New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-05
DTELLTNG ~ SOUTH C4ROLJya
ALTHOUGH ILLEGAL. IT STILL HAS MIC,
POPULAR APPROVAL

To the Editor ~ Tho Tribune
Sir. A f. well known. dueiling is not now,,s.
IN South Carolina There arc many who a.'ss
this tact. many who hold thar tho aho,,,,.,,'''e
duelllng was q blow 70 the high moral s,ars,.. "
tho people giving announcement 70 tho ~, ~
guard and leaving the gentleman defencs.es, -
loss he use tho Dlackguards We pors ~
In issI after dueliiug with pistols hah -.
pracfisod in South Carolina for 0ne bundled -
tho staying Of colonel shannon Bog Colonel 60
under circumstances that caused fhe dead ma.
receive an public sympathy resulted .n tho a..
age Of the anii-luelling iaw. 70 make The -
effective a shrewI plan was adopted r. bss :.
ways been against rho law fo fehf duel -,
after INVESTIGATION. if "a was found thar me .cos..
had been observed. fnaf was fne crl " no "a.
ter So long AS the fighting nsF f8ir tee a.,
ylvor hal nothing 20 approhorl bur no fss' ,
provided that the oath NJ office t0 Do taken by sy.
man elected 20 any kind ot nlnie Office IN -.
state should have tais added fo lf And "a, /,
have not engaged 10 duel. either as pria,ioai %.
secona. nor sent "a challenge since DECEMBER p
is.l" Whether it has really injured tho STAT. .
Is perhaps TOO carly 20 dor. Ge u ie aouey..
certain that more men have been killed IN D.
period since luellnH HH- abolished than llrirs p.
Ike number of years lfeflDl.'F And men r,
standing or influence arc NOT convicted.
n IS "a singular coincidence fIaf fae man -.
was so earnestly opposed % 'nf Irl .'i.a No. l.e-,
should have been tle hrst prominent .n O, ,..
.'hip pocket" practice. I'D much ln vogue s.rce p,
ngh.ing on fhe fields nas abolished 70 CAPITA.
T. " Dawson. the brilliant editor ~ The Ns.,
and Courier" hal ieen Slain as he vas 6e,,..
the exit ~ the code. public sentiment would han
demanded tia conviction oi t1e man nt0 kas
aim As n VAS rho plea NJ -o.f-4f,elre" a..
accepted hy tho fury And n other cases we,
prominent mon have boon involved .n r' or yssn
tho same plea has boon Invariably offered sni %,
same verdict Invariably rendered Jsres sees
opposed 10 conyeting white man ~ MUIR. er. egs
though his victim stood high.
White men in South Carolina always 1rdes ,t.-.
selves on courtesy t0 women. The man 2.
would raise bis hand against ONO Has. Ia csr
gone by considered almost beyond faa pale
the law This year TWO women have hfer k.e
one by dispensary constable. who Da- a'qI.s
the other hrltally murdered ay Dor h.- and Il
the latter case tho jury FOUND 'he n, glf. |
but recommended mercy" II a common c0.rI
IS taken in his case petitions FOR his pardon = I
be sent 20 the Governor IN about Two years
The prevalence Of dueliing 81 years .mmeilaps
succeeding the Revolutionary War IS testified % =
petitions 10 the Legislature bearing fae names
more than four thousand South 'lr0.ri3ns a..
sent 10 the General Assembly ID ls03 asking .,a
something be done 70 check the practice Tres
petitions have just been unearthcd ln The Siss
House and bear the names ~ many noted ci,lze,,
Pnckney A. the same time the South Carol-
Society Of the Cincinnati and the Society o. %
Revolution united IN cordemrrs The practice. Al.
most eve-y pulpit In the state rang wiki attack
on duelling while grand iurles ir their prsse-,
ment made reference 70 this violation @, ne law
Of the State.
