The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-22
THE CODE DURLLO.
Rev. G. @. Williams Comments
Sharply Upon Il.
From the AUGUSTA Chronicle.

From the augusta Chronicle.
Rev. Chauncey c. Williams had an at
tentive hearing at st. Paul's church Sunday
morning. He took as his text st. Luke
xiii. 35: "And the people stood behold
ing" With this as basis he made a strong
indictment against the people in a commun-
ity for the sin of the citizen, and declared
that vitiated public opinion, and the sinful
indifference of mans fellow-citizens were
too often TO blame for the individuals
crime He declared that while the indi-
vidual was going to hi 5 ruin
1.-THE PEOPLE STOOD BEHoLDING,"
instead of rescuing. He began with an
anecdote of an old priest who, being
asked by some member of his congregation
if he did not think the immortality of some
well-known person in the community was
dreadful, replied: eyes, madam, it is
terrible indeed; and 1 hope the good God
will pardon you and me for that" On this
anecdote he elaborted the idea that the
sinner alone was not responsible for his
sns, but that the indifference or negligence
of the people which made such sin posi-
bic must bear its part of the individuals
transgreSsion.
THE CODE DUELLo.
After using different illustrations Of his
thought he said:
Take, for example, the question which is now
having a somewhat noisy notoriety-the ques-
ton of dueling-that extraordinary code, ae-
cording to which man may first insult you
then compel you to let MIN shoot you down
like dog-and finally, instead of being tried
for his life like any other man who has COM
mitted murder, may pass in the world as
imam of honor 1t is an admirable code for
the DULLES and blackguards of society, for it
gives them responsibility to behavior which
ought to put them in the penitentiary, and If
it were only the bully and the BLACKBOARD who
sort of rude Justice in the custom. But
we know very we'll that men of real cour-
age and undoubted honor are often forced to
play part 10 these travesties OF honor, simply
because they feel that a depraved public opin-
ion demands it, Public opinion has been too
INDECENT 70 provide any arbitration which
would be an honorable substitute for dueling,
and so it happens that while the world has out
grown duelng; while it has more place in
civilization than any other relic Of barbarism
any more than the burning of people alive or
any other brutalities-still the old sentiment
fingers in few communities and is strong
enough, ometimes-to revive what ought to
have been buried long ago. think it may be
stated as general proposition, that
NO RESPECTABLE MAN
nowadays would dream of fighting duel if he
tet that he could escape it without forfeiting
the respect of the community or that there was
anything else he could do without loss of honor.
The community, therefore, is at last RESPONSE
BILE, and no duel cou d ever occur unless it had
the tacit Endorsement of public sentiment. 1t
is simple folly and absurdity to talk about not
RsgS and and sSer P'' with them mayor W and
council. with all the organized forces
of the police, it is an insult to any
common intelligence to say that such
things cannot be stopped. They are not
stopped, but the reason why they are not
stopped is that back of judges and s1eriffs, and
mayor and council and police. is the dominating
power of public sentiment. The law is broken
and deied. The murder is permitted, and the
people stand beholding.n
Taere may be some persons in this congrega-
ton this morning VINO remember the last fla
grant violation of law and morals and humanity
which shocked this community about twelve
years ago. They will remember how brave,
noble young man was
DRIVEN BY PUBLIC OPINION
to fight duel They will remember how he
was brought back dying from the bloody field.
They will remember how the heart of this
whole community was touched with pity and
with horror as his life hung for few hours in
the balance and then passed away. They will
remember the solemn burial from this church
and the words which were spoken from this
chancel in the dead mans name, telling of his
bitter repentance. 1t seemed as if the whole
city was mourner at that grave Yes, the in
humanity the barbarism the criminal injustice,
the sin of all this wretched business came sud
denly home to the hearts of the people and
filled them with horror. l do not believe
such another murder under the form of honor
can ever occur in this generation. believe
that public opinion is at least aroused to the
point or making an oiIOrt 10 nave them stopped.
And so that fatal duel has accomplished at
least this much in the interests of humanity
aud morals. You remember how the unhappy
survivor of that bloody encounter became
wanderer upon the face of the earth; how he
went through the last miserable years of his
life haunted by the recollection of his crime
pursued even unto death with the memory of
the life which he had taken-the blood which
was upon his hands. And yet did the RESPONSE
billty of that deed rest only upon himS Was it
not fact that
A BRAVE YOUNG WOMAN
of this community went from man to man
from official to official begging, pleading, en-
treating that some one would go ii the name of
God and of the state, and stop the shedding of,
blood?-and not one influence could she enlist
until it too late NO-the people-who
ought, by every obligation of morals or mere
humanlty--to have stood between these men
and their mad folly-''the people stood behold
ing" and not until brave life had been sacri-
ffced-and then by the dead body of him who
was slain did the thought of the good priest
come into many a heart-''May the good God
e.. A. -