Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-07-30

Mr.. Editor Il read in the last BerviM Ga-att
an article over the signature of H., entitled "A
Vision" | would call the text of the article wan
ton or incendiary, neither of which terms exactly
! suit it, but as there is neither reason or argument
IN eplthets, will leave it without a name. The
author promulgates and endorses the sentiment
that The who swears will lie, and he who lies will
steal" was much surprised to see such a senti-
ment advanced in a public paper, and much more
when | learned who was the author. | do not
know how the author came to such a conclusion.
unless he in his youthful days may have been ad-
dicted to the practice OF swearing; even then it is
bad logic to come to so general a conclusion from
one single example. He not finding at church
such a congregation as oratory and talent only can
attract, adopted the public newspaper as the better
mode of disseminating his peculiar sentiments
Admitting his doctrines are true. is it becominrina
messenger of peace and glad tidinss7' TO denounce
a large portion OF this community as liars and
thlevesf Is this his duty2 Is this the best mode
OF conciliatlns men and bringing them into the
path of rectltudea or is it the best mode of infa-
ming their worst passions? For example. if |
should entertain the opinion that II. or any other
citizen of this place was a contemplate fellow.
would it be my duty to publish it to the world
through the public papers, OF would charity and
a decent respect for the good order Of society in
duce me to suppress it? Swearing is a bad prac-
tlce, unnecessary, and may be classed amongst the
vulgarisms of language; yet the sentiment con-
tanned IN the text is untrue. There are in this
community honest, upright, good citizens, who
sometimes swear, each of whom can from his own
bosom brand the sentiment with falsehood: men.
whose word is worth as much in a court of ms
tlce or any where else as that of H.; men who
would scorn to beg their bread or receive it from
the hand OF another as a %gratuity; men who earn
their living by the sweat of their brow. in obedi-
ence to the almighty fiat proclaimed in the book
which he holds up as the rule of his actions. Had
ms proscrlptlve principle, which savors of the
bloody axe, been carried out in practice, it would
have convicted and consigaG to a felon's cell him
who swore by the cternaiM -the hero Of CbaI-
1nette, the beloved ruler and once loving idol of
this great and glorious nation.
learn that H. associates with men who sooo-
swear, and is foundfrequenting their houses,
and partaking Of their good dinners; and is some
the recipient of other small favors, vet he
them asthieves. By visiting such men
on social terms he either gives a palpable con-
to his own doctrines, or he acl,now- |
himself a suitable companion for men he |
calls thieves. Suppose the opinion entertained
BY H. be: as almost every one will declare it. false. |
how does he stand in a moral point Of view. or |
how does he stand affected by his own doctrine
Again, if false, in what relation does he stand to |
he accused? | ask the questions-others NAV |
would here make a general remark |
without applying it to any one farther than the
cap fits" but for such it's especially designed
That one calumniator is worse than forty thieves.
[ou can guard against one with bolts and bars, the
is more insidious than the plague. One
teals but "trasho the other steals character.
would say in conclusion, that any one who sets
himself up as a public denouncer of others, should
limself be first well endorsed. V. T. S.