New-York tribune., 1894-04-22
!" HONOR.

Mr. Stol. Of kentucky. the lawyer in the
Rreckinridge case who wrote Il quite unncccS-
sarv letter calling cx-Judge. Jeremiah Wilson
to account for alleged imputatons upon his
honor and then quite unnecessarily gave it out
for publication. following that action Win
several quite unnecessary interviews in which
he unnecessarily obtrudcd upon public notce
q petty personal grievance Of no earthly interest
to any one but himself. has left town. Before
eaviug he made further communication 10
the representative Of the newspaper WHICH
unfinished exclusively" his letter TO eXJudge
Wilson As if loah 10 withdraw from puol''
Wow he repcats his grievance, taking pains to
add thereto "A statement of what II" wouiu 90
if he had received a letter containing such ac-
cusaions as he preferred in his letter 10 'A
Judge Wilson. Had such charges been made
he says Il would either have diSproveh 'hch
opcnly or would have taken steps looKlhg W
the withdrawal Of unwarrantcd attacks, or 'ise
their originator would have been forced by me
10 give me the satisfaction that Geh'lei"a"
will always have the courage ana the deceh'F
to claim in defence of his honor mat i 10
eov- -trouslating IN, nimSy crcumlocltOn about
satisfaction into The simple EngllSh III "S'
omonc gentlemen not contemplating the com
mission Of crme-if he had rcc'lV'd su'n d"
insult rs he sent he would hay" forced the
sender either to withdraw il or 20 out III Nloia
ton Of law to Kill or be killed
That is the way in which, as he Salu III
previous interview down in my country
where they know the priceless value "l
honor" they resent imputatons ana renee
tons upon their characters. lie omli''d /"
say. though the Inference is plain, that men WHO
oil al
do not So resent imputationS are h'ld L" pe
destitute Of honor: that no matter now. hIEh Il
character 4 man may have established py
self-respccting. law-abiding. useful ana uprl-H'
life. he loses it and is dishonorcd II he iliis 10
resent imputatonS upon 1t by killing IN" oi'
fender or being killed by him; and that no mat
ter how vile a life n man has led he ESTABLISHES
q character rs an honorable gentleman Wll'h h'
kills the man who reflects upon his hoh"r. Anu
rs Il matier Of detail he neglected 10 STATE me
prccisc process by which killing IN" man WHO
makes charges against character dSproV'S 'h'
charges For instance. people who. though lH'E
do not live down In my country imagine ''i''
they know the priceless valu" OF hohor can
not understand how Mr.. Stolrs character. II II
Is not already So we'll established that the I'M
putation which he imagincs Judg" Wilson put
upon il will roll of harnilcssy. can d" cleanser
and purified and made admirable by IN" com
mission Of a crime That is what puzzles the
citizen Of ordinary intelligence before whom
Mr. S,oll has 50 unnecessarily paradcd his srlev-
nncc and aired his vanity.
II was time for Mr.. Stoll 10 20 away. lis
views OF THE priceless value ~ honor ana
of tho satisfaction that "A gentleman VIII al
WAYS have the courage and the dcccncy 10 claim
I'm defence " his honor are not such aS Obtain
I'm this part ~ the country. Her" fhe character
of a man depends on his own life ana ronGuct.
Nobody but himself can soil H. and II there Is
ANYTHING suspicious or dishonorabc about H. IL
ism, helped 10y killing anybody. We may be Il
little slow on the trigger. and lacking IN that
high spirit and quick temper which goes
.heelcd" for an emergency and killS upon IN
pulse but as rule the people are cvilzed ana
intelligent and know the priceless yalu" oi com
mon sense rs we'll rs of honor. We don't XII
our fellow mcn-wc hang or "clcctrocui"' those
who do-and we laugh at the foolish fellows
who 20 round thirstlng for gore and threatening
10 Kill because they have taken offence at What
somebody has said about them. Goodby, Mr.
Ill