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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
ful as to his behaviour, because he has a weapon at his
disposal which is supposed to repair any wrong done, and gives
him the opportunity of putting himself in the right. It is a
well-known fact that when a duellist sees that he is in the
wrong he endeavours to put himself right by challenging his
enemy, and it is also a fact that the duellist claims to be able
to make good any offence committed by offering "
satisfaction " with arms to the injured party. On the contrary, the
non-duellist does not harbour such illusions, but endeavours
to avoid being aggressive, or quarrelsome, or trespassing on
the rights of his fellow-men. He is, moreover, always ready
to apologise if he is in the wrong.
The absence of duelling has strongly influenced modern
English ways in social life, and forms a distinct characteristic
of Englishmen. It is considered very bad form according to
English ideas to be quarrelsome, to contradict, or to provoke
an oversharp discussion. For the same reason in English
messrooms it is the custom to avoid speaking of women.
Respect for individual personality is responsible for this.
It is truly said of Englishmen that " their passion for personal
freedom has made them chary of treading on one another’s
toes."
The absurdity of challenging any one to a duel and making
his honour dependent on it is illustrated in the case of a man
who enjoys a good reputation and has proved during a long
lifetime to be of a high moral character. If such a man is
provoked by unseemly behaviour on the part of another, it
cannot conceivably endanger his reputation, and it would be
absurd for him to fight a duel on this account, as his
reputation is already established. In this respect the careers
of the great English statesmen are especially noteworthy
and can be models for others. Many a public man in
England has in the heat of political controversy been accused by
his adversaries of stupidity, arrogance, and so forth, without
the slightest disturbance to his own self-respect or that of
others towards him. These men had espoused the cause of
the public interest, and had acquired a discipline of character
by which they subordinated their own personal feelings to
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