ir lives, or to deter the defamer by the risk which
he must incur.

And where political animosities are carried to such a length as they are
in this exciting climate, there is no time given for coolness and
reflection. Indeed, for one American who would attempt to prevent a
duel, there are ten who would urge the parties on to the conflict. I
recollect a gentleman introducing me to the son of another gentleman who
was present. The lad, who was about fourteen, I should think, shortly
after left the room; and then the gentleman told me, before the boy's
father, that the lad was one of the right sort, having already fought,
and wounded his man; and the father smiled complacently at this tribute
to the character of his son. The majority of the editors of the
newspapers in America are constantly practising with the pistol, that
they may be ready when called upon, and are most of them very good
shots. In fact, they could not well refuse to fight, being all of them
colonels, majors, or generals--"_tam Marte quam Mercurio_." But the
worst feature in the American system of duelling is, that they do not go
out, as we do in this country, to satisfy honour, but with the
determination to kill. Independently of general practice, immediately
after a challenge has been given and received, each party practises as
much as he can.

And now let us examine into the particulars of this duel between Mr
Graves and Mr Cilley. It was well known that Mr Graves had hardly
ever fired a rifle in his life. Mr Cilley, on the contrary, was an
excellent rifle-shot, constantly in practice: it was well known, also,
that he intended to fix a quarrel upon one of the southern members, as
he had publicly said he would. He brought his rifle down to Washington
with him; he practised with it almost every day, and more regularly so
after he had sent the challenge, and it had been accepted. It so
happened that, contrary to the expectations of all parties, Mr Cilley,
instead of Mr Graves, was the party who fell; but surely, if ever there
was a man who _premeditated murder_, it was Mr Cilley. I state this,
not with the wish to assail Mr Cilley's character, as I believe that
almost any other American would have done the same thing; for whatever
license society will give, that will every man take, and moreover, from
habit, will not consider it as wrong.

But my reason for pointing out all this is to show that society must be
in a very loose state, and th