The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-03-28


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S s. s \. iss
. $ ~ sss Il sss;sl
nlor;np tI,a Inn o,,1 q q, ;;sa 7ta tla,
fellow vel. and & IN ake him I how aai,s
tlemen arranged p,alrties sc III s,ira 81
iBridewell on count aua for 4 tfha ISSSr Am,
pose Of seeing the wref hea women MA
beat hemp there nj iiipbnned a a3
pressed IS death ifor refusing m i s IS snlaad' 81
q woman burned for coming on 81 r excited +
less sympathy than is now fslts lfeoSfr 4
gallant horse or an oYerdriiyenG q 81 os..-- -
Fights, compared Will, which q box xiinp mo
match is q refined and humane, g, snsfta. !.
Gle, we're among the ffaYoriite diversions
Of o largo part Of the town. town Multi.
tudes assembled to see gladiators hack
each other to peices with deadly Wea,
pons. and shouted delight when one 81
the combatants lost as finger or aI ,eye.
The prisons were hells on earth. .sen1in.
aries Of every crime and sof every tliiss,.
ease. AZ the assizes, the lean and val.
low culprits brought With them from ION
their cells to the dock an atmosphera 81
stencil t,,1l ram and pestiience which et;inca
avenged them signal ~ on on bench. bar
and Jury. isEsJIlT
Brs on III t,;a ,o;;sa 30 * Z; i {, s.
with profound 1;nliffsrences 3 9osybara sI;sa
ennld be found that sans;;,;.a a,,, : = ;;.e.,s Z
less COMMISSION which hass;,, an, ' t;;,ne' sss
axtandad : ,,o,ro,.s,i :. : s
factory child, to the Hindooi widow. d foo
the negro-slaYe, which spriies into the
stores and water casks Of every emf.
grant ship, which lwinces at every lash
laid on the back ofa drunken soldier
which will not suffer the thief in the
hulks to be il! fed or oly,et,rworked. and
which has repeatedly endeavoreo to
save the life even Of the smurderer.
It is true that compassion like all other
feelings ought,to be under the govern
ment Of reason, and has, for want of
such government produced some ridicu-
lous and some deplorable effects. But
the more we study the annals of the
past, the more shall we rejoice that twe
live in o mercifnl age, in an age in which
cruelty is abhorred and IN which pain
even when deserved is inflicted reluct-
antly and from sense of duty. Eve
ry class, doubtless has gained largely
by this great moral change: but the e!aas
which has gained mosttis the poorest,
the dependent and the most defence
less. ss.sS 81
The general effect of the evidence
which has been submitted to the reader
seems hardly to admit of doubt vet lin
spite of evidence, many still image to
themselves the England of the Stuarts
as more pleasant country than the
England in which we live. IT may at
first sight seem strange that society,
while constantly moving forward with
eager speed should be constantly, look
ing backward with tender regret. But
these two propensities, inconsistent as
they may appear, can easily be resolved
into tho same principle. Both spring
from our impatience of the state in
which we actually are. That impa-
tience, while it stimulates US to surpass
preceding generations, disposes US to
overate their happiness. 1t is, in some
sense, unreasonable and ungratefnl in
us to be constantly discontented with q
condition which is constantly improy
ing. But, IN truth there IS constant
improvement precisely because there is