DUELLING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 15, 9 April 1892, Page 379

DUELLING.

In France it has until lately been the rule that a gentleman to whom an insulting epithet was applied by another, who might be reasonably supposed to be a gentleman, must challenge the insuiter to fight a duel. Matters have now so far changed in that country that when the President of the Chamber was lately called a • liar ’ and an * infamous wretch ' in open session of the Chamber, he contented himself with an official rebuke, and did not afterwards challenge the offender.

In the last generation no gentleman regarded himself as freetodeclinean invitation to fight a duel. A single incident shows at once how cheap men held their lives, and bow possible it is for one man to rebuke another in some more effective way than by shooting him. M. de Cirardin, the father of the statesman and author, Emile de Girardin. on one occasion entered a place where several men were firing at a target. A gentleman present, whom M. de Girardin did not know, hit the bull's eye at every shot. Several bystanders expressed themselves in very great admiration of the gentleman s precision. • Yes,’ said De Girardin, * he shoots remarkably well, but it is quite a different thing to hit a man in a duel from hitting a bit of pasteboard. The most skilful marksman, who could hit a coin at twenty-five paces, might easily miss a man at the same distance.’ The marksman overheard the remark, and was offended. ‘ I think you are mistaken, sir,’ he said to De Girardin. * I assure yon that if I had you before me I shouldn't miss you.' ‘ You can have me when you like,’ said De Girardin. ‘ Let it be immediately, then,’ said the other. ‘ At once !’ An attempt was made to patch the matter up, but neither man would agtee to an amicable settlement. The seconds were chosen, and the men went to a locality favourable for a duel. It was decided that the men should fire separately, and it was left to a decision by lot which should fire first. The lot fell to the mysterious marksman. He tired at M. de Girardin, and missed him. De Girardin stood still, making no sign as if to tire at his antagonist. • Come, wny don't you short ’’ asked his seconds. ‘ Why should I shoot ?’ asked De Girardin. ‘ There is no reason why I should kill this gentleman. I maintained that even a crack shot could easily miss his man at twentyfive paces. The gentleman maintained the contrary. He must now be convinced that he is wrong. I owe trim no ill-will for having discovered that.'

A better method of meeting a duelling challenge was, no doubt, one which was employed on a certain occasion by a French statesman, now living, as against M. Victor Noir, an illiterate bully of the press in the time of the Second Empire. The statesman received from Noir, for no real reason whatever, s challenge to fight a duel. Noir was a densely ignorant man. and nearly every word in the challenge was misspelled. The statesman responded with the following letter :— ‘ Dear Sir:

‘ \ ou have called me out without any good reason ‘ I have, therefore, the choice of weapons. ‘I choose the spelling-book.’ * And you are a dead man.' The duel was never fought.