Daily national Democrat., 1861-02-20
A Down Look.

A well known writer, in alludine to the
popular notion that bad men have Il down
look, says: 81 have known vast quantity
of nonsense talked about bad men not look
ing you in the face Don't trust that con-
ycntioual idea. Dishonesty will stare hon
esty out OF couutenance, any Ga in they
week, i.there is anything to be got hy it,"
W e know great many mean men who
pride themso Ives upon the excellent manner
in which they hold up their heads. If there
is anything they do affect, about the time
they are consummatin@ some particularly
mean and raseally business, whereby an hon
est man IS to toe pecUniarily skinned and oc-
cularly woo,gl it is a look -you-in-tho-cye
style of conduct. The prevailing idea that
mean man always looks mean; THAT n thief
always looks like thief, and sneaks about
with Il hang dog look upon his countcu"l cc;
that murderer must necessarily have all the
outward appearance of a tho: ough.hrcd rut-
hUn: and that hen roo-t rObber has hen
feathers growing out of his upper lip in lieu
OF m0ustaehes, Is altogether erroneous. One
of the hdnlsomts, men we have ever seen
was Monroe Edwards. 1t is almost an inva-
riable rule, that the greater the scoundrel
the more engaging are his mannes the more
gentlemanly his department, the more elab-
crate his toilette and the cleverer, the
brighter, the quicker his eyes Nowadays,
for Il first class scoundrcl in any of the walks
of vilainy, TO be successful the excellence of
his personal appearance is of his greatest
nidz. lie is only the low-bred, iliteratc, ur-
shaven, poveity-stricl,cn, petty rascal, who
takes his place in the prisoners box at the
courts or is tumOled neck and heels into the
prison cell. His looks are too much in ac-
cordance with popular idea of "A criminals AZ.
poaraucc.
1t is innocence whose eye is downcaat real
worth which bends its head. and genuine in
tegiity that shlinks 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 inviteit.
Swindcrs, forgers, hotel thieves pocket
book droppers, watch-stufers, and even the
Peter Fnnks, are gentlemanly looking fel-
lows, wear good clothes, smoke the best of
cigars, indulge in shilling drinks, sport heavy
jewelry, have the most unacceptonable nous
taches and can talk honest, look honest, and
smile with all the JUNCTION of the purest and
most trustworthy man in the community
This is not unlrrquently proved by the
fact that after an extensive robbery or some
other daring crime has been committed, the
police very often arrests an innocent person
as its perpetrator, solely because he has a
down look, can't give "di.tinct account
of himself and unluckiIy happened to be
caught in the ncighbolhood, "un der suspi-
cious circumstances" where the misdeed was
accomplished. Arrest an innocent man, an
honest man, and charge him with being the
of some hcinous offence, and he
will in all appearances, look and act the de-
tected rogue TO periection-i. E. according 30
the popular idea Of a rogue. lie will trem-
ble, change color, hesitate, stammer in his
Speech get confused, contradict himself, and
feebly assert his innocence, until the crowd,
10y his own conduct, will condemn elf hand,
and be ready to lynch him. Arrest the real
rogue and how firm, how ingenious his de-
meanorl How grandly innocent he looks,
with what scorn and expression Of pride he
repels the accusation? No quiyering of the
lip, no trembling of the limbs no change Of
voice. no blanching Of the cheeks. lie tells
a plain, straightforward story accounts for
himself and where abouts, answers all qucs-
tious promptly, without the least hesitation,
and walks of hearing the apologies Of those
who had made such lamontable mistake in
suspectiug 50 honorable and honest a man as
he.
He walks coolly of with the spoons in his
pocket While the frightened being, who,
perhaps, never before knew they had been
stolen, is lueged and locustcd through the
streets 10y the sagacious myrmidons of the
law, and followed by a hooting mob.-N T.
atlas.