The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-20

court Of honor, upon quotations taken
from the Bible, and cites, among other
things. that verse OF writing OF ST Paul
IN which the apostle declares that he
would rather die than that any one
should rob him of his good name. VIII
lam infers from this that the most elo-
quent and most forcible of all the faith
ers Of the church was prepared 10 fight
to the death for the honor Of his name.
Nowhere IN the Bible adds mis- mai
esty, rs there any prohibition OF dueling.
not even IN the New Testament, which,
unlike the Old Testament, is not book
of law. Indeed. every attempt 20 use the
New Testament as the basis for a new
code OF law has resulted IN failure"
/ With regard 10 the use made by the Op-
ponents OF duelng OF that law IN the
Old Testament which proclaims Thou
shalt not KILL the Emperor draws at
tention to another portion of the Old
Testament wherein it is mentioned that
the sword shall not be carried IN vain.
Then. invoking ST. Paurs Epistle 10 the
Galatians. in which the apostle exclaims,
20 We foolish Galatiansi This only would
! learn OF you. Received ye the spirit by
the works OF the law or by the hearing
OF the faith? Are We SO foolish? Having
begun in the Spirit, are ye cow made
perfect by the flesh?" the Emperor de-
ciares that 10 twist the Word OF God
into prohibition of dueiing IL nothing
else than 10 perfect ones self IN the
fiesh-that is TO say. to attribute an al
together material and commonplace in
depreciation to what is meant spiritually.
EmDerOr's Exposition.
He adds that this is just as reprehen-
sible in the eyes Of the Almighty as the
attempts by Pharisees 10 adapt the Mo-
safe law 10 their own convenience-at-
tempts which were so bitterly denounced
By Christ Emperor william concludes
this exposition Of his views by the fol-
lowing exordium: He who after careful
determination finds himself compelled
10 fight duel. and whose conscience IS
clear of sentiments Of hatred and Of
vengeance, may do so in the conviction
that he is in nowise acting contrary 70
the Word OF God, 20 the obligations Of
honor, and 70 the accepted customs OF
society. AS in battle. so also IN the duel
which has been forced upon him in one
way or another. he may say 10 himself.
II We live, we live in the Lord. and if
we die, we die IN the Lord. Amen
II must be horne in mind that the
Kaiser delivered himself OF these utter
ances not merly in his capacity OF Ger
man Emperor, King OF Prussia. and
| commander-in-chief OF the entire German
army, but also in his role OF Summus
Episcopus, or temporal chief Of the Luz
theran Church throughout The kingdom
% Prussia The declaration was made
on the occasion of the endeavor by Ger
tain members Of the Berlin court circles
II induce the Lutheran Synod 10 insti-
tute disciplinary measures against the
L Pots fTrar~
cord the rights OF Christian burial 10
Baron Won Sehrader. killed in a duel By
/ Baron Ketze, the encounter being the
outcome OF the anonymous letter scan
J dal which set all Berlin society by the
ears some twenty years ago.
Action of synod.
The synod, however. thoroughly in
c9rsed the attitude OF the Lutheran min
lister in question. and availed Itself Of
the opportunity 70 pass a resolution To
the effect that no person killed in a com
bat Of this kind, or even dying OF wounds
, received in a duel, could be regarded as
having met his death as a Christian and
as such entitled 10 Christian burial
/ Curiously enough, this view was indorsed
4 by old Gen. BrOnsart Won Schellendorf
a { that time minister OF war. who in ex-
pressing his approval OF the resolution
called upon the Kaiser. as commander
/ in-ehief, to take more radical steps for
checking the practice OF duellng VIII
/ lam, however. declined 10 comply with
4 the request, dismissed the general short
/ ly afterward from Office, and condemned
I both the action OF the synod and the
Potsdam pastor who had declined to Off
ciate az Baron Schrader's obsequies. Civ
i'm 2 he 49,
matter the argument OF which I have
| just made some extracts.
! Emperor Francis Joseph, the Kings OF
Wurtemberg. of SaxOny. Of Spain and
/ OF Italy. and the Prince Regent of Ba-
Yaria all have followed the example OF
the German Emperor in depreeating the
/ fighting Of any duel until the subject OF
dispute has been carefully considered by
a court of honor and sanction given bv
the latter 10 the encounters: but insist
that once the court has decided that a
duel must take place fight becomes alb
soluteiy imperative and cannot be evaded
without the forfeiture of honor. commits
sion, and every kind OF social standing.
II is. thanks 10 this rather than 10 any
agitation on the part of the International
Anu-Dueling League, that single COM
bats have become so comparatively rare
everywhere except in France.
Partly InnOcuous.
r If they remain numerous in France II
is because there they are for the most
part innoeuous and merely serve TO ad-
vertise the eombatants and the seconds
without much personal danger. The in
nervousness of French duels has. indeed.
become a subject OF ridlcule all the
world over. There Is a reason for this
lnnOcuousness.
The fact OF the matter IS that the
duelist who Is unfortunate enough "a
kill or TO fatally injure his adversary Is
liable 10 be muicted In heavy damages
by the family Of the victim Thus. there
IS the memorable case of the duel he
tween NJ. Asselin and II. de St Victor.
The latter was killed. Nine. de ST.. Vic
tor thereupon instituted. not criminal. but
civil proceedings against NJ Asselin who
was well-l5nown Partisan elubman and
a near relative of the late Henri Schnel-
der. the great ironmaster OF Creusot She
obtained from the courts a verdict OF
100000 francs. which Asselin was forced
TO pay. And / could mention several
other instances where the surviving ad-
yersary of fatal duel has been nuleted
in civil damages in an analogous man
ner. Thanks TO this condition OF affairs
the one thing which the French duelist
breads next TO getting killed himself Is
the killing of his adversary. He even
fears to infiict any serious injury upon
his foe lest il perchance should have a
fatal result.
Pecuniary considerations more than
any other are the reasons why the
French duelist shoots wide OF the mark
and stays his arm when he feels the
point of his sword against his adver-
sary's body. 1t is an expensive amuse-
ment to kill man whose family set a
value upon him after death and which