The northern tribune. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1847-1855, 1848-04-08

safeguard! Did not the wretched Coolidge
desire the respect of his fellow men, and had
he not TO a considerable degree obtained it?
Yet this desire proved no safeguard to him,
and WAY should it to your Do you say that
you have too many bright hopes to allow you
to risk destroying them by thus disgracing
your name and mourning the punishment of
crimes Sc had Coolidge bright hopes. His
prospects were as fair as those of any Young
man in our whole communicates in one
short hour he madly destroyed them all
blasted his fair name, and placed himself be-
yond the possibility of receiving pleasure from
anything that earth can afford. Let every
young man, then, think as he puts the wine
cup to his lips, that it is the cup drugged with
poison as fatal as the deadly acid AS he
looks at it, let him imagine it is the one he is
sometime to present. filled with DEATH to the
lips OF his dearest friend. Let him pause and
imagine the dead body of that friend before
him-then let him in imagination feel the
chains on his own limbs-let him see the
thronged court room-listen, as one after
another the damnng evidences of his guilt are
produced-hear genius pleading in his behalf,
vainly striving amid the strong array of facts
to find some loop on which to hang POSSIBLE
ity of innocence-let him listen to the solemn
charge of the Judge, and call up the fearful
suspense of that moment when the verdict of
the jury is about to be rendered in, and imag-
inc the thrill of horror that shall run through
his veins as the words "guilty" falls upon
his ear-then let the prison walls rise upon
his view-let the gloom of the dungeon in
imagination surround him, the clank of chains
ring in his ears-then the peal of muffled
drums and the tolls of bells-let him stand on
the scaffold, hear the last prayer that shall ever
be offered for him. breathed by the minister of
the Most High-then let him in painful sus-
pense await the fatal blow that is to launch
him into eternity. Let him, we say, in imag-
nation see and hear all these things ere he
srasps the fatal bowl. Say not this is a fancy
picture a stretch CT The imagination. All but
the closing scene Coolidge has found a dread
reality.
But suppose, young man, that you could be
certain that, if you do indulge yourself in
this manner, no such result as regards your
self will follow, that you could be sure that
your name would be untarnished- YOU
sure that you may not be setting an example
that shall seal the fate of some one of your
associates, and condemn him to felon's cell
or death on the scatfold. The Rev. Mr..
Drew, in relating conversation which he has
held with Coolidge since his conviction. says:
lie remarked that it was unfortunate for him,
that he "frst established himself where he
did for there the moral atmosphere was bad,
were willing to take advantage of his necessi-
ties. Had he commenced business in some
ether place, surrounded by different infuen-
ces, he thought he never should have been
where he now was" "There are causes be-
hind poor fellow" said he, (Which are really
as blame-worthy as he who is made the victim
of them" He doubtless spoke the truth, and
it may be that there are persons now in Wat
erville, enjoying liberty and responsibility,
who, in fact, were rs much the instruments of
Mathews murder as was Coolidge himself
They led Coolidge on, or countenanced him in
the course he was pursuing, by their example
they encouraged him in the habits he was
forming, that paved the way to the murder;
and yet these men would take it as high in
suit to accuse them of being guilty of such a
crime. Think, then, we say again, young man,
and ask if you may not be employed in max
ing murderers out of those with whom you