The world calls the first a brave man and the
latter a coward; but Solomon declared the man who rules himself to be
"greater than he that taketh a city."
Oh! the tragedies that lie in the wake of the tempest of temper. On
the dueling field such men as Alexander Hamilton went down to death
for want of self-control. Andrew Jackson killed Dickerson; Benton of
Missouri killed Lucas; General Marmaduke killed General Walker. Pettus
and Biddle, one a Congressman, the other a paymaster in the army, had
a war of words, a challenge followed; one being near-sighted selected
five feet as the distance for the duel, and there educated men, with
pistols almost touching, stood, fired and both were killed.
Senator Carmack of Tennessee, criticised Colonel Cooper as a machine
politician. Cooper said: "Put my name in your paper again, and I'll
kill you." Young Cooper felt in his rage that he must settle the
trouble. Did he settle it? The bullet that went through the heart of
Carmack went through the heart of his wife, threw a shadow over the
life of his child, and draped Tennessee in mourning. Did he settle it?
He started a tempest that will howl through his life while memory
lasts and echo through his soul to all eternity. Oh! that men would
realize that to walk honorably and deal justly insures in time
vindication from all calumny.
Abraham Lincoln was called the "Illinois baboon" by a leading journal,
but Mr.
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