Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1854-07-06
miscellaneous
FIAT JUsTITlA.

'tCrime is often committed unuer The pres
sure of great temptation. In a moment Of
weakness, the unhappy subject Of evil allure
nent falls" said the person with whom the
gentleman was in conversation.
"All true" replied Mr.. Ellington; call very
true. But every act has rs legitimate conse-
quence; and we wrong society, and the indl.
yidual wrong doer, whenever we seek to in
terrupt so wisely ordained a relation. II a man
stesls from me, he is q thief. For theft, The
law ordains punishment; and hold 1t TO be
every mans duty to give up the thief to JUS
tice, if it is in his power TO do so. The pro-
gress of crime is arrested, thereby, and society
guarded from future depredatons."
"This is stating the case, very generally
But gen raj principles are never OF equal ap-
plication. There are collateral considerations
in every case, which may not be disregaTded
without wrong to an Individual. And we may
assume il rs an undoubted truth, tn It IN doing
wrong 10 an individual, we wrong The body of
which that individual is a member"
"There ia great deal of false philanthropy
as well as false judgment, caused by this ar
Management based on exceptions 10 general
rules" said Mr.. Ellington, with an air Of self
satisfaction. "For my part, | believe that
more harm is done in the end by admitting
the exceptions, than could possibly arise from
an invariably stringent application of the rule.
The man who steals, knows that he is viola
ting the law of God and his fellows. The
statute of the country says, that for such an
evil act he must suffer the penalty of impriS-
onment. Let then the penalty be made so
sure, that escape becomes next 10 a moral i'm
possibility. Let every one who becomes cog
n 'sant of an act Of stealing, give up the
offender to a speedy justice. For my part,
painfnl as the necessity might be, | would not
stand between Justice and my own son, were
he to become an offender. The stern old Ro-
man father has left an example of answering
Justice that Christians would do well to imi-
tate"
s'The time will come when you will think
q little differently" Sa d the friend; "when
collateral influences will have sufficient weight
TO interpose an exception TO your stringent
general rule"
Gwen see," returned Mr.. Ellington conf
IDENTIFY, as the W men separated.
A few days after It's conversation took
place, Mr.. Ellington, who was o merchant,
was rather surprised to receive a notification
that he had Overdrawn his bank account more
than ,wo thousand dollars.
.fThis is a mistake" said he to himself, as
he opened his desk, in'order 10 take thetefrom
his bank book. But the bank book was not in
its usual place.
After tumbling over some papers hurriedly
to see il il were not concealed beneath them,
he turned TO one of his clerks and said:
"Where is James 2"
s.He hasn't been 10 the store this morning,
sir"
"Why? Is he sick 2"
I'll cannot tell, sir. He made no complaint
OF indispoSition on leaving the store last eve
ming"
II was on the lip of Mr.. Ellington 10 say in
a doubtful tone OF voice:
.sTbere's something wrong;" but checking
the utterance thereof, he took his hat and left
the store.
A little while afterwards he presented him.
self at the counter of the bank where he kept
his deposits, and asked the book keeper 10
oblige him by turning to his account.
az see no credit here for Two thousand
dollars deposited Yesterday" said Mr.. Fixing.
ton.
"Did you make such a depositl" asked the
book-keeper.
al certainly did; or, at least intended Ia
make it,"
The blotter of the receiving teller was re.
fened to, but no credit Of The sum mentioned
was found thereon"
"What does your bank book say?" inquired
the teller.
al can't find it," said Mr.. Ellington, in some
confusion and perplexity Of manner. alt has
been overlaid in or upon my desk. But know
the deposit was made"
''Tbe bank book will settle the matter al
once" remarked the teller.
al don't like the look OF this at all" sale
Mr.. Ellington to HIMSELF as he went hurried
" back 10 his store. "James absent, the
bank book not to be found, and no memoran,
dun of a two thousand dollar deposit made
yesterday, standing TO my credit. What cal
it mean Surely that young man has no
robbed me He cannot he so base. But j
Re has,
How stern and hard instantly became tht
countenance of the merchant.
aft he has, wo be 10 him | will tract
his steps with quick-fioted JUSTICE the un
grateful wretch !"
II was quite as bad as the merchant har
suspected. James Craig, a young man in hi
twentieth year, whose character hitherto hal
stood above suspicion, in an evil hour hat
Welded 10 temptation, and became the robbie
of his employer. But hardly was the dee'
done beyond the possibility of avoiding ex
posure, ere the dishonesty was bitterly repent
ed.
His first act, after appropriating two thou
sand dollars instead Of deposit'ng the sum il
the bank, was to leave the city in the earlieS
train OF cars for the south.
In Baltimore he found lodgings in an obscur
tavern, where he hid himself away from OBJ
'seryation, hoping 10 remain concealed unit
the frst search for him would be over. Her
in great humiliation and distress of mind, h
awaited the progress of events, bitterly repent
ing his folly and crime. ,
o! what would he not have given for re
stored integrity The price of virtue and
good name was his; but the sum Of two thou
sand dollars which a little while before, ha
doomed up with such a golden attraction, no,
seemed of no value whatever compared wit
the rich reasure he had parted with in otde
to secure it.
On the sr'ond day after Crais's arrival
Baltimore, as he sat irresolute and responder
in his room, the door thereof was throw
open, and Mr.. Ellington stood before hin
with stemly knit brows, and eyes that seen
ed.as if they would pierce him through an
through.
Instantly the wretcbed young man turned q
pale IS death, and he was for some momen
90 psralyzed that lie could neither move nj
speak.