Manners Of The Slavocracy--Duelling

The nature of a duel is gready misnppreliendec at the North. It is usually considered a public contest between two individuals, with deadly weapons. into which they are unwillingly drng ged by the pubiic sentiment of the community and fioni which thoy would gladly be excused - ín a vast mnjority of cases, however, the combatants enter the field with the most deadly ha tred, thirsting for each other's blood. The inten tion'of each is lo kill his adversary if he can. I is very common to spend sometime in practising before the encounter takes place. Thus Mr.Stan ley was shooting at a mark just before the anticipated meeting with Wise in company with Reverdy Johnson, when the latter gentleman was wounded in the eye by the rebounding of the ball from a knot. Stanley was preparing to kil Wise! On the first page will be found eome particuIras of the recent duel between Col. Webb and Hon. T. F. Marshall. The most vindictive and blood-thirsty spirit was nianifested on this occasion. The seconds of the parties tossed up fora choice of position, and a dispute arising between them, Marshall said to h!s second, with wannth. "Give it to them, Doctor - give it to them. I camc her e to haxc a shot at him, $ I don't mean to be baffltd Inj trijlcsl" The first shot having proved ineftectual, the seconds held a parley, and the principáis being still dissatisfied, they triedto kill eachother the second time. Col. Webb was wounded in the left leg, and as soon as Marshall ascertained it was no: mortal, he insistes on having another shot, rëmarking that Col. Webb hac injured him more than all other men, and f i iccrc possi'jlefor him to stand he should expect him again to resume his position. Th3 beirif, refuscd, the parties left tho field with the same hos'.ile feeling.with whichthey entered it. This we suppose, rnay be considered a fair specimen of that Southern generosily and nobleness o: spirit of which we hear bo much - to shoot at a man twice with intent to kill him, and after he has been made a cripple for iife, to drive him up from tho ground whither he had fallen, and make an end of him by shooting him through the heart! Verily; tho greatness of spirit manifestecby these slaveholders is amazingl Wc shall not attempt an enumeration of the honorable and dignified slaveholders who have attempted to murder each other in this fashionable way. Ve hope somc one will make out a list of these honorable murderers. Among ihein Mr. Weid mentioria President Jackson, Senator Bcnton, and General Coffee, who shot at. stabbed, and stampcd upon each other at a tavern. Gen. Jackson had previously killed Mr. Dickenson. Senator Clay, of Kentucky, has imniortalized himself by shooting at a near rolative of Chief Justice Marshall, and bcing wounded by him: and not long after by shooting at John Randolph of Virginia. Gov. M'Duflie has signalized himself by shooiing and being shot - so bas Gov. Poindexter, and Gov. Rowan, and Judge M'Kinley of the U. S. Supremo Court. During one session of Congress, Droomgolc and Wise. of Virginia, W. Cost Johnson.. & Jenifer, of Maryland,Pickens and Campbell, ol South Carolina, were engaged, as principáis or seconds, in this species of murder. W. P. Man - gum, the seccnd officer in our governnient officiated as eecond in the contemplated murder between Wiae and Stanley. Mr. Crittcnden, of Ky., who took the place of Mr. Clay as Senator, was among the spectators at the meeting between Webb and Marshall. Is it any wonder that the country does not obtain relief from lts distresses while the most distinguished members of Congress spend their time and eight dollars per day in shooting al their fellow citizens, or in witnessing the sport? Inferiora will tollow the exampleof the great. Henee the frequency of duels among the slavocracy.The New Orlcans Pücayune, of July 30, 1837 saye: "It is with the most palnful fcelings tliat wc dnihj ïiear of some f.ital duel. Yesterday, we were toldof the unhappy end ofone of our most nfluential and hiylily reupectuble mercbsnts, who ell yesterday morning at sunrise in a duel. As usual, the circumstanccs whieh led to tlie meet112 were trivial." The New Oileans correspondent of the N. Y. Exjrcss wrote July 30, 1837: "TmnTEEN Duels have been fought in and ïear the city during the iccek: fiva more wcre to takc place this morning."A few weeks 6Ínce, a duel took place between two mids-bipmen, bo;h tmdcr 20 years of age. who had been in the service only about eight months. The thigh of onc ofthem wassobadly frnciured he was not cixpecied to sarvive. They were both i rom the Carolinas. These duela are frequentiy accompanied by circunisiances of the greatest ferocity, an instance or two of' which we sliall memion. We do not argüe froni this that slaveholders are worse than all other men by nature: but ihe possession ol arbitrary power f rom their earliest years has poisoned their better fcelings, and inflamed every vindiciive and hateful emotion into madness. - Thcy wlio daily wreak their vengeance on the slave.will not ahvays mariilest much tender-hearteiincss to each other. Tlie North Carolina Standard of August 30, 1S37, coniains the following illustration of this ferocity, exhibited by two soutliern lawyeis in settlingthe prelimínaríes ofa duel. "The followinor condüons were proposed by Alexandér K. McClung, of Raymond, of the State of Mississippi, to H. C. cStewart. as the lawa to govern a duel they were to fight ncar Vicksburg. Article Jst. The parties shall meet opposite Vicksburg, in the State, ol Louisianu, on Thursthe 29tli inst. preceisely at 4 o'clock, P. 