitude of arms, the early |
training, the frontier life, the border war,
the sectional custom, the life of leisure
all these are advantages which no Regotia.
tons can neutraIize and which no courage I
eaa overcome"
There was sorrow and mourning at the |
death of BRoDRRICK, Notwithstanding his |
weakness of temperament in meeting his
adversary as he did The excuse was made
for him by those who had loved him in life |
that a wild, weird frenzy was settling down
upon the people-a condition which almost
set aside the civil law and established in its
stead a reign of confusion and contentiOn-1
a condition of semi madness brought on by
the dark shadow Of the war-cloud in the
east; but there were none so poor as to do
TBRRY's mortal remains reverence He
thrived by the bullet and he died by it.
s@-