The Globe-republican., 1899-02-09

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the seconds returned to Alton. The
belligerents then, in separate skiffs.
proceeded across the river.
Mr.. Lincoln sat in the stern of the
boat, beside his second. AS the stall
wart oarsman breasted the waves of
the Mississippi, Mr.. Lincoln said that
his situation reminded him Of a story.
He suggested that he thought he felt
like a Kentuckian he knew who vol
unteered in the war of 1872. In ac-
cordance with the time-honored Gus
tom of these days, his sweetheart en-
broidered him bullet pouch and belt.
and proposed to the incipient hero
that she would work. on the belt the
motto, Victory or Death" "Oh, nc"
replied the volunteer. isn't that ray
ther too strong? S'pose you put Vic
tory or Be Crippled?'
Arriving at the place selected for
the combat, the forms and ceremonies
in such cases being punctiliously in
sisted on by the doctor. Mr.. Lincoln
and his antagonist took their assigned
places, with the earthwork between
them; but before the word was given
for the duel absolutely to commence,
what was apparent to the least OBJ
serving from the first. viz, that, &C
cording to the arrangements. Mr.. Lin
coin had the advantage, now that tho
combatants stood face to face, became
doubly apparent. Mr.. Lincoln's an
tagonist had neither the stature nor
length OF limb fairly to meet his foe:
while Mr.. Lincoln. with his long body
and wonderfully long arm, had moth
ing to do but reach across the barrier
and cut up his helpless antagonist at
his leisure. and he could Go this with
as little risk Of personal danger to
himself as he did when he slaughtered
the unoffending tree limbs that lined
his way to the field of honor. The
farce of Linccln's plan of duel now
became evident to all present.
AS might have been expected, the
friends of the challenger promptly
protested, demonstrated against the
self-evident inequality of terms. and
demanded a parley. The doctor. the
oracle of the field. replied that the
terms were most so!emnly agreed
upon" by all the parties necessarily
interested, and that. according to the
"thirty-six articles of Galway" they
could not be amended or altered with
out commencing the duel over again
from the very beginning, and, to reach
this point of beginning, the challenge
must first be withdrawn.
After much discussion, this prac-
tice was adopted. and the way was
made, according to the thirty-six ar
ticles, for mutual explanations. There
upon, as might have been expected, all
differences were soon amicably set
tied. Out of latter discussions" some
Of the parties connected with the duel
rs friends or spectators edited the
community, through partisan journals.
with sharp explanatory cards." One
or two other similar affairs" were
talked of. but they never came to q
head: and as consequence the whole
matter soon faded out of the public
mind; and thus ended Mr.. Lincoln's
first and only affair Of honor. It was
Mr.. Lincoln's pleasure. long years
after, to confer a brigadier generals
commission upon his antagonist (al-
ready distinguished for his courage
and honorable wounds in the Mexican
war;. who. in the bloody struggle IN
Virginia, made . gallant stand against
Stonewall Jackson in the valley of the
Shenandcah.-New York Ledger.