New-York tribune., 1894-04-21
at length succeeded in securing their indorse
mcnt and support.
pINCUBECh CHID.JLRl.


being made much Of in poetry and romance
was loucbcd into innocuous desuctudc by Ger
v,ntos took root i'm this country very early ana
has staycd very late. 1t fingers still on the Dor
dcrs and the frontier but is slowly passing
away. lis highest development was III me val"
and irritable person brought up in idlcncss,
vino drank hard staggered habiually. wore Il
nis,ol ON his hip was always offensive ana
sometimes dangerous. and whose noaS' I" WIS
that he never spared man III MS anger vi
woman in his lust. In some paris "l 'i'' '"'i'-
,rv silly women and fcathcr-brancd fools still
think there is something quite adhiraple III
that sort of character. The Breckinrldgc triai
NJ Washington brought 10 light the fa't 'ha'
some of the grotcsquc notions or rights hh"
duties. Of personal honor and honesty, ana ol
fhc relations Of the sexes which grew our Oh 'hiS
apothcosis Of the bascr human PASSIONS SUIT
vive to n certain extent in some OF Inc dS'rlc'S
of Kentucky II is encouraging to think now
eyer. that the revelations Of that trlal ana i's
result have. by bringing these idioSyncrasieS
into public view and cliciting very G'hor"
ovnression Of clean and decent public opinlon
concerning them. done much 10 enllghteh 'he
communities which have INDUCED in them. con
corning the views held ny the civilized world on
such subiccis II IS not likely that any man
in nublic station or private life. however faScl-
Mating in manners or silvcry in speech VIII
ever hereafter have the tcmcrlty To s'ahd UP
before the world and make such confession
ne Rrcclinri,lgc's with any hope that his Of
fences will be considered vcnial or his crimes
condoncd.
An echo of the trial which has been sounded
in interviews lately published with Mr. Stoh
one of the lawyers who defended BrccklnridGe'
diScloScs how dccp-scatcd is one OF IN" d'l'iSloHS
which has prevailed during the pinchbeck chiF-
alrous period Mr.. Stol conceived that MI
Jcrr Wilson, Of opposing counsel In me br'ck
inridcc case had insnuatc1 in his argument
tn the iurv that he (Stoll had knowledge "f an
alleged forgery of certain letter. and angrlly
r,snntcd if. Upon which Mr.. Wilson denied
that any such inSinuaton was intcnd'u' III"
Withdrew whatever he had said that was suS
ccn,i1c Of such construction. Mr.. StoH was
not satisfied with this. but with tone ana man
pcr not far removed from bullying dcihahu'u
In addition 10 The rctractiun NOR" ample
ouolnov The letter in which he made III" dc-
ma ma vos long and warlkc and closed with the
f,rmulo which used 10 be SO familiar. an
uounciny where he could be communicated
with the sulphurouS ambiguity with when
oncr, fools used To- cvadc the law when th"y
,v,ntrd to kill each other II i learned from
Woshiuotou that 10 notice was taken of the
letter: 4 dicnincd and proper proceeding oh
,rn nar, of Mr. Wilson But Mr. St"H being
,n,or.nily ambitious Of notoricty. gave copy
or +, to = newspaper. which. miSinkins il for Il
matter of public interest. printed II. He has
since given an interview 10 reporter who'
with professional calmnc,~ asked III h" intend
.d hv his letter 10 invite Il duel with Judge
ViIs,n" Eyadms "a direct answer. he said:
Down in my country men are quick To resent
Limitations and reflections upon their char
oc,ors W. know The priceless value "f honor
and we never allow an attack 10 pass unh"cd'd
-, any cost" To which hc added that he had
"nloccd everything In the hands of friends VINO
will give prompt attention TO any letter received
from Judge Wilson" Th" old. old. stilt'd cir
c,,,nlocufion bv which the fools and ruiians Of
= paSr generation indicated their eagernrsS I"
establish their honor by committing stat"
prison offence.
Mr.. Stoll /, an anachr'niSm However " ma!
be down in my country In ia" part "f IN"
country where he j. doing his posing lh''Il
gent pcr.ons. who ar, quite we'll posted rs Z"
.thc pricclcss value II honor. have very posi-
tive conviction that their own honor depends
entirely on what they themselves d" ana not ~
all ON what anybody says. They b"l"v" 'ha'
imputationS upon their honor are answered ONLY
by the lives they lead and the characters th'E
sustain. and that the last thing 10 do. The most
ridi,ulous rs we'll rs the most brutal ana erin.
iu,l i ,n undertake. 10 maintain their honor 10y
l,uin,, whoever dccricS H. That i Il very
si,,rl,. view. 10 be- sure: II lacks rcdncSS and
louIn.ss and feathers: but il s believed Z" con
,otu tho common sense of The matter. And W"
sh,I voutur. 10 say To- Mr. Stoll that il * the
.o,1v vi,,y . Gentleman can take For a gentle
man knows alwayS that his honor is safe He
* moi sensitive about IT, He cannot suffer from
any attack upon it. No gentleman ever "ludrS
The law or openly violates It. And no intelli-
gent person Of this generation thinks for mo
mont that he can heal wounded honor by Kill
ing somebody.
They make a mistake down in my country
if they still think there is anything admirable
in violent passions or any form Of unrcstraini.
pcrhaps by-and-by the Kentucky people will
bccin to think Of. and be- proud of. a native Of
that State who was not impctuous nor fiery,
nor passionate. nor quick to resent imputations
and reflections Il man who suffered more in
suits than any other Of his time and bore them
with more forttudc whose unfailinG good
nature and unwcarying patience saved Nation
and cnfranchScd race, and whose name Will
live in history when all the chivalry and pseudo
chivalry and pinchbcck chivalry who spend
their lives standing over their honor and going
off at half-cocll whenever IL Is blown upon have
nasscd into oblivion. His name was Abraham
Lincoln.