Western Sun, Volume 2, Number 44, Vincennes, Knox County, 7 October 1809 — Page 1

WESTERN SUN.

VINCENNES, (I. T.) FROM THE PRESS OF E. STOUT.

[ Vol. II. ]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1809.

[ NO. 44. ]

ADDRESS of the

ANTI-DUELLING ASSOCIATION

OF NEW-YORK,

To the Electors of the State of New-York.

the understanding and themorals of this nation. Public opinion is merely the collective opinion of individuals. To be known it must be exprefssed. And when, where, how, has it been expressed in favor of Duelling ? Let the man be produced who has from principle, refused either to give or accept a challenge, that has been pursued by

public reprobation ?

i.ur attention to a fubject of great and The tiue expreffion of public opinion is common intereft They addrefs you not as to be fought in the religion of the land ; in adherents to any political or ccclefiaftical its laws; and in the converfatioti of its inp. ty but as men who abhor that atheifrn habitants. ! jm Inch rejects the authority and government The religion of the land is decifive. That Icf GOD as citizens who feel the import- religion which is received by the people of lance of making the law refpected ; and the United States, as of Divine authority,

(who know the impunity of crime tends.to ad which has interdicted not only the maj i i . i 11- 1 1 ' . i 1 1 1 1 n A k .. 11 1 .

c. :roy uoui puuuc oruer ar.u private nap- uui an unikcuicius io wic tcui-

it :ls, with all tne iecunty,oi property, n

million of it.

The laws of the land are decifive They fpeak death to the man who kills another in a duI. They fpeak degradation Sc infamy

to every one who, in any manner, affifts.in

f h rs of families, to whom the focial chari-

ie are facred ; and who can never hold

. he an the blood oi fuch as are united to

? flhem in the tendered ties of amity, of nature a duel. But the laws are merciful; they

2TM oi love. l ney can upon you to conn- mow oi any unavoiuaoie niK or. tier and refift the prevalence of a crime punifhing the innocent. And the guilty, ivhich ftrikes at you in all thefe relation ; availing himfclf of their precaution and of vhich has hitherto eluded, but too fuccefs- the facility cfefcape, created by different jlly, the fcveral efforts to fupprefs it, and jurifdictions, eludes their blow, and in the which, emboldened by paft impunity, threa- very act of flirinking from this expreffion jtens to ler.ve nothing fafe of all that is ven- of the public will, pleads public opinion in lercble and valuable in human life the Ids own vindication.

tiitne of Duelling. The private circles are decifive. Gothio'

They need not prove th abfurdity and the Hate from houfe to houfe ; number the attrocity of a pracVice which cannot reckon patrons of Duelling ; and when you have otnnno ir ar.vnrati"; a Hnfflf wifff nr fnnd loUlld them one ill a thonfand Yif rmr iru?p

Jj: Few, even of the moft abandoned, pendent electors, begin to fpeak of their oJxt: .ure to apologife for it upon any ether pinion. Shall we then hear that our opiniX principle than this, that 4 it is a means, how- ens collectively are in diametrical oppolition "iVver had, which the Hate of fociety renders to our opinions feparately ? And that the

rettnary for tr.e protection ot perion and puulic applnucs a practice which everyone cha:a5er; and that if one fnruld not refent who contributes to make up that public, a

in nlult by calling cut its author, or mould nanaiui ot the uelperate excepted, pronounI Recline an iiifulc from another, he would ces fenfclefs and wicked? Yet llrange as 1 bee me an object of univerfal contempt, li- the facts are ; full, peremptory, foh-imi and

to the i.ieancfi ailronts, nd incapable naoituai as are the exprellions ol pujhc o.alntaining his place among men of dig- pinion againfl Duelling, without one folitaand fpirit. Brielly, that public opini- T expreifion in its favor, this baneful prcvhich regulates private honor, is in fav- tice, the offspring of barbarous manners and f Duelling, and compels one to facrifice tloody palfions, is flill fathered upon public rei.fon, his confci-ncc and his wifhes to opinion I And, what is deeply alarming,

