The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-11

tMaS92B as follows:
49, In the modern
e French penal code
there Is no refer
enee TO duels or duellists. and. as every
newspaper reader knows, a French duel
is a. common an incident OF French
social life as any athletic contest be-
tween individuals Is among ourselves,
This comparison suggests 1T 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
de 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 10 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 "the laws Of honor are as sa-
cred a. those Of the government" II
Ia an absolute rule Of French law and
custom today that q man who kills
another In a fair duel will only be tried
TO be formally acquitted.
What this honor" which the duel
satisfies really Is may be judged easily
enough by considering a few duels
themselves. In 1884 N. Emile de Cir
ardln reduced the subscription price
Of his paper. La Prease. by one-hali.
with the result that is circulation was
enormously increased. and that he had
10 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 20 fight again. "Duelling." he
said. lis a fault OF our education.
against which our intelligence pro-
tests" But a. Mr.. Pemberton-Grund
well remarks. I'm France you must
have killed your man 10 be able TO say
that" In iSt5 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 Il
was afterward discovered that one OF
them had asslduously pracileed In the
early morning with the pistol he was
to use. The survivor and his second
we're tried for murder. but were ae-
quilted: they were afterwards rearresi-
ed and tried for perjury and sentenced
TO long terms Of imprisonment
About twenty-five years ago Henri
de Pene. the editor OF the Gaulols. pub
lished an article In which describing
an oficlal ball. he spoke Of "the eternal
sub-lieutenant who ploughs up With his
spurs the laces on the womens
nounces." Next morning there were
twenty-seven challenges on his table.
One sub-lleutenant 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-lleutenant stepped forward
and declared that Il was now his turn.
De Pene and his seconds OF course pro-
tested against the obvious unfairness
Of one man having to hght twenty
seven In succession. The ofiicer imme-
diately came closer, snapped his fingers
In the editors face. and said. Mon
sleur. you arc a scamp" A second duel
thereupon took place. and DR.. Pene was
run through the liver. The olheer had
formerly been fencing master OF his
regiment In another famous duel one
OF the oombatants spent the previous
nlght with a renowned swordsman,
praetlclng 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 ldiotic Marquis de Mores
killed Captain Mayer. will BE freah 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 10 Jump" some Of his
cattle. he and one Of his men fought
them on with Winchester rifles, the
invaders being similarly equipped Mr..
Pemberton- Grund Is evidently unaware
that local opinion described this en-
counter In very different language. that
the Marquis De Mores was AZ once ar
rested and put In prison. and that he
narrowly escaped lynehlnE. Apropos
Of the secret coup above mentioned. the
writer OF this article tells us that Il Is
the habit Of every Frenchman. before a
duel. TO 20 to his fencing master aud
take a lecon de duel, which costs three
or four times o. much az an ordinary
lesson. and IN which the master teaches
him one OF the secret thrusa that
form a par, OF his siock-ln-tradc. This
fact In itself Is sufficient to reduce the
honor" Of the duolllst TO rs proper
Lowell.
PRO aud Con.
D - L.. ~