'M.- Agrerd to. 2(1: The weapons to be used by each shall weigh one pound two and a half ounces, measuring sixteen inches and a halfin length, including the hand Ie. and onc inch and threc-eighths in breadth. Agreed to. 3d. Boft knives shnil be sharp on one edge, and on the back shall be sharp only one inch at the point. Agreed to. 4th. Each party shall stand at the distance of eight fcet from each other, until the word is given. Agreed to. o. The second of each party shall ihrowup, wah asilver dollar, on the grouirl, for the word, and two best out of three shali win the word.- Agreed to 6th. After the word is given. either party may take what advantagé he can witíi his knife, but on throwing his knife at the other. shall be shot down by the second of his opponent. Agreed to. 7th. Each party shall bc stripped entirely naked, except one pair of linen pantaloons; one pair of socks, and boots or pumps as ihe pany picase. Acceded to. 8!h. The wrist of the Ieft arm of each party shall be tied tight to his Ieft thigh, and a strong cord shall be fastcned aronnd his Ieft arm at the elbow, and then aronnd his body. Rejectcd. 9ih. After the word is given, each party shall be allowed to advahce or recede as he pleases. over the space of twcniy acres of ground, unti death ensues to onc of the parties. Agreed to -tlie pames to be placed in the centre of the space. lOih. The word eliall be given by the winner of the same, in the foHowing manncr, viz: 'Gentlemen are you ready?" Each party shall then answer, "lam!" The second giving the worc shall ihen distinctly command- strike. Agreec io. Ifeither party shall viólate these rules, pon being notificd by the second of cither party, he may be Hable to be shot down instantly. As estabïished usage points out the duty of both parties, therefore notification is considercd unnecessary." The following murderous affray at Cantón, Missiesippi, is from the "Alabama Beacon," Sept. 13, 1838. "A terrible tragedy recently oceürred at Canton, Mississppi, growing out of the late duel between Messrs. Dickens and Drane of that place. A Kentuckian happening to be in Cantón, spoke of t'ie duel, and charged Mr. Mitchell Calhoun. the second of Drane, with cowardice and anfairness. Mr. Calhoun called on the Kentuckian for an explanation, and the offensive charge was repeated. A challenge andfight witk bouie knives. toe to toe, were the consequences. Both parties were dreadfully and dangerously wounded, though ncither wasdead at the last advices. Mr. Calhoun is a brother to the Hon. John Calhoun, member ot Congress." The ;Darien Telegraph" contaras a correspondence betwecn six individuals, seltling the preliminaiïcs of duels. The corespondence filis, with the exception of a dozen lincsr five columns of the paper. The pa.-ties were Col. W. Whig Hazard, commander of one of the Gco. regiments in the recent Seminóle campaign, Dr. T. F. Hazard, a physician of St, Simons, and T. Hazard, Esq., a county magistratt, on the one side, anc Messrs. J. A. Willey, A. W. Willey, and II. B. Gould, Esqs. of Darien, on the other. In their published correspondence the parties cali each other "liar," "mean rascal," "puppy, " "villain," &c. The magistrate, Thomas Hazard, who accepts the challenge of J. A. Willey, says, in one of his letters, "Being a magistrate, under a solcmn oath to do all in my power to keep the peace,'' &c., and yet this personification of Georgiaj??sticc superscribes his letter as follows: "To the Liar, Puppy, Fooi, and Poltroon, Mr. John A Willey." The magistrate closes his letter thus: "ílere I am; "cali upon me for persona', sutisfaction (iri jropria forma); and in the Farm Field, on St. Smion's Island, {Deo junante.) I wijl give you a (all front of my body, and do all in my power to satisfy your ihirst for blood! - And more, I will wageryou ,$100, to be planked on the scratch! that J. A. . Willey will neithcr kill or defcat T. F. Hazard." The following extract from the correspondence is a sufficient index of slaveholding civilizotion. "Articlcs of baitle betwecn John A. Willey and W. Whig Hazard. Condttion 1. The parties to fight on the same day, and at the same place, (St. Sirnon's beach. near the lighthouse,) where the meeting between T. F. Hazard and .1. A. Wiüey will take place. Condition 2. The parties to fiht with broadswords in the righthand, and a dirk in the left. Condition 3. On the word "Charge," die parties to advancc, and attack with the broad-sword. or close with the dirk. Condition 4. The htad of the canquishcd to be tut off by the zictor, and stuch vpon a polo on t'ie Farm field dam, the original cause of dispute. Condition 5. Neither party to object to each other's weapons; and if a sword breaks, the contest to continue with the dirk." This Col. W. Whig Hazard is ono of "the most prominent citizen3 in the southern part of Georgia, and previously signalized himself, as we learn from one of the letters in the correspondence, by "three delibérate rounds in a dufcl." As the slavocracy are, and will probably be our rulers, at least foraseason, we shall continue our llustrations of their manners and principies from ime to time.