Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-05-09

'oih IeSIhulOu Oh property I1dy utS at
the plunderer, and when he falls, regain
my grapes" All this is just and right, if
GlsboFne's proposition is true. 1t is
dangerous thing to lay down maxims In
morality. H.
The conclusion then to which we are
led bythese inquiries is, that he who kills
another, even uponthe plea of self-defence,
does not do it in the predominance nor in
the exercise of, Christian dispositions; and
1T this is true, is it not also true that bis
lie cannot be thus taken in conformity
With the Christian law!
But this is very far from concluding that
no resistance may be made to aggression.
We may make, and we ought tosniake, d
great deal. 1t is the duty of ths. civifrna-
glstrate to repress the violence of one man
towards another, and by consequence it is
the duty Of the individual, when the civil
power cannot operate, to endeavor to re-
press it himself perceive no reasona bic
exception to the rule, that whatever Chris
tianity permits the magistrate to do in or
der to restrain violence, it permits the in
dividual, under such circumstances, to do
also.
Many kinds of resistance to aggression
come strictly wihin. the fulflment of the
law of benevolence. He who BY securing,
or temporarily disabling a man, prevents
him from committing an>act ofsgreat tur-
pitude, is certainly his benefaclof; and if
he be thus reserved for Justice, the beneV-
olence is great both to him and to the pub
lie 1t is an act of much kindness to bad
man to secure him for the penalties of the
law: or it acorld be such if pena! law were
in the state in which it ought to be. and
to which it appears to be making some ap-
proaches. It would then be very proba-
Bile that the man would be reformed and
this is the greatest benefit which can be
conferred upon him and upon the commu-
nifty.
The exercise of Christian forbearance
towards violent men is not tantamount to
an invitation of outrage. Cowardice is
one thing; this forbearance is another
The man Of true f0rbearance is of all men
the least cowardly. 1t requires courage
in greater degree and of higher order
to practise it when life is threatened, than
to draw sword or fire pistol. No: 1t
| is the peculiar privilege of Christian vir-
tue to approve itseifeven ofthe bad. There
| is something in the nature of that calmness,
and self-possession, and forbearance, that
religion effects, which obtains, nay which
almost commands, regard and respect
How different the effect upon the violent
tenants of Newgate-=4he hardihood of a
LII n T-11.
tabeth Frvt Experience, incontestible ex-
perience, has proved that the minds of few
men are so depraved or desperate as to
prevent them from being imt2uemced by
real Christian conduct. Let him therefore,
who advocates the taking the life Of an ag-
gressor, first show that all other means OF
safety are vain: let him show that bad men,
notwithstanding the exercise of true Chris
titan forbearance, persist in their purposes
lof death when he has done this he will
lhave adduced an argument in favor of ia
liking their lives, which will not, indeed,
i be conclusive, but which will approach
nearer to concIusiveness than any that has
vet been adduced.
i OF the consequences Of forbearance, e.
ven in the case of personal attack. there
are some examples. Archbishop Sharpe
was assaulted by.a footpad on the. high
tway, who presented pisto 40 demand
ed his money. The archBishop spoke to
the robber in the language ola feilow-man
and Christian. The man was really in
distress, and the prelate gave him such
money as he had, and promised that if he
would call at the palace, he would make up
the amount to fifty pounds This was the
sum of which the robber had said he stood
lin the utmost need The man called and
received the money. About year and a
half afterwards, this man again came to
the palace and broughtback-the same sum.
He said that his circumstances had become
improved, and that. through the astonish-
! ing goodness" of the archbishop, he had
become "the most penitent, the most faith
lfuI, and the happiest of his species" Let
the reader consider how differentthe arch
bishops feelings were, from what they
would have been if, by his hand, this man
had been cut offs
s. Barclay, the apologist, was attacke3 by
highwayman. He substituted for the
ordinardinary modes of resistance a calm
representation. The felon dropped his pre-
scented pistol, and offered no further vio-
tlence. A Leonard Fell was similarly at
tackled. and from him the robber took both
ibis money and his horse, and then threat
ened to blow out his brains. Fell solemn
lly spoketo the man on TIE wickedness Of
his life. The robber was astonished he
had expected, perhaps, curses, or perhaps
a dagger. He declared he would not keep
either the horse or the money, and return.
led both. If thine enemy hunger, Jeed
j him for in SO doing thou shalt heap Goals
of fire upon his head IT The tenor of the
short narrative that follows, is somewhat
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