312 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



from wrong, any more than it will correct the pickpocket or 

 restrain the burglar from entering the houses of unprotected old 

 people. There are men whose minds are assailable to nothing 

 save a wholesome sense of personal danger; and such men as 

 these, be they of what rank they may, are but too happy, under 

 the Peace Society, to free themselves from the only alternative 

 that made them gentlemen, or kept them within the rules of 

 courtesy. " Peace Society " is an exceedingly catching title, as 

 it seems to enlist in its sphere each dove-like sentiment, religion, 

 and Christian virtue everything, in short, that is gentle or 

 delightful ; but I am perfectly convinced that the present state 

 of society is just as fit to be freed from the possibility of the 

 duel as our shores and seas are of our army and fleet, or as 

 Turkey was from an army of five hundred thousand men. As 

 long as there exists a warlike emperor or an ambitious nation, 

 so long must England retain her forces ; and in the same ratio 

 so long as there exists a host of ungentlemanly-inclined minds 

 or men, there must be, in matters over which the statute-book 

 has no control, some way of keeping them in order, or society 

 in the midst of progress and boasted increase of intelligence, 

 Christianity, and civilisation will be deteriorated. 



It has been one of the great faults of recent legislation, to 

 take away an old system before a new code was well digested to 

 fill up the vacancy, and to meet the fresh state of affairs so 

 brought about. When the appeal to arms was decried, its 

 peaceful advocates did not attempt to deny that certain abuses 

 would have no actual remedy; so to meet the obvious error, 

 they said that all personal quarrels, as well as national differ- 

 ences, should be " settled by arbitration.' 1 It is all very well to 

 say " should be settled," but where is the power to force them 

 to be so disposed of? Suppose the strong and muscular man 

 insults, grossly insults, the weaker one, and in his own mind is 

 well aware that an arbitration must go against him, is there any 

 one weak enough to suppose that he would consent to such a 

 reference? Society loses its short, sharp, and available hold 

 over him in the abolition of the duel. In cases of insult, such 



