The Religious Herald

THE LATE DUEL.

By reference to our Congressional record, our readers will discover that the House of Representatives has determined to take no notice of the late infraction of its own laws by two of its members, Mr. Clingman and Mr. Yancey. We have seen nothing for some time past, which has exhibited more vividly the utter corruption and wickedness of the majority in our National Legislature than this proceeding. Mr. King, of N. Y., moved for the appointment of a Committee of Investigation, and he was ably sustained in this effort after justice, by Mr. Hamlin of Me., but the whole South seems to have risen in opposition to the movement, and of course, it failed. Mr. Payne of Ala., Mr. Houston, of the same State, Mr. Rayner of N. C., Mr. Morse of La., and Mr. Cushing of Md., all spoke either in open approbation of the practice of dueling, or else in such terms of apology as amounted to the same thing. Mr. Payne said that "any law to prevent dueling, he would trample on, spit upon, scorn it, and he would come back with an increased majority." We hope he is mistaken in regard to this "increased majority." We hope that there is no constituency in this country so desperately wicked, as to make the very fact that their representative had broken the laws both of God and man, a reason for yielding him a more earnest support, but if there is such a constituency to be found anywhere in the Union, no doubt the State of Alabama can supply it.

We ask our readers to look distinctly at this simple statement. A few years since, the Congress of the United States enacted a certain law for the regulation of the conduct of its members. This law was broken for the first time two weeks ago, and this same Congress has said, by a formal vote, that it will not inflict the prescribed penalty upon the offenders; that it will have no investigation of the matter; in fine, that it will take no notice at all of the crime which has been committed. The law-makers of the Nation have thus proved themselves the most unscrupulous law-breakers, we venture to say, that can be found in the land, and they would have no right to complain or wonder, if the people universally should treat the laws they make, with the same contempt as they do themselves.

Truly, is it not time for Christians to ask whether something cannot be done to bring "politicians" and politicians "under the law of God?"