The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-10-30

Time, 81 52I.
Literary EHusions OF Col. Monroe Edwards
The following illusions from the pen of Colonel
Monroe Edwards, the celebrated financier, who is
now an inmate OF the Sing Sing State prison, in
company with Otis Allen, engaged in the laudabe
employment of carpet weaving for the benefit of the
State at large, will be read with interest by all his
friends and opponents and more particularly by the
ladies, the poetica portion breathes forth soft and
tender strains, such evnce that he has soul for
love and pen to describe his peculiar sensations -
The lines to his Mother, Farewell to the
Home of my Childhood" and Friendship and
Love-" contain much sentiment and deep feeling
We lead off with the notes of the speech delivered
by him in the Court of Oyer and Terminer. when
he received his sentence 1t is curious, as evnc-
ing the peculiar formation OF his mind, and will be
perused with interest.
The originals, with the exception of the last, ad-
dressed to his mother, are written in pencil, in
neat hand, and were delivered by him to a gentle
man on the morning that he left for his ten years
gloomy abode.
SIS there no gradations in evl is suspicion TO ope
rate like CONVECTION and to exclude humanity and
is it impossible for accusedto procure the priv
leges OF humanity Is 1t not possible for man to
retain his integrity under accusation is there no
compassion for the accused Is there no balm
tor the writings of the wounded mind, who feels
It's exposed not to compassion but to curiosity? To
complain is to me hateful and uncongenial, but to
complain to the incredulous, the mercenary the I'M
ptylng-to those who debate whether you are
criminal or a mailman while they listen ia you
must this be borne! And am not fellow creature!
am no gOsling, &c. NC. Like you, have dread
OF persecution and hatred of oppresson-a reputa-
ton to be blasted-a peace to be destroyed-ieel-
Ill
be closed, and the vtas of humanity sealed, as all
such? Must he be Outawed of nature and Invested
of the rights of being Is every deaf and every
heart of iron Are those cords by which the hu.
man race drawn together to be relaxed and Sc
vered? Better, far better to kill at once for this is
to die mentally, and vet feel the burdens and sor-
rows of the fesh-a deep and utter desolatlon of
soul-a loahng of life, without the knowledge and
fear to die
If l do convince you of my innocence can
you restore me to its purity ard its praise
can you restore me to 1t without suspicion
and without reproach? Impossible. He who
estimation of society-can never regain his own
confidence and honest pride. Acquitted or not. he
held in the invisible charge of suspicion for life
The damps and dews of his dungeon form an at.
shadow of their walls darkens over him like
curse. The brand impressed by irons red from the
furnace OF suspicion can never be effaced and ache
at every breath of heaven. No reputation of habit
IN
tegrlty can protect It's victims. sinele suspicion
will dash man from the height of human excel
lence, to be an object of scorn and execraton for his
fellow man, a breath from the most AFFECT villain
may blast and destroy the most exalted of mankind
Though unassallabe, every where to the view, the
most trivial OF his motives, the very heel of his mo-
raj frame may be reachedby the arrow of candestine
malgnltv, and the wound is mortal.
Ii the gentlemen had lived in the feudal ages and
there enjoyed the reputation of Lin or prophet.
barbarans might have taken his empty assertion for
gospel; but | take it we live in an age too enlight-
ened, and that this court this jury and this audo-
ry, are too Intelligent to be deluded by the bare
sertlon OF any man, however imposing. No, you
will neither be dazzled by verbiage nor deceived
by subtlety. He seeks to supply "a deficiency of
proof by confidence OF assumption.
lie has neither pointed out the one or referred to
the other; l will go beyond him, and as have re-
1erred TO the one Will now point out the ether of
the influences that have been brought to bear and
which are avowed and acknowledged by mil
to effect the ruin of any man. The whole press that
greatest engine OF modern times have tried and con-
demned me long ago, and held me up to the public
gaze, by the accumulation of every image whose
fusomeness could disgust, whose depravity could
offend, or whose heartlessness could terrify That
brightest jewel of the law that holds every man in
nocent until the contrary is shown, has in my case
been completely reversed, and l have been de-
nounced as doomed man, and treated as a con-
demned one And has it come to that that suspi-
clon Is to operate conviction and to exclude hui
manity2 Is it impossible tor one accused to retain
his integrity under accusation 3? Is the human
heart TO be closed and the vitals of humanity to be
sealed up forever as all such-must he be outlawed
OF nature and deprived of the right of being-is
every ear deaf and every heart of ice-are these
cords which bind the human race to be relaxed and
severed-can the man once accused not regain the
estimation ofsociety-is he to be held by the invsi.
Bile chain OF suspicion for life-are the damps and
drears OF his dungeon to form an atmosphere of re.
preston around him, and the shadow of its walls to
darken over HIM as curse forever-is the brand
impressed by the irons red from the furnace of sus-
piclon to remain ndellible and never to be efaced!
REFLECTIONS.
Neither dazzled by verbiage nor disconnected by
subtley
The power of true affection it loves not to mix
Its beams with the summer blaze of Joy; to add its
note TO the choral song of flattery and pleasure it
reserves them tor the dark disastrous hours when
the accused sufferer looks round on the desert
world; when what he thought he held is wind with
In his grasp when what he hoped to trust to is a
reed under his steps.-Then is the power and hours
OF strong affection then il rushes to hint grasls
him by the cold hand-t speaks words of comfort
In his stunned earsIlt clings TO him with all the
strength OF being, with power stronger than suffering
and death it abides the conflict of the dark hour
and enters the valley of the shadow of death with
It's companlon.-Such Is its true nature and power
and such emergencies only realize and develope
them.
The accumulation of every image whose fulsome-
ness could disgust, whose depravity could offend.
and whose protaneness could terriiy
He seeks to supply deficiency of proofs by con-
fdence of assumption.
The vengcful foe has raised his brand
To sap my ardent years;
Fiendlike puts forth his blood.red hand
Spreads his dark pail, intent to fling
gloom around each lovely thing,
And turn its smiles to tears.
The bow is bent, the bolt has sped-for me
The world is fair in vain,
Spring comes and goes, and I am free
But change time can move
My former leaf OF life restore
1t cannot be again.
wreck of manhood, oppressed, o'ertried,
stand amid waste;
My source of joy has long been dried
And the false friend to who's ear
My every ord was dear,
Now passes me by in haste.
And thus it ia the world to prove;
How soon the spell has fled,