The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-12-14
Conscience no Excuse for Crime.

yet to spring, from the recent conspiracy against
the peace of the country, there Is not one more
dangerous TO the future well being of society,
than the apparent acquiescence of many sound
and good men in the doctrine that the motives
Of a man ssnctfy his sins.
"Sohn Brown they say, "was sincere, truth
full disinterested, philnnthropic, believing liper
ty To he every mans right and to give them lib
erty his duty, he combined the men and means
TO set the slaves free; no provided arms and
used them he killed all who opposed him; and
if the slaves had joined him as he thought they
would. others and probably thousands would
have been butchered by the spears which John
Brown had put into their hand. But as his pur-
pose was to do good to the blacks, and not to
himself VIC must not class him with common
murdcrers he was misguided good man, who
died in defence Of this principles"
This is the doctrine of some of our pulpts, and
of some Of our newspapers. 1t is more danger
Gus and pernicious than John Browns doctrine
and practice.
1t was Plato who said, il is better to kill a
ais. AS little Christianity as there is in Plato,
there is truth in that saying Of his, than in
the pulpit or press which teaches that man who
does evil that good may come is not justly held
responsible for all the consequences that follow.
The basis of the doctrine which we protest
against, is that man is right If he is only sim
ccre that good conscience justifes any crime
that it may be very wicked to do what con-
science condemns but we are to be pardoned for
anything if in doing it we arc trying to do a
good thing. 1t is humbling to know that such
n silly sophistry has to be combatted in this
year of our Lord more humbling to know that
good men, orthodox men, conservative men,
teach it publicly with voice and pen, while the
country heavcs as by an earthquake, because of
the crime that this logic oxtenuatcs if it does not
defend.
| Yet no fact is moro familiar to the intelligence
of the world than ths--that conscience permits
and even impels men to commit the most afro
cous sins. Saul of Tarsus was just as conscicn-
/ tious when spearing Christians, as when after
wards preaching Christ. lie verify thought he
was doing God service: just as John Brown lin
the opinion of his friends) thought he was do
ing God service when he put spears into the
hands of his followers to murder the slavehold-
ers of Virginia. Conscience is often and easily
perverted, and no men are so fercely and devo-
tedly conscientious as religious fanatics. Tn
der the dominion of perverted conscience men
may perpetrate deeds of cruelty, at the recital
Of which the world turns pale. History is full
of the crimes which have been done in the name
of law, liberty and religion, by those who be-
lieved themselves to be right when they were
shedding torrents of innocent blood. But the
verdict of postority docs not and never will en-
balm the memory of men public bcncfactors
; who perpetrate crimes that good may pcrchancC
come out of It. The fanatics Of our time and oui
city who declare that the Church is the bulwark
of slavery and ministers are the great upholder'
Of the system, may be maddencd into such q
frenzy that they will conspirc to burn the tenn
pies and destroy the priests, that the pillars o.
the system they uphold may be broken down
and is it for n moment TO be admitted that be-
cause these fanatics are sincere their crimes are
to be pardoned, or if they suffer the penalty thai
they are to be venerated as martyrs? The sup
position is prcposterous. There is solid basis
of common sense, and an amount of Christian
intelligence in the community, that forbids the
possibility Of thus deludng tho public mind
All thinking men, (and thinkers rule this worit
now,) know that right and wrong no
to be determined by the eonscienccs of fanatics
And all men, thinkers or not, can understand
that no mans life or property is safe moment
that society itself would be instantly resolve;
into its simplest elements and each mans arm
must be his defence, if il is admitted that fanat
les who are hung for murder, are to be venera
ted as martyrs. The notices of men are not th'
measure of their responsibility, and will not dc
termine the character of their conduct. They
are just as responsible and rs justly responsible
for their belief as for their actions. They ar,
bound to know what is right. to regulate theil
hearts and minds by the only rule Of right and
wrong, and when they go away from the ligh
and trampe under foot the rule, or pervert it t.
crafty their own passions or lusts, they incur tn,
penalties Of transgrcsson, and deserve to suffer
When they suffer, the judgement Of God ant
good men consents. In the heats of partisan
or sectional excitements and animosites, theii
sympathizing friends, at heart no better thar
they, may applaud their heroism, dip napkins
in their blood and wave them as palms of victo
ry, build monuments to their memory, and pre-
dict their future renown among the martyred
patriots Of the world, but posterity is no fool
and is not to be humbugged by any such prema.
turo honors or canting prophecies. In the sun.
light Of truth, in the majestic march of mind
and time, these exhalatons will disappear, sad
justice will reign supreme in the sentiment OF
mankind. Nop, before the body of the latest
victim of his own fanatieism has been buried
the sober second thought of the country has pro.
nounccd that his motives do not justify his crime
and that by the laws Of God and man ho had
incurred the penalty he endured.
We therefore repeat tho thought that our pull
pits and newspapers are doing terrible wrong
| IN socictv whom thev eulot,ize Tho eharoctar %