Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-20

ln6 OHll6u SldleS anu OllSl SOSliOiif
of America.
1t is in our own country, however
where the rise, fall and decadence OF
the code duello may be most ardently
Il and satisfactorily traced. The judicia
duel had become extinct some time be-
fore the sailing of the Mayfiower, but
not long after the landing at Plymouth
Rock did there fall a victim of the
fashionable, or social, means of settling
affairs of honor" And from that time
ION the custom grew, and soon num-
bered Hamilton and his son, Cilley
Decatur, Frederick and hundreds and
thousands of others among its choicest
victims The untimely and unfortun-
tate killing (mortally woundng-he died
five days after receiving the wound)
.of David c. Frederick, a senator of
|the United States. at a place near San
francisco, the 18th day of September,
1859 created so profound a sensation
the country that the his
Itorian of the code may truthfully de-
.clare that the commencement of its
lend was right then and there. Shortly
latter this tragic episode came our Civil
war. which was probably the greatest
agency of all in abolishing the cruel
practice which had prematurely ex-
the bright prospects of so
MANY lives made desolate so many
domestic affairs. and gave society In
exchange so little that was humaniZ-
ing or good. Yet. long before that war,
dueling had become an odious and OBJ
solete practice in all of the northern
states Except California;. and much
less frequent in the southern states,
where the top laurel of a mans honor
century ago was that he had been
fired at or had killed his man on the
so-called "Field of Honor"
Nevertheless the Civil War was I'M
doubtedly the one thing more than any
other that laid this brilliant barbarism
in its grave Perhaps the friehtful
slaughters on glorious fields so sickened
the country of bloodshed that it was
indisposed to look with old-time indul-
eence on private fatal encounters. But
the more probable hypothesis Is that
the changed sentiment in relation to
dueling is only a part of the great
revolution in everything social and DO
1itical produced bv that stupendous
affair of nationl honor A crisis of such
magnitude hastens the development OF
the conditions toward which a nation
is tending; and dueling in the United
States was already on its way to ex-
tinction before our national disaster
came. Since that time. or since the
close of that war dueling has been
scratched off the lists of fashionable un-
dertakings.
The law. tor. has PLAYED an important
part in graduating this social curse bv
subiecting all connected to most rigid
penalties. although the loeic of the
code duello is fatally defective, and 1t
is strange that It should ever have i'm
posed on INTELLIGENT and thoughtful
people. It's defenders have claimed that
private combat between gentlemen was
necessary to prevent their relations
from falling into state of ruffianism
or blackguardism. and that society
would be the purer If everv man should
he held responsible for his words and
his acts.
The latter claim is true enough, but It
is not and never has been true that the
duel furnished the best or even a toler-
able means of enforcing the RESPONSE
bilitv. Indeed. in a great majority of
cases the code duello supplied such
ready atonement for Internationally
conduct that 1t tended rather in favor
of its repetition than against it. A
blackguard or a bully who was "called
out" or succeeded in getting some one
to accept his CHALLENGE. was rather in
luck for by his display of courage
and 2 blackboard or bully is not nee
up before his opponents weapon, he
mea surably wiped off the stain upon
his character. It is quite different where
the duel does not prevail. and where
society undertakes, by the mere weight