The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-11-14
A DOWN LOOK.

A well-known writer, in alluding to the
popular notion that bad men have a
"down look" says: II have known a
vast quantity of nonsense talked about
bad men not looking you in the face.
Don't trust that conventional idea. Dis
honesty will stare honesty out of coun-
tenance, any day in the week, if there is
anything to be got by it,"
We know a great many mean men who
pride themselves upon the excellent man
ner in which they hold up their heads.
If there is anything they do affect, about
the time they are consummat;ng some
particularly mean and rascally business,
whereby an honest man is to be pecuniari-
ly skinned and occularly wooled, it is a
look you -in-the-eye style of conduct
The prevailing idea that mean man al
ways looks mean; that thief always looks
like a thief, and sneaks about with hang
dog look upon his countenance; that a
murderer must necessarily have all the
outward appearances of thorough bred
ruhian; and that hen-roost robber has
hen feathers growing oul of his upper
lip in lieu of moustaches, is altogether
erroneous. One of the handsomest men
we have ever seen was Monroe Edwards.
1t is almost an invariable rule, that the
greater the scoundrel the more engaging
are his manners, the more gentlemanly his
department. the more elaborate his toilette
and the cleverer and brighter and quicker
his eyes. Nowadays, for 6rst-class
scoundrel in any of th walks Of villainy,
to be successful, the excellence of his per-
sonal appearance is one of his greatest
aids. He is only the low-bced, illiterate,
unshaven. poverty ty-stricken, petty rascal,
who takes his place in the prioner's box
at the courts or is tumbled neck and
heels into the prison CELL His,loo are
too much ain accordance with the popular
idea of criminals appearance.
1t is innocence whose eye is downcast,
real worth which bends its head, and gen.
uine integrity that shrinks from the stare
of the world. Crime and hypocrisy and
humbug hold bold front, look you full in
the face at every turn, and seem to defy
scrutiny even while they invite it. lI-
Swiudlers, bank robbers, forgers, hotel
thieves, pocket book droppers, watch
stnffers, and even the Peter Funks, are
gentlemanly looking fellows, wear good
clothes, smoke the best of cigars, indulge
in shilling drinks, sport heavy jewelry,
have the mostunexceptionable moustaches,
and can talk honest, look honest, anG
L. ri oil of tho Of
and most trustworthy man in the COM
munity. fr f ts
This is not unfrequently proved by the
fact that after an extensive robbery OF
some other daring crime has been COM
mitted, the police very often arrest an in
nocent person as its perpetrator, solely be.
cause he has "down look" can't give 6
"distinct account of himself" and unluck
lily happened to be caught in the neigh
borhood, under suspicious circumstances,
where the misdeed was accomplished
Arrest en- innocent man, an honest man
and charged him with being the perpetra
tor of some heinous offence, and he will
in all outward appearances, look and &C
| tuC u0teCtoo ioS uO w P0ii0SeAoh o. o.
according to the popular idea of rogue
He will tremble, change color, hesitate
stammer in his speech, get confused, con
tradict himself, and feebly assert his in
nocence, until the crowd, by his own con
duet, will condemn him off.hand, and b.
ready to lynch him. Arrest the real rogu
aud how firm, how ingenious his demean
or! How grandly innocent he looks, witt
what scorn and expression of pride b
repels the accusation? No quivering o
the lip, no trembling of the limbs, n
Eehange of voice, no blanching of tn
cheeks. He tells a plain, straight-for
ward story, accounts for himself and hi
whereabouts, answers all questions prompt
ly, without the least hesitation, aud walk
off hearing the apologies of those VIII
had made such lamentable mistake i
suspecting so honorable and honest ma
as be. $3.50 s.
He walks coolly off with the spoons i
his pocket. while the frightened beiu
who, perhaps, never before knew they ha
been stolen, is lugged and locusted thrt
the streets by the sagacious myrmidons {
}, the law, and followed by hooting mol
,I-N. y atlas.