The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-04-24

THE WAY Of TdE ThANouhEoS0n 10 uhnD'
When the first step in wrong doing Is taken
the path Of crimo Is often an easy one to tray
el, till [tho law interposcs and punshes the
criminal. Usually mon convicted of great Of
fences, and confined within the walls of a
state prison, are hardened by a long course, of
sin. An exception to the rule, and one which
should stand es warning to the young. has
just been presented to the public. There
stood but a fcw days ago, before court in tho
city of New York, young man, respectfully
dressed, whose countonance exhibited signs ct
Intelligence and honesty His cheek was pale
and his eye downcast. lilo was felon, con-
victed of forgery on banking institution 20
n largo amount, but was unlike hundreds who
are constantly occupying tho same ignomin
Gus place; crime had not hardened his soul
into defandc, and even in tho depth and tho
olackncss Of his guilt, there was still one chord
of genuine feeling which responded to tho
touch of shame and self condemnation. The
Judge asked him il he had anything TO say
say why the sentence of tho law should not bc
pronounced upon him. William kissano an
nouncod as folows:- oal.s
"May it please the Court, shall avail my
self of tho opportunity now offered, it being
the last shall possibly ever have, TO mako a
few remarks. And l wish it to DO distinctly
understood that what am about to say is in
no way whatever intended by me as suing for
mercy; on tho contrary, feel that | deserve
any punishment that tho Court may deem
proper 10 infict.
"My lifc, sir, as some of tho public prints
have set forth, has not been one continued sue
cesson Of crimes. Two years ago was living
with my family in Ohio in peace, contcntmcnt
and happiness; known and respected by largo
circle of acquaintances and friends; without
ono blot or one stain upon my name. But in
an evil hour there came abcnt my dwelling
those who had bIightcd and blasted many a
| homo bofcre. 1 shall not cnier into details of
tho wretchcdness and dcsola,on they havo
brought about me and minc. AMI which. sir,
have been the means Of bringing me before
you this day; also of sending my family ponni-
! lees, houseless and homeless wanderers on tho
| face of tho earth, ashamed of tho very namc
| they bear, which name was handed 10 me with
out a blemish, as untarn'shed as the driven
snow. May God forgive thcm--l mover can
"And yet. sir, il was my own fault. Endow-
cd with all tho feelings and senses of manhood
| should have known that to be brea,hed upon
by thcm was doath; that the very atmosphere
which surrounded them was poisonous as that
which surrounds the Upas tree. | should
have Indignantly spurncd them from me, rs
you wonld sir. tho most ioaihso NO reptile that
|
ed, had pondoroG. hnd not been here. I
must h,vo been IN dream. sort of spell,
when | permitted the igRis jotuus to lead me
| to d structien. And though / stand hero,
charged with and convicted of crmc, yet my
heart tells mo. and | feel it and know it to bo
| true that / have no sympathy with ii; that
have no follow feeling or emotion in common
with tho perpetrators of it Had pnused,
bad ponderod, you sir, would havo been.
spared tho disagrccable duty which devolvcs
upon you this day: and can fancy no duty
which can be moro irksomo to an enlightened
and humane JuIgo than that of consgning
follow creature to a living tomb.
"But the cdic,s of the law must be fulfilled;
the consequences must fall on tIinsc who come
aniagonistic to it, and chccrfully, gladly, yes,
joyfully would 60 hcnco to wherever it may
please you to consign nae, did but feel that
might yetliv to return rcgcneratod, un,arnish-
cd as was, that could once moro take that
proud station amongst family and friends that
thon held. But. alas! sir, this cannot be,
and tho overwhelming consciousness of it in
1cts moro wretchodness and misery upf n me
than any penalty which the law can infict.-
There Is no escape for ono's feelings except
through the portals OF the grave. | could es
cape from the railroad cars at tho risk OF my
life, as has been given in testimony. and
could lay out in tho wild woods, night after
night, with no covering but the canopy of
Hoavon. But there was one ever watchful
companion which | could not avoid. 1t was
tho constant promptings Of the heart: what
have you been; what inflmy and disgrace have
you entaed on yourself? could hear it in
tho leaves that rustled over my head; could
hear ii in every sound that was burno upon
the breeze
"The whole world may forgive me but I
cannot forgive myself / had hoped, sir to
reach some distant country, unknown, whero
those who had known me could know mo no
more, where could have settled down among
strangers. and once more been man amongst
mon. Tho ever present memories ofthe past
would have bcon bright light to gnido mo in
the path OF rectitudo in all the future, and
would have illuminod tho rock upon which |
was cast away. Providence has Otherwise do |
creod and am hero: but were permitted to
Ccpart this day, and whenever it shall please
the powers that bo 10 permit mo to depart, |
such shall bo my course, trus: a wiser and
better man"
We have not for long timo read a speech !
50 impressive and SO suggestive of serious
thoughts. The circumstances under which it |
was uttered, give it a character which it would
no: otherwise possess. Whilo we pity such n
man cut off from tho world in his carly years.
and consigned, ito use his own words) "to a
living tomb, ,'-whlc VIC can grievc for bis wife
and family, wo cannot forget that tho fault Is
mainly his own, and that his punishment is
justly demanded for tho public good. A sad
waning, indeed, is his career, and one that
should not be lightly needed
RUSSIAN MANIFESTO.
Count Nesselrodc has sont to the Russian
n q ~