The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-01-28

ence to duels or duellists, and, as every
newspaper reader knows, a French duel
is as common an incident of French
social life as any athletic contest be-
tween individuals is among ourselves.
This comparison suggests at once the
ground Of difference between the Brit
ish and the Gallo point OF view. We
as a nation admire physical strength
directed with skill and courage; the
French do not. "Jeux de mains, jeux
dc villains" The Code du Duel" by
the Marquis de Chateauvillard, the
recognized authority upon such matters
In France, declares automatically, "A
blow Is not an answer to a blow" We,
again, recognizing the difference be-
tween hot blood and cold blood, believe
in the apology; the French rule says,
There is no apology for a blow We
consider that the law of the land has
no equal in authority; the French code
declares t laws of honor are as sa-
cred as those of the government" 1t
is an absolute rule of French law and
custom today that a man who kills
"NoShNi III q al uucl viii OHly NC lIlcu
10 be formally acquitted.
What this honor" which the DUE
satisfies really is may be judged easily
enough by considering a few duels
themselves. In 1884 NJ. Emile de Cir
ardin reduced the subscription price
of his paper, La Presse, by one-half,
with the result that its circulation was
enormously increased, and that he had
20 fight four duels with the editors of
other Partisan journals, who disap-
proved Of his enterprise. In one of
these he killed the talented Armand
Carrel, and was himself shot through
the hip and fingered between life and
death for weeks. He could never be
induced to fight again. "Duelling," he
said, lis a fault of our education,
against which our intelligence pro-
tests" But as Mr.. Pemberton-Grund
well remarks, In France you must
have killed your man to be able to say
that" In 1S45 a famous gambling duel
was fought with pistols, and one Of the
combatants shot dead. The conditions
had prescribed that the pistols were
to be unknown to all parties, but it
was afterward discovered that one Of
them had a~ssiduously practiced in the
early morning with the pistol he vas
to use. The survivor and his second
were tried for murder, but were ac-
quilted; they we az crwards rearrest-
ed and tried II erirry and sentenced
TO long terins ~lorisonment.
About tweut. -aNe years ago Henri
de Pene, the editor OF the Gaulois, pub
lished an article in which describing
an official ball, he spoke of "the eternal
sub-lieutenant who ploughs up with his
spurs the laces on the women's
flounces." Next morning there were
twenty-seven challenges on his table.
One sub-lieutenant was selected to
avenge the honor" of his class, and
was disabled by the editor, who gave
him a sword-thrust In the arm. An
other sub-lieutenant stepped forward
and declared that it was now his turn.
De Pene and his seconds of course pro-
tested against the obvious unfairncss
OF one man having to fight twenty
seven in succession. The officer imme-
diately came closer, snapped his fingers
in the EDITORS face, and said, Mon
sieur, you are a scamp" A second duel
t~hereupon took place, and DR.. Pene was
run through the liver. The officer had
formerly been fencing master Of his
regiment! In another famous duel n
OF the combatants spent the previous
night with a renowned s%wordsman,
practicing in a courtyard a secret coup,
by means of which he succeeded in
running his adversary through the
thigh. The duel In which the late
brave but idiotic Marquis de Mores
killed Captain Mayer, will be fresh in
memory. The Marquis, Mr.. Pemberton-
Grund says, was a gentleman OF whom
the militant editors Of the Paris press
stood somewhat in awe. AS an instance
OF the courage OF De Mores, he remarks
that when on his American ranch two
cowboys tried to Jump some of his
cattle, he and one of his men fought
them off with Winchester rifles, Tie
invaders being similarly equipped. Mr..
Pemberton-Grund is evidently
that local opinion described this en-
counter in very different language. that
the Marquis de Mores was at once ar
rested and put in prison, and that he
narrowly escaped lynching. Apropos
of the secret coup above mentioned, the
writer of this article tells us that it is
the habit Of every Frenchman, before a
duel, TO go to his fencing master and
take a lecon de duel. which costs three