Chap. V.]

DUELLING.

431

the practice of duelling,” and yet, acting contrary to “ his reli-gious and moral principles,” he sanctions the practice by his ownexample.

2. Public opinion has settled down, most decidedly and une-quivocally, in the conviction, that he ought not to have grantedColonel Burr a meeting. His conduct, therefore, besides beingcondemned by himself, is generally, if not universally, disap-proved by his countrymen.

3. In this transaction, General Hamilton deliberately con-formed to what he himself calls “ public prejudice,” in disregard(adopting his owm views) of his “own religious and moral princi-ples,” of the law of God and his country, — of the claims ofhis wife and children, and of his creditors, whom, “ as a man ofprobity,” he does not think himself at liberty lightly to expose tothe hazard of losing their property by him. All these he madeup his mind to sacrifice at the shrine of “ public prejudice.”

4. Every man standing, like General Hamilton, on a highsocial, political, and intellectual eminence, is sacredly bound torefuse his sanction to this practice, equally violative of the law ofGod and man. This has been done by many, with whom GeneralHamilton needed not to have been ashamed to associate himself.If duels were to cease in high life, we should never hear of themin common life. As long as men, elevated by their talents, andby their social and political rank, continue to resort to duels, theywill be sure to have a train of more humble imitators. Men oftheir standing in society, therefore, are chiefly responsible forthe existence and prevalence of this crime. It is emphaticallya crime perpetrated in high places.

5. How sophisticated, not to say absurd, was General Hamil-ton’s view of “ honor ,” by which he conceived himself boundto be governed, in violation of his religion, his morals, and thelaw of his country. Such was not the ancient idea of honor ; *and we may well exclaim, How feeble are the most gifted under-standings, when they permit themselves to be entangled in thelabyrinths of sophistry, and lose sight of the plain and directpath of truth and duty.

* See above, pp. 302 - 304.