V -e rcfpectahility of his focial Handing.' gains rapidly among our citizens gains, in Thus the Dueilift affuming it as a fact, eppofition to al! the expofiulations of reafon t; lie is to be rewarded with the approba- and all the fancti ins of religion ; incppofi-

of the community, fiies to his weapons tion to the rebuke of the law ; to the telli.eath ; f te; his revenge with blood, and mony of the wife and good ; to the protefhues public cjtir.icn, as a warrant fur titions of common humanity; to the tears murder. f thtr idow k t!e forrows of the orphan ; )n the morality of this doctrine, it would to t!ie agonies ot a fathers holom, and tl;,e .u-)eifiuiui5 to comment. There can he yearnings of a mothers bowels ; to all Oiat 1 . . i : . i : , rr : : t ........ i.i i n .

o;;e !'J.wi'miit pronounces upon u uy micuiui; m uns unu, una an mat

;lio rci oj. ;i.ize the diiiit:ciun between t atid wrcrg, as origin ttm in a higher re than hum.m cuftom. l!ut if the al.

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tremendous in the world to come ! Are we father ? Are wr brothers ? Are we citi.rns ? Arc we men: And (h til we permit crime, the reproach of our bnd U the fcotnve of our prace, to openly J-ii:,pi.d-n;ly thioiuh (;iu llre;-ts ? Aic w e to tirm;.,le feiy hour of our livr- h l , brnthrr nr a V t ;, u rc.ftS OUr f-irr(i li0jiCi ci A' cur t! -rv si; ,i in tlir morning, t ) be Lnh, ..: noon, ai:tiy :j Mo.

loch modern honor ? Sc as the fword paflei thro' our fouls, to be told, that we invited its point, and bribed the aflMTin by our own complacency in his character. But what fhali be done ? K'eafon has fpoken and flic isdifregarded, Religion has fpoken and (he is mocked. The laws have fpoken, & they are not heard. Humanity has fpoken, and ihe is infulted. Th is is unhappily true. One meafure, however, dill remains. A meafure, fimplc, dignified, Sc probably more effectual than any which has been tried freemen of this ftate have only to refufe their countenance and their vote at the elections to every man who (hall hereafter be engaged, either as principal or acceffary in any duel, or in any attempt to promote one. As the utmoftart is ufed by offenders in this way, to fruftrate the law, by rendering the requifite proof impolTible, nothing more is neceffary to cut them off from the benefit cf their ill gotten impunity, than to make current report, or one's private perfuafion, by what means foever obtained, the ground of withholding one's vote. That the influence of fuch a determination, if generally adopted and acted upon, would be very great, cannot admit of a doubt. The only plaufible objections arc the two following. 1. That a judgment founded upon preemptive proof, fuch as common rumour of an article in the public prints, might condemn an innocent man : and 2. That the meafure recommanded ma interfere with the freedom of election. . Upon the firff objection it jb fuffidentto remark, tb?A mould the cafe ever occur, that a candidaTe for office fliould fail in his election from an unjufl fufpicion of his having been concerned in a duel, it would ftill be much better that an individual fliould be kept out of an office to which he has no right but the people's gift, than that an atrocious crime fliould go longer without coercion. The injury if any, would flow, not from the vote, but from the fufpicion which exiftcd prior, to it, and therefore could be no way occaftoned by it. But fuch a cafe would be fo extremely improbable as not to be of any weight in the contemplation of a grand focial reform. Among all thofe to whom a general and permanent fufpicion has attached on this fubject, it would be difficult if not impoffible to point out an inltance of uiilhke. And fliould a miltakc happen hereafter, the perfon acrufed, knowing that ti c charge, if believed, is to (Ink him out from the people's honours, will not be flow in repelling it, and refcuing his charafter from unmerited odium. With refpedt-to the fecond objeaion inftead of interfering with the right of election, the expedient propofed U founded upon the broddrit and frteit exercife of that right. It is in the prerogative of every elecAor to give or to deny his vote to any Candidate for any region which to himftlf is latisfactory : "or for no other reafon than his own choice. He -enjoys a contrcnl over his own vote, Vhich i o tr.an, nor body of men may cpjeflion. And ; s he may givor relufe it to w hninfot ver he pleal'rs, at the time of election, fo he i? at per fret liberty to dt t l ue be torch ar d w hat caufe hull govern him in ius p!ic ation. While the me-tlme prrplVd dors in l.r mannerinvadr thr fictd in of rh-cti(n, it i lecominendrd 1 y the m i forcible motive of public untility and rr?uc. 'He lali of lvowd Uudli'd: in too fu:z ( b i r c j n I i n jn i lu - . ; . . J

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