| Main text |
Most humble report!
A few days ago, the commandant advised me that the council’s 1st member, secretary Dons had berated second lieutenant v. Lillienschiold calling him impertinent and a boy and that the named, who on the following day challenged Dons for a declaration of apology, and when none was received, made a signed posting, wherein he declared Dons to be a coward and an infamously drunken being. I ordered court martial for lieutenant v. Lillienschiold, but since, by the interrogation, I found it rather obvious that Dons, without due course, had turned on Lillienschiold and that same had done everything to acquire a due apology and that it does not appear, either from documents, to the extent such from there can be determined, or from the general opinion among his comrades, that on this occasion, he has shown the least lack of the required characteristics for a man, who is to command others in danger, namely, personal courage, and he has, furthermore, not clearly or provably exposed himself to the Code Duello, there would, in the case of lieutenant Lillienschiold, have been nothing further to do, as the only thing that could be said was, that it is not suitable for an officer to put up signed postings; but here, a young, proud, highly offended person may certainly easily be excused, especially as this is the normal procedure among the creoles in matters of their honor. However, according to law, Dons may, by legal process, disclaim the accusations made against him, and although I cannot immutably believe that this scandalous story could not better, in some more decent manner, have |