The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1855-01-11
CHARACTER.
The Penalty OF It's Loss.
"GOOd name, ia man or woman, dear my Lord, Is
Immed diate Jewel OF their SOuls.p

"GOod name, ia man woman, dear my Lord, Is the
immediate jewel Oftheir souls-'
A trial took place some time since in
neighboring city, in which. an individual
was charged with serious fraud. The
testimony against him was strong, but it
was not conclusive, and the fact that he
had, up TO that time, borne an irreproach-
able CHARACTER, exercised so much inilu-
ence upon the minds Of the jury that a YER
diet of acquital was rendered. The de-
cision, as it seems TO US, was right under
the circumstances. Unsullied character in
such case should exercise due influence.
1t should protect against unjust suspicion,
and constitute palladium anda safeguard
in the hour of difficulty and danger. A
few years ago, and during the existence of
a monetary crisis, a citizen Of New York
waited upon one Of the Banks and asked as
slstance. The times were tight in the
language ofthe day, and hence hesitation
was manifested. But the case was press
ing, and in reply to some remark, tie ap-
plicant said that he had been forty years
engaged in business, had never yet been
charged with dishonorable Transaction,
and had never failed to make his obliga-
tons good The Bank officer paused a
moment longer, acknowledged the truth of
what had been said, and then conceded
that such plea was irresistible The
loan was secured, business affairs bright
ened soon after, and all went merry as a
marriage bell In this case, as in the for
mer, character was depended uponas last
resort, and it did not fail in the hour OF
emergency. Doubtless there are many
readers who could cite similar instances,
and hence, as general rule the priceless
value ofcharacterl
On the other hand, how numerous are
the cases in which the tricky, the mercen
ary, the plausible and the unprincipled,
find that they have lived but to little pur-
pose that the guile and hypocrisy which
they supposed, had fully concealed their
principles from the world, were seen through
as hollow mask, and all the deformity be-
meath was made distinct and apparent
How often in the hour ofadversity, do the
base by nature, the selfish in disposition,
and the niggardly in spirit, discover that
they are without character, and that false
hood and evil will not serve their purpose
in the hour of peril. An instance of this
kind recently passed under our observa
tion. An individual who had accumulated
considerable property by trick and man
agement, who was regarded as smart in
business affairs, who cared but little for the
means, so that the end was accomplished,
and who thus was distrusted as well as
despised, suddenly discovered that he had
yentured too far in the field of speculation,
and that unless assisted, he must be de-
stroyed. He called first upon one ac-
quaintance and then upon another, tried
one expedient and then another, reSorted
to every device in his power, but all in
vain. The fact was, he had impaired his
character, and no one would trust him. =
He had been guilty of dishonorable prac-
tices, had violated his word repeatedly be-
fore, and the penalty was doubt, discredit,
and in the end utter bankruptcy. He, in
fact, Lad overreached himself His little
schemes of villany had succeeded, and such
success only tempted him on from step to
step, until at last he found himself beyond
his depth, and then deserted, because no
one could or would rely upon him.
We have somewhere read story of a
young man, who was arrested andtried for
murder, and against whom the circum-
stantial evidence was very strong, but who
was saved at last by the testimony of his
school-master. He had been a good boy,
ever truthful, trustworthy and reliable
and the jury could not believe that one
whose early years were SO bright and un-
sullied, could so soon after attaining the
age ofmanhood, sink into guilt and crime.
Train up child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from
it, is an adage full of practical wisdom
The importance of character in every rela-
ton of life, can scarcely be conceived by
the hasty and the inconsiderate. Nothing
should be guarded with more care, or
watched with more unsleeping vigilance.
The young cannot become too earnestly
impressed with these truths. Let them
start in life with an unsullied name, and an
irreproachable character, and the prospect
before them will be full of promise. But
let them pursue another course, and at the
beginning pollute their lips with falsehood,
and darken their fair fame with dishonor,
and they will thereafter toll on with di6-
Guilty, for the ghosts oftheir early misdo-
ings will track them step by step, and
whisper bitter and mocking memories of
their early career. In the hour of trial,
loo, there will be few to stand by them, for
he who recklessly and wantonly sports with
his own character, strikes at and destroys
his best friend.