Washington telegraph., 1850-01-23
THE FATAL SECRET.

| An aged man without an enemy i'm the
world. in his own house and in his own
bed, is made the victim of butcherly
murdeI for mere pay. Deep sleep had
fallen on the destined victim, and on all
beneath his roof. A healthful old man,
to whom sleep was sweet, the first sound
slumoers of the night held him in their
soft but strong embrace. The assassin
enters, through the window already pre-.
| pared. into an unoccupied apartment
| With noiseless foot ha th~ '---iy =
hall, half Hghtel by the moon; he winds
| up the ascent of the stairs, and reaches
the door OF The chamber, Of this, he
moves the lock, by soft and continued
pressure. till it turns on its hinges with
| out noise; and he enters aud beholds his
| victim before shim. The room was un-
commonly open to the admission OF light.
| The face of the innocent sleeper was
| turned from the murderer, and the beams
of the moon, resting on the gray locks OF
his aged temple, showed him where to
strike The fatal blow is given! and the
victim passes without struggle or mo-
| ton, from the repose of sleep to the re-
pose of death. l; is the assassn's pur-
pose to make sure work, aud he yet plies
the dagger, though it was obvious that
life had been destroyed by the blow OF
the bludgeon. He even raises the aged
arm, that he may not fail in his aim at
| the heart, and replaces it again over the
wounds of the poniard. 10 finish the
picture, he explores the wrist for the
pulse. He feels for it and ascertains
| that it beats no longer. 1t is accomplish
ed The deed is done He retreats, re-
uaces his steps to the window, passes
out through it as he came in. and escapes.
He has done the murder-no eye has seen
him, no ear has heard him. The secret
is his own, and it is safe.
All, gentlemen, that was dreadful
mistake. Such secret cannot be safe
nowhere The whole creation of God
has neither nook nor corner, where the
guilty can bestow it, and say it Is safe
Not to speak of that eye which glances
through all DISCUSSES, and beholds every
thing as III the splendor of noon, such Sc
crets of guilt are never safe from detection.
even by men,, True tis generally speak
ing that murder will out" True 1t is,
that Providence hath SO ordained, and
doth so govern things, that those who
break the great law Of heaven, by she'd
ding mans blood, seldom succeed in
avoiding discovery. Especially III case
exciting so much attention as this, dis
covery must come, and will come, sooner
or later. A thousand eyes turn at once
to explore every man, every thing, every
circumstance, connected with the time
and place; a thousand ears catch every
whisper; "a thousand excited minds III
teuselv dwell on the scene. shedding all
their hight, aud ready to kindle the slight
est circumstance into blaze of discovery.
Meantime the guilty soul cannot keep
its own secret. 1t is false to itself; or
rather it feel, an irresistible impulse OF
conscience to be true to itself. 1t labOrs
under its guilty possession, and knows
not what TO do with it. The human
heart was not made for the residence OF
such an inhabitant. 1t fluids itself prey
ed on by torment which 1t dares not &C
knowledge TO God or man. A vulture Is
devouring It, and it can ask no sympathy
or assistance, either from heaven or earth
The secret which the murderer possesses
soon comes to possess him; aud, Ike
the evil spirits of which we read, il over
comes him, and leads him WhlthersoeVer
it will. He feels it beating at his heart,
rising to his throat, and demanding disclo-
sure. He thinks the whole world sees II
in his face, reads it in his eyes, aud almost
hears it's workings in the very silence OF
his thoughts. 1t has become his master.
1t betrays his discretion, it breaks down
his courage. it conquers his prudence
When suspicious, from without, begin to
embarrass him. and the net OF clrcum-
stances 10 entangle him. the fatal secret
struggles with still greater violence to
burst FORTH 1t must he confessed, Ut a0tLI
be confessed, there is no refuge from con-
fession but suicide. aud suicide is confes-
sion.-Dan1eL Webster.