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Literary
January 29, 1803
Alexandria Advertiser And Commercial Intelligencer
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
This essay, part III from the Balance, critiques the rising prevalence of duelling in America, attributing it to novels romanticizing duels and newspaper publicity of high-profile fights, which encourage youth and officials to participate. It promises remedies in the next installment.
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OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
From the BALANCE.
ON THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF DUELLING.
No. III.
THE passion for duelling, which in instances not a few, seems probable to have been first awakened in the minds of boys by the aforementioned Chesterfieldian lesson, that they had learned at school, is afterwards cherished and confirmed by the general course of their reading. No books, during the last twenty years, have been so much in the hands of American youth of both sexes, as novels and romances.* This soup-meagre,† in the present state of things, is the principal intellectual food of juvenile minds; and their prepossessions in favor of duelling is the necessary consequence. An extravagant love adventure and a duel are the most common ingredients in these kinds of composition. The hero of the novel vindicates his mistress's honor and his own title to the rank of a gentleman, by a prompt and dexterious use of his word he never fails to "call out" the man that appears designedly to affront him; and even the author should interpose in his work a few expressions of censure on the custom of duelling, the delineation of principal characters, and his general scope tend to recommend it.
Among the further incentives to duelling peculiar to this country, I am constrained to mention with pointed disapprobation the recent practice of publishing, in newspapers, the various particulars of such bloody affrays. It is exceedingly to be lamented, that men of high official rank, instead of setting their faces against duelling, are sometimes seen to encourage and patronize it by their own example; which is rendered much more generally pernicious by the extensive publicity that is commonly given it. Whenever a duel is fought by men of high rank, it is circumstantially and pompously detailed in the public papers. The whole nation is invited, as it were to behold the magnificent spectacle, and to yield a tribute of applause. The politeness, the coolness the unshaken intrepidity of the parties are depicted in such a manner as tends to fire the minds of thousands with an ambition to display themselves in this field of honor.
In my next, I shall attempt to point out some remedies to the prevailing and alarming evil, that has been under consideration.
* It appears from a British annual Register, that novel reading unless sometimes to amuse a vacant hour, is despised and discarded in England, by the more intelligent part even of the female sex. Since the appearance of several elegant historians in the English language, novels have happily given place to real history, biography and travels.
† Soup-meagre, a French term for a thin, unsubstantial soup.
ON THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF DUELLING.
No. III.
THE passion for duelling, which in instances not a few, seems probable to have been first awakened in the minds of boys by the aforementioned Chesterfieldian lesson, that they had learned at school, is afterwards cherished and confirmed by the general course of their reading. No books, during the last twenty years, have been so much in the hands of American youth of both sexes, as novels and romances.* This soup-meagre,† in the present state of things, is the principal intellectual food of juvenile minds; and their prepossessions in favor of duelling is the necessary consequence. An extravagant love adventure and a duel are the most common ingredients in these kinds of composition. The hero of the novel vindicates his mistress's honor and his own title to the rank of a gentleman, by a prompt and dexterious use of his word he never fails to "call out" the man that appears designedly to affront him; and even the author should interpose in his work a few expressions of censure on the custom of duelling, the delineation of principal characters, and his general scope tend to recommend it.
Among the further incentives to duelling peculiar to this country, I am constrained to mention with pointed disapprobation the recent practice of publishing, in newspapers, the various particulars of such bloody affrays. It is exceedingly to be lamented, that men of high official rank, instead of setting their faces against duelling, are sometimes seen to encourage and patronize it by their own example; which is rendered much more generally pernicious by the extensive publicity that is commonly given it. Whenever a duel is fought by men of high rank, it is circumstantially and pompously detailed in the public papers. The whole nation is invited, as it were to behold the magnificent spectacle, and to yield a tribute of applause. The politeness, the coolness the unshaken intrepidity of the parties are depicted in such a manner as tends to fire the minds of thousands with an ambition to display themselves in this field of honor.
In my next, I shall attempt to point out some remedies to the prevailing and alarming evil, that has been under consideration.
* It appears from a British annual Register, that novel reading unless sometimes to amuse a vacant hour, is despised and discarded in England, by the more intelligent part even of the female sex. Since the appearance of several elegant historians in the English language, novels have happily given place to real history, biography and travels.
† Soup-meagre, a French term for a thin, unsubstantial soup.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
Moral Virtue
Political
What keywords are associated?
Duelling
Novels
Romances
American Youth
Publicity
Official Rank
Honor
Literary Details
Title
On The Increasing Prevalence Of Duelling. No. Iii.
Subject
Increasing Prevalence Of Duelling In America
Key Lines
No Books, During The Last Twenty Years, Have Been So Much In The Hands Of American Youth Of Both Sexes, As Novels And Romances.
An Extravagant Love Adventure And A Duel Are The Most Common Ingredients In These Kinds Of Composition.
It Is Exceedingly To Be Lamented, That Men Of High Official Rank, Instead Of Setting Their Faces Against Duelling, Are Sometimes Seen To Encourage And Patronize It By Their Own Example;