FIGHTING EDITORS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 370, 6 February 1880, Page 2

FIGHTING EDITORS.

. Journalists' in France and England who may be tempted to settle, their disputes by the fierce arbitrament of the sword, or to engage in single combat of another kind, would.do well to'take note of a quarrel between a Russian journalist and an irascible inhabitant of Berlin. The former had seen,fit to publish in a St.'Petersburg-review some articles in which he depicted German women in anything. but flattering . colors. They were ill-favored of person, badly educated, greedy, and everything ( that was bad ; and the German Press were for once unanimous fin declaring that the writer was not very wise. ■ They spoke more emphatically than this, but none of them threatened personal violence, and the incident was almost forgottenwhen the writer received at. St; Petersburgh, addressed to the office of the paper, the following letter from Berlin :—" Sir,—It is very fortunate for you that you live so far from Berlin, for otherwise I should inflict an exemplary punishment upon yon for your infamous article on women in Germany, As it is, you may consider yourself well thrashed; by your devoted R. 8., Olanientresse.," , l 7 To which »' R. 8.". received by return of post this reply:—" Sir—At the same moment that you were lifting your cane to strike me, I succeeded in pulling a revolver out of my pocket and blowing your brains out on* the spot. I beg you, therefore; to consider yourself dead and buried." This is what the French, would call a,",-moral " duel in ike sense that they spoke of having obtained a " moral" victory Over • Germany nine years ago, and there is much to reccommend it to bellicose writers in Western Europe. And if battles, between nations as between individuals, could be conducted upon the same principles, humanity would be the gainer.