The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-06-12
THE CODE OF HONOR,
1T IS PASSING AWAY IN ALL CIV.
lLIZED COUNTRIES.
The Duello In Germany, France and
Russia-The Last Fatal Meeting
In South -olIna-John Lyle
Wilson's Code.

wide interest in Germany and through
out the world. The German nobility as q
body, have discussed the possibility of
abolishing the Code Duello, and Prof.
Won Bulow, of Westphalia, has recent.
iy published Ga strong pamphlet show
ing the historical origin Of the duelling
habit, and how the conception of hon
or underlying it is and has been all
along really foreign to the German
mind" But the bloody German duel
still continues in spite of priests
and pampheteers.
The public have been we'll informed
through the press of the four or five
duels growing out of the Won Kotze
scandals, but the Chicago Record
mentions the following recent meetings,
which the most ardent advocate of the
Code would find it difficult to defend:
Ernest Ienker, n lawyer in Pots
dam, was shot and killed in duel by
naval officer, Lieut.. Won Kettelholdt,
of the Einperor's yacht Hohenzolleri.
The officer hud wrouged the lawyers
wife, and tho adjustment of his diff
Guilty was affected by killing the hus.
band. On the same day two lawyers,
Brandt and Schwarez. fought duel
near Berlin in the Grunewald, for
similar reason, the result being exact
ly the same. Another encounter was
between Capt. Won Hunerbein, of the
21st Dragons, and his father-in law,
wealthy landowner in Silesis, named
Won Springer. Both were wounded.
In the small Saxon town of Bautzen
there were three duels in one day.
One of them was fought by old Col.
Van Schwanewede against physician,
DIR. Rohr, because the latter had diff
fered with him on the new electoral
law in Saxony.
IN FRANCE.
In France, where the combat dcux
is rarely fatal, n committee has been
appointed to revise the laws of duelling.
The committee recommends: That the
duel with pistols be abolished; that the
injured party may refuse to fight with
swords; that where the duel is between
Frenchman and foreigner each
may use the sword of his own country,
provided that the weapons are of II
normal pattern and the blades of equal
length; that the use of the left hand
should be forbidden even for parrying;
that in duel with pistols the signal to
fire must be given at a rate not faster
than 140 words minute or slower than
60, and that the distance between the
combatants must not be more than 25
metres, or less than Is.
IN RUSSIA.
Russia has two codes of dueiling.
BY the civil law it is strictly forbidden,
but since 1894 it is compulsory in the
army. The Chicago Inter Ocean says:
"Whenever an officer has been insnltcd
the case is submitted to Regimentnl
Court of honor, which decides what
shall be done, regardless of tho wishes
of the persons concerned. III an Off
Ger who has been ordered to fight does
not obey or send in his resignation
within two weeks of the Courts decision
he is dismissed from the service. An
agitation is now going on to put an
END to this practice, and make the law
the same for military men and civil
iGns.
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
In the United Stutcs the duel has
almost entirely disappeared, the last
fatal meeting in the South Atlantic
States having been the duel between
Col. T.. B. G. Cash and Col VIM.
Shannon, IN South Carolina in 1850,
in which Shannon was killed. The
anti-duellinS laws in South Caroliya
and Virginia arc now SO drast:c ns u
prevent such encounters, even if there
had not been nrn"icnl change in public
opinion regarding the Code, and in
Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and
Louisiana "the field of honor" il now
very seldom resorted to by gentlemen
to settle their differences.
The ethics of duelling will not be dis
cussed here, though it is un1uestion-
able that many Southern gentlemen
still regret the abolition of the custom.
A post -bellum npologist for the Code
in Charleston held that "there are
cases of insults gricvous and dcgrad-
ing for which there Is no action at law.
AT common law woman's chastity
and n mans truth and courage, which
are the foundations of all character,
may be maliciously impeachcd, and
the nggressor be free from legal chal-
lengc or issne. The injurer may enjoy
impunity at law, while his victims are
dragged down to degradation md do
spnir. And in cases where suit would
lie for damages, q legal investigation
may involve for the insulted persons,
at best, shame. ignominy, perhaps
rnin. and for the assailant, ut most, in
significant pecuniary loss.
The FIRST AMERICAN CODE.
Up to 1888, when Governor John
Lyde Wilson, of South Carolina, pub
hshed "Tho Code of Honor, or the
rules for the government OF principals
on1 cennnnr in luallipc, kb,rn ro, =, ~