Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-09-15


has not public sentiment demanded the en-
forcement of existing lawsl Why have
no: those in authurity felt themselves un-
der the continual pressure of public opin-
ion insisting that the laws, both as to this
vice and as to the traffic in poisonous drinks,
should be vigorously executedi Have any
of us said at is not my business" Have
any said, "If do not drink and gamble /
have nothing to do with others who may
thus offendf"
But where is Sterling, our brother =
Dare l, dare you say, Il am not my broth
er's keeper!" Nay, 1--WE are verify guilty
concerning our brother" Every one of US
ought to have been "his keeper" his guar
dian, his true, watchful friend!
There are other men in like peril at this
hourl Other brethren, fathers, sons, citi-
zene, are in danger of being plundered, de-
graded, ruined-it may be, murdered,
through the allurement of these destroy
ers. Men and brethren,-before God, /
charge you, save them. Let the thunders
of public indignation expel from our city all
who would continue to play this trade of
death amongst US! Let the voice of our
brothers blood be heard-if not crying for
vengeance on his murderers-yet crying
for protection, moral protection, legal pro-
tection-for our own sons, for your hus-
bands, Christian wives-for your fathers,
yourg men-for all who are lured into the
society of those vampires who would plum
der and destroy them.
The day before this deed was done
eight days ago-sittiug at my own table
with the venerable Bishop of Kentucky, l
was giving vent to my feelings of strong
detestation of everything that had the re-
motest semblance to gambling-and even
the experienced Bishop seemed to think
me in danger of taking an extreme view
The next morning he understood why l
spoke and felt as l did.
From every pack of cards in your offices,
in your parlors, in your chambers, the voice
of E. T. S,erling's blood cries to you.-
Touch them not except to consign them to
the flames. Every spot upon them is a
spot of blood-of soul-blood. Teach your
children to abhor them. Here, before God,
l thank my own revered Christian parents
now in Heaven) that they never suffered
me to trife with the gamblers tools. If
my sons perish as our loved friend has per-
ished, they shall not have to charge me
with being even the unwilling occasion of
their perdition. Happy was to hear of
one your most honored fellow citizens, (NoT
Church communicant,) say this week, 81
have never played game of cards in my
life. l do not know one card from aneth-
er." Would that every man, in public or
private life, could make the same honora-
ble avowal! No respectable household
not to say no Christian family-should
ever tolerate what distinguished citizen
of Alabama not long since described as the
swell known implements of the gamester."
If heretofore you have used them thought
lessly, hereafter when you would touch
them, think of E. 7. Sterling, and let them
alone. If one so generous, so unselfish,
so truthful, so honorable, so noble, could
not resist the fascinations of evil in this
form, who can safely make an experiment
of going so far and no farthers
How fearful is the description which
Mary Hewitt gives of the votary of vice:
"He is as one self-conducted to sacrifice
a captive who rivets on his own fetters,
while be groans for freedom; for the indul-
gence Of those vices miscailed pleasure,
while they deaden the will, leave quivering-
ly alive the sense of degradation. 4
Alas! the spirit writhing under the COM
puncti rs of evil, l,.and the hopslessness of
good, is sight upon which the angels of
God might drop tears of pity"