In later wears the code resulted In set-irg mar
quarrels without bloodshed. TIE 'aw y The fsr
OF honor was the same everywhere. II a man coz.
tod Ta IA
insulter the day succeeding the Insult dsmaatrg
an apology The second OF ~. I was rs,erres :,
the second Of 80. 3 and the matter was l.sc.sss.
both seconds endeavoring 20 avoid a meeting
possible II no apology was given. then cha.
lenge to mortal combat was sent ty 70 J. .
which case 40. had the choice 81 weapons T.
usual distance AT which man fought With p.s,',
was ten PAGES with shotglns thirty yards Ter.
is an instance whore South caroiirlan srogr %
be the best pistol shot in the stare probably d
the United States was challenged by Lousla,a
Judge and RETAINED from naming pistols as BIS
choice giving the fudge chance fy selectrg Coz.
bic barrelled shotguns az thirty yards yer he killed
his antagonist
Dr. Ramsey. the historian. writing nearly 'sl-
tury ago about duelling In South Carol-s says
A sense Of honor is general but like ess,y
10 seek satisfaction or explanation for iriTs: eaaa
might properly pass unnotceo me it.e r..
f. however. faNCrdnle 70 a frriHillAi N-if.' ~
the citizens reciprocaNt 70 ft.n "tN'' y ~.
tiousness u the tongue and pen j. seldom .le-.sii
I'm in Carolina hy the lowest asses ~ l,oie u.
scarcely at an by any OF decent sf4ndnI - 800.
There - such q general reslc-. i'i -y
behavior that rude attacks on me '.ti-.,T.s
individuals meet WITH no cothl"iii -.
for the most part more injurious II, I-rA t--s'
than their subjects. keen sensih.i't on q.
jects Of personal honor CARR ~ I'D extreme
generates into a vice odious in frs motive =
chleVous IN ifs consequences and ptfIcl' LEY -.
graceful 10 the state. Mistaken views ~ POI
DIV ri
Carolina than I'm all the nine states n9itn o- Ms7
land.
During the last thirty years The code was re'''
nized as the gentlaman's standard 90 nonor' i1''
we're innumerahle demands fcr aro. -ies. aai e-.i
n number OF duels But not more thlr ten ceA'-
resulted from hostile meetings 30 ta.s stare. lass
were no killings then in respectable circles 10 80
den heat and passion TO questions ot se.--ieieat
VITA men outside Of the thug class however &c.
the agsravation the most serious assault t'ai co.,
be expected was a slap in DE face H''h tae nnzs'
OF n glove An insult Ike that aroa-H' 'as..s,ls
glove was TOO seriously insilted - ALLOW t.e ma.
10 drop with a negative confession ~ .'N it-.s
the other. ne could publicly horsrNN. '~
OF course. not provided for .n iif -s
followed rs an alternative W1rr fN' code -d.'.
settle the case. K vas al extreme ii' a--t-.
would be- generally adopted "A-N, .'i .,s -
man having insulttd lacy. De- refused 81 eve
protector satisfaction IN obese latter days l..
would be shooting match on ~" stir- -s Il,
as the interested men came Within -aooiins y
lance, ana whichever Nt- nllltl 500" '.'t.t wv"
have a clear case OF self-lt.cucc 800
II there was one insult more deadly t.tn ' ,s :.
ing a glove In mans face D was % '"s-n
noso-Satch The nasal organ between f.e trs,
second finger pinch n hard and give D. 3D. tN.7t -
was the most pressing kind ~ nFift''r 2. -
and coffee" and u not accepted branded s '''
en- coward ,..
Duelling was unQues.lonah'y abused .r SOME e''
innocent relative and friends base .tHt..
quarrels 81 those who would nor f-1' fn save "
honor and have JOSH their lives b-f .i-:
gentlemen shake their heads rnw ana te axe
The code duello" was the greatest -1f '--i.r
citizen and gentleman had f9r bis iif' anl PSI.
IL certainly curled the silrdfrorS art hr.t ~
tongues from "eyl speaking ana grtfr i,s ,t- ~.
respectable men carried no pistols ln neg -
Columbia. : c.. NOV j. 800.
tp1fV iND vary ORDERS.