The Cairo bulletin., 1912-05-08

manu5 C0nHnewent IN q fortress.
The penalty is without doubt, en-
ti"ely insufficient and const tatcs a
form of privilege for the person who
kills his adversary in a duel, de-
tlaTes the Catholic Encyclopedia.
whoever is Killed in a duel is indi-
rcCtly guilty OF telf-murder. because
he has for no justifiabe reason
/ risked his life, and whoever Stays his
| adversary in a duel IL guilty Of I'M
Iustihahle homicide. beoause he has
| taicn the risk OF causing death with
out any right TO do SO; this holds
true even though he did not directly
Intend is opponents death. The
above applied not only to ducls un-
dcrtafen by private individuals of
their own free WILL but also to duets
| fought on account of personal rriev-
ancos by order Of the state author
! ties Those in authority have not
| the ri.ht to dispose at their pleasure
Of the LIE of the subject. Should a
| dispute be la'd before them toy
should examine the matter judciailY
and punish the guilty party II tho
guilt cannot be proved the accused
| should be acquitted; in such cases
the authorities have no right -
command duel and thus expose tho
/ innocent TO tho same peril as ths
| guilty. This has all the more force.
IS duets often take place on account
of wronrs which are not today pan
ishcd with death by civil law.
NOTHING to It.
A duel can never prove that the
person attacked Is n man Of ho'or,
4 Is not simpleton, has not commit
ted a sin. or the like, A maH with
out character or morals can he just
as skillful in handling weapons as
his honorable opponent. II the quar-
rel hinges on the CHARGE Of coward
ice duel is apparently pro1er
means Of disproving the same. Put
in this instance the CHALLENGER d.
rect1y cndangers his life in order 20
prove that he is no coward
In 1896. when in consequence OF
the fatal Issue Of a duel, the Reich
stag by a largo majority called upon
the Government to proceed by all
means In It's power against the prac
tice of dueling, "a opposed to the
criminal code, the Emperor issued
cabinet order on January !, 1897.
which established courts of honor II
deal with disputes In the army con-
corning questions Of honor, Unfor-
tunately the decree leaves 1t open
to the court Of honor to permit o.
even command n duel to take place.
Furthermore, on January Is, 1906.
General Won Eincm, Pruasian Mia
lister Of War, stated that the prin
and Chancellor Won Buelow added to
this. the corps Of army Officers can
tolerate no member in its ranks who
is not ready, should necessity arise,
to defend his honor by force of
arms In the army. as result n
this principle, a conscientious on-
poncnt of duelling is constantly ex-
posed to the danger of being expelled
for refusing to fight.
4 ~ England Sensible
A 'In England duelling Is almost un'
known. and no duel has occurred, 1t
Is said, in the British army for the
last eighty years English iurispru-
Idence contains no special ordinance
against duelling; the wounding or
killing of another in duel is pun
ishable according to law On the
Continent also public opinion on the
subject of duelling seems to be grad
ually changing. The demand for
the abolition. even in the army, Of
this abuse is growing louder and
, stance of the Infanto Alfonso Of
Bourbon and Australasia. an anti
Iduelling league was formed in order
to carry Systematically the opposl-
ton to duelling.
A preliminary convention, held ar
!, | Frankfurt-on-the-M Main in the spring
of 1901, issued an appeal for the sup
port in its struggle against this evil.
In a few weeks a thousand sigma
=, lures were received, mostly those Of
-, men of influence from the most va
ried ranks of society A convention
to draw up a constitution met at
Cassel, January II, 1902, and Prince
ICafl zu Lowenstein was elected
president. A committee was also aD-
Ipointed to direct affairs and conduct
5, the agitation. The league has made
most satisfactory progress; in 1908
it established permanent bureau at
Leipzig. Concerning the aims of the
league the declaration subscribed by
!. the members states the following:
= 'The undersigned herewith declare
their rejection, on principle, Of
Iduelling as a custom repugnant to
reason. conscience, the demands Of