The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1852-08-27
From SWANS Elevator
PUBLIC OPINION.

PUBLIC OPINION.
We have remarked on former coca.
sion that this is the main regulator in
community. Practical religion and NOR
ality--a sound administration Of govern
men,--the success and correctness OF
corporate bodies, and of individuals, de-
pend principally on it. lies, in fact, al
the foundation of all that regulates socie-
ty and individuals. To perform its i'm
portont functions Alright j. requires 10 be
enlightened in every possible way-from
the pulpit and the lar--by statesmen and
editors by individuals in every walk OF
life. Nothing should be written or said
but wha, istrue nothing but what has
been patiently examined, and what in a
dying hour, We should be called upon by
our conscience TO regret and repent OF,
when repentance is too late 10 remedy
the evils our Ignorance, or maligniiy, or
selfshness, or indiscreiion may have in
Aic,ed upon individuals or the communi--
~. -....l.s,l
Everybody who considers the matter
will unhesitolingly admit that public opin
ion has more to do with the suppression
of crimes, great or small, from murder to
simple assaults, than all the legislation in
flicing penalties that was ever enacted
In some portions Of our country where
an almost vertical sun heats the blood,
homicide fndes an excuse in the slight
esi provocation. To punish the advocate
of human liberty, the law is too tardy, :,
and that which ought 10 equally project
all, is by perverted public opinion with.
drawn from him who advocates the right
of tho oppressed, the down trodden race
subjected to degradation, and cruelty,
and injustice. In one part Of our
own country humanity is a worse
crime than murder; in another, frauds
subversive Of all government are pracliced
without loss of caste, and eften with the
advice Of those who sit at the Lords ta-
bic and pretend to feel the sanction of
our holy religion. Thousands and thou
sands of office seekers and office holders
inculcate principles for some temporary
advantage that they know to be wrong,
unjust, and tending 10 evil consciences
They care no, SO they can accomplish
some selfish end. The brutal murderer
goes acquit because false sympathy is ex-
cited toward him, or his family, and the
coDsciences Of his ,atrlers are put to sleep
under pretcnce that he might have been
possibly insane, as no one in his right
mind wonld 90 such an awful deed. This
mode oftrying criminals would lead TO
the acquittul ofevery body, and effectual-
ly abrogate the whole criminal code, and
yet this is The general mode of trying the
worst criminals in The community, What
we fear is, tina; society will, by and by,
Er its own protection, if things 20 on
much further, raise and punish as the law
ought TO do, flagitious offences against
it. The murderer must be punished, or
delenceless people will be murdered :.
Those fraudulcntly conveying their pro.
perty for the purpose Of evadlg the pay
mcnt of their debts must not succeed, or
we will have neither credit nor conf.
dence in the land. If,he law is power.
less TO punish such wickedness--ig re-
ligious or moral sense vii! not do it; then
we must rely upon tho protepcy of pub
lie opinion for projection against this dan
gerous species Of villainy, and when this
for the want of due enlightenment shall
fail, the ligamenis which bind men TO-
gether in society may as we'll be severed
altogether, and let each individual, as in
state of nature, take care Of himself.
If The Iaw ceases to take notice Of official
peculations and plunders-if it ceases to
punish the worst of crimes-and if pub
lie opinion does not condemn 10 neglect
and infamy those openly guilty of the
-hasest frauds upon others falshoods-
deccpions--oblaining money by false
pretences-conveying away tlieir proper
ty 10 deliand creditors-wlio live upon
the honest industry Of others-who
rio. in idlenoss and extravaganza, while
the wives and children of those they
have heartlessly cheated are shoeloss, and
clotheless, and homeless, i, is about time
TO seek some way of preventing these
consequences-and we know ofno other,
than 10 tryto bring back public opinion
10 the point Of its departures.
GREELY GETTING Nice The editor
ofthe Rochester Amcican-a Wing paper
writing from the camp at Niagara,