Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-12
SINCE THE CODE PASSED.
The Change That Has Come Upon Men
and Nations In Respect oil Insults

The extinction Of dueiinE-in those
| countries where II has taken piace-may
be said TO have effected a revolution III
| the whole art and practice OF taking OF
fence. A century ago the character Of a
| gentleman could only be maintained by
| manifesting "A bloodthirsty desire to shoot
| or puncturc any person VINO cast any as
| persion upon IL. Insults and injuries ci
| Tered 10 Il man 8 honor mad IL be reSent =
| ed in the very practical and dcmonstra :
tive way Implied i'll demanding satisfac
ton.
And although the satisfaction might
come in the shape of bullet through
the head or six inches OF cold steel
through the lungs, tie price was moi
considered TOO much Tor the rindicatinn
OF the title which was supposed 10 have
been inpeached. No doubt there were
men Of fashion VINO we're a little hard Of
hearing when an untatter.nF remark was
| made 10 them; ana somewhat short
sighted when an ACQUAINTANCE happened
TO bv biting his thumb az them. The
proud heart which beat beneath many an
embroidered doublet would have been
well con:ented. II no one else was by, to
answer an insoient remark By merely
saying that he considered the speaker an
unmanncrly fellow. says the sun.
Gencraliy however. there was some in
convenient Sir Luclls AT hand 10 assure
him that the afair could not rest there.
ana To offer his services as the friend
who would bear a mortal challenge and
make himself useful afterward IN meas
urin6 out the ground and arranging the
uncomfortable preiiminaries OF a muir
gentleman who happened to be publicly
affr0nted had to- choose between going
out and being cut by most or all OF his
acpuainiances ana friends. The position
Of man who declined 10 take offence al
the critical moment became intOlerab!e.
The calm. dishunorable, vile subnis-
sion 10 which Romeo-for special rea
sons-condemned himself was excused
only in extreme cases and upon bic
grounds When none such We're forth
coming the consequences OF refusal 10
feel aggrieved led 10 the wholesale boy
cotting OF the too Christianiike philosO-
pher. one OF Fieiding's characters. wh)
affected the role of a man OF FASHION.
was IN the ST. JamcS's coffee house when
an officer gave him the lie He answered
that he might be mistaken. but had in
tended to tell no more than the truth.
After this | observed. says he, n
strange GOODNESS in all my acquaintances;
none OF them spoke 10 me first, and very
few returned me even the privilege OF Il
bow. Within week ! found myself II
as much solitude at 81. James's as If
had been in a desert" And II length an
honest elderly man advised this pariah
40 show the world that he was not such
n rascal as they thought him To be
The right and duty Of feeling offended
no longer bring with them these formid
able privileges and dangers. The Vihdl-
cations OF a mans honor can seldom even
b, attempted by his own unaided Ell
forts; and the calumnator. II he had 10
deal only with the object OF ms attacks,
would often escape not only without a
scratch, but without the loss Of penny
niece Actions Tor libel or Islander are
admittedly most insufficient remedies foi
nine out OF ten Of the affrunts which now
fly SO much more freely about IN the un-
Warlike atmosphere OF modern England
Consequently the 'touchy man. IN
stead OF being an object of rather defer
entail respect among such companions as
are unSkillful in the art OF fence o.
Stunned as a dangerous creature. IS
treated rather with ridiCule and contempt
and "chatrei" SO numerically that ne
finds it wisest To- pretend at least To be
more thick skinned than ne really Is.
Gross ana gratuitous insults are not. ~
many people expect them to be. more
common in our day than they were be
fore the ducllo was superseded.
But the task of dtscouragng them Is
no longer left 10 the single arm OF the
sufferer. Society itself takes up the quar-
rel which was formerly left III the hands
coniides his cause 10 the club or rcgl-
meut, the hunt the college OF the circuit,
or to whatever association or assem-
blage he thinks capable OF avonSing him
to apologize Furnishes HIM by the
bloodless, but effective process Of os!ra
cism. This coercive measure Is, In fac:.
applied now directly to the reckless vio-
lator of established rules of courtesy. in
stead OF being used 10 force a private
person to attempt the work of chastisS
ment.
II is therefore advisable nowadays. te
fore taking offence. To be reasonably sure
that the balance OF public opinion Will
think the cause adequate. Otherwise the
too susceptib le complainant may find thd'
the quarrel he has made cuts him OH
from the society. not only OF his sup
posed enemy. but of the mutual friends
who previously took part with him. IN
a society Of bandits no one is very wise
to be offended at being called robber.