The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-20
Buckley ON DUELlNG.
THE CAST IRON CODE MADE FOR
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN
CIRCLE.

NJ Drew the Lines very NiOSe-M men
the Duel Hogan II Meant That One
or Both Principals Must Die-Wns
Framed TO Discourage Fighting.
From the New York Sun.
The condemnation of Col. Francisco
Romero in a Mexican court for the un-
lawful killing of Jose Verastegui in a
duel is not as it might seem, judicial
apprehension Of dueling. but simply evil
dence of an effort to draw the line be-
tween fair fighting under the code Of
assassination. The public prosecutor, it
is true, vigorously denounced dueling and
duelists, but the conviction was obtain
ed upon proof that the code had been
treacherously violated to enable the prede-
termined murder of the victim, with as
surance of safety on the field at least,
1t is questionable if the outcome of this
case will diminish the practice of duelng
among Mexican military men. Legal pen
alties. of more or less doubtful enforce
ment genereLy. have little deterrent
effect upon men willing to risk their lives
upon what they call the field of honor.
One of the most perfect systems of re-
straint and discouragement of dueling
lutluuNu
OF the knights of the Golden Circle, which
recognized the duel as permissible and
conditionally proper.
1t is a common error to suppose that
the knights of the Golden Circle were
simply an engine of secession, organ
lied in the southwest during the first
year of the civil war. That was what
the greater part of the order became, aft
er its original purpose was necessarily
abandoned, but in its inception and up
to the time when 1t had no fewer than
1000 active members upon its rolls, prior
to the civil war, its aim was the armed
colonization of Mexico.sand its motto.
"Peaceably, if we can; forcibly, if we
must"
Commander Buckley, who devised and
directed it, was daring and brilliant ad-
venturer, who had set his heart upon the
conquest of Mexico, not for purposes of
plunder, but to enable its settlement by
Americans, the development of its vast
resources, the establishment of good gov
eminent, and its eventual admission as
one of the states of the union. ntl,
To that end everything else was in his
eyes, of secondary consideration When
the civil war broke out II put a stop to
his enterprise at once. for all his southern
knights were in demand for the armies
of the confederacy. There were then two
large castles" in the north, one in New
York and the other I'm Cincinnati, and
several small ones, but 80 per cent Of the
order were south of Mason and Dfxon's
line. 1t is doubtful if Buckley ever cared
a button, as between north and south
which whipped, but he unfortunately
for himself, got it into his head that the
latter Would win. He further imagined
that the contest would be short, and that
it would eventually greatly strengthen
his cherished project with men and re-
sources, when the time again was propi-
tious for him to move on Mexico, If he
could in the meanwhile win prominence
and popularity in the confederate service
So all the original plans of the knights
of the Golden Circle their splendid code
of laws and their admirable system of or
ganization, We're pigeOnholed and the or
der was divided. The larger part. retain
ing the old name, but under a new and
much simpler form of organization, de-
clared for the cause of secession; while
the northern minority disbanded their
castles" and renounced Buckley and his
schemes forever And it was not long I'M
til the new X. G. c. were exposed and
broken up; Buckley was thrown into Fort
Lafayette and eventually died, and the
whole thing was dumped into the bog of
vaguely remembered and imperfertly I'M
derstood facts, out of which so much his
tory is conveniently nodded.
These remarks upon the real purpose
of this order are necessary to explain
ton of the military and civil elements
1t was planned, with admirable fore
sight, primarily to take control of Mex
leo by force, and, secOndarily, to keep
that control by faultless administration
of perfect system of laws.
All members belonged to the first grade
which was that of the soldiers; for adj
mission to which it was requisite that
man should have a good character pos
sess some trade, occupation or accom-
plishment rendering him capable of self
support and usefulness in a community
and that he should pass a physical ex-
animation at least as strict as that pre-
liminary to enlistment in the United
States army.
To the second grade belonged those Sc
lected for their special capabilities as
field and line officers; Of course, a much
smaller number. In the third grade were
only general officers and those whose
province was to provide and dispose Of
the resources of money and munitions of
war necessary for the enterprise These
last worked in harmony with other off,
GERS of like grade in the Knights of the
Golden Cross, sympathetic secret order
OF Mexican revolutionists, which was
formed on similar lines For this army
for such the order was, in all points.
and was meant to be until established
in peaceful possession of Mexico-strict
military law was provided, but that law
possessed the capacity for harmonious
combination with a civil code to be In
force after the conquest
There was one peculiar feature in it.
injected by Buckley himself, intended for
the suppression of dueling Buckley
knew that nine-tenths of his men were
reckless, hot-headed s0utherners, who
had been raised to look upon the duel as
a right, manly, and proper mode for the
adjustment of grievances, settlement of
questions of personal honor, and even
mere demonstration Of courage and Prov /
ess. Personally ne regarded it as a bar |