The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-01

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him down in self-defence. Was ever
before such monstrous doctrine toll
Grated? And upon what is it based
but the assumed cowardice of the ag-
gressor-his apprehension and fear Of
injury?
The habit is not only a cowardly
one, but it is rufianlikc and vulgar.
It is reaction against civilization.
1t comes back from the frontier upon
settled society. 1t is an indication
Of an unsettled, disorderly and coarse
mode of life-a reflection upon, and a
standing insult to, society. 1t BELTS
the manners of the cowboy and ranch
man Of Texas, and the miner in the
"gold diggings' of the West, but not
the manners Of gentlemen in decent
society. Let US try this for moment.
If Gen. Lee were alive to-day, would
any one dream of finding pistol in
his hip pocket? Would we expect to
find one upon Gen. Wade Hampton?
Would any Of US like to be seen with
one sticking out under his coat in
Broadway or Central Park, in New
York, or in Boston, or in London, or
in Paris?
Or. Millingcr, in his history Of duel
ling, points out that upon the aban-
donment Of the habit Of wearing
swords in England duelling declined
and rencontres became less frequent.
Duelling there has been entirely aban-
doned. Has the true chivalry Of
England declined in consequence?
Far from it. Instead of
i "The Christless code
That must have life for a blow"
England offers to-day the Victoria
cross and the Albert medal for deeds
of personal heroism in the cause Of
humanity, in war and peace. In the
place of the rufisn duellist, Lord Mo-
hun, and his followers, tie Mohawks
of the time of Anne and the Georges,
she points to the charge Of the Six
Hundred at Balaklava and presents
Havelock and Outram and Wears and
Chinese Gordon and the Bercsfords.
Has the abolition of duelling and the
suppression Of street fighting rem
dered Englishmen effeminate? Let
Lord Charles Beresford's conduct an
swer. See the dandy Of Simla obtain
ing leave Of absence from the fashion
able headquarters at the hills Of India
for the purpose not of rest nor of en-
joyment, but to join the forces in
Africa; follow him there as he res
cues wounded soldier from the
asegai of the Zulus, and with the aid
of sergeant, bears him from the
field amidst the rain of arrows and
spears of the savages. And when
for by the Queen to be decorated with
the Victoria cross behold him nobly
refusing unless the sergeant who
shared with him the danger should
also share with him in the honors!
The idea was doubtless prevalent
that because the duel had been dis
carded in the North men there we're
not as brave as we of the South. But
I appeal to my comrades, the old SOL
diers of the war, if we did not find
that, however heroic We might be, our
opponents of the North met us with
equal courage. Who Of US at some
time has not witnessed some such
noble act of heroisn on the Federal
side as to challenge our admiration
and to cali forth our applause? If
some Of us can recall with pride that
we stood all the long day, 24th Au-
gust, 1862, at Manassas, fighting over
the railroad cut, and can still hear our
noble leader, Gen. Gregg, calling upon
us to die there, can we forget that it
was the heroic charge of the New
England brigade under Gen. Grover
which pierced our lines and nearly
succeeded in cutting us off? If we
can point with pride and glory to
pickctts charge at Gettysburg can We
forget the equally heroic assault OF
the Iron Brigade of the Federal army
at Marye's Heights? No! We old
soldiers learned to know that duellists
were not the only persons who could
face gunpowder and cold steel. And
those to-day who go unarmed may be
as truly brave as the best man with
pistolin his hip pocket
Let me sound a note of warning
Public opinion in England was long
and slow in forming against duelling.
But it did at last form with terrible
earnestness. and fell with tragic force
upon an unfortunate gentleman who
had killed his adversary, believing
that he was acting only in obedience
to it's tcncts in fighting Il duel. Ills
case was seized upon to make an ex-