Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1861-03-28
A Moral Curiosity.


A Moral Curiosity.
The following pen picture of Democrat
&c editor at the Capitol town of our State
drawn by Berry Sulgrove. Of the Journa.
has strong resemblance to the editor Of
the Slow Coach and Dead Advertiser. pub.
lished in this place. who not only lies
without seeming to be aware Of the fact,
but deliberately swears to them. But,
here is the picture. examine it carefully,
and then say if it could have resembled
Affidavit moro had he sat for it:
There is such thing as confounding
truth by sheer impudencc. Men are gen.
orally SO constituted that they lie as they
liquor, with some pleasure in the effect,
but some pain in the process. A lie has
to break through strong natural resistance
to get out, rs liquor has to get in. an out
ragged nature IN either case will show the
pain by grimaces and cbokiRgs. And the
consciousness of this Unborn loyalty to
truth in each mans heart dSposes him to
trust its power in every other man, If not
to obey the truth, at least to show that he
is lying. Hence certain degree Of con-
formity to admitted facts, q certain sense
of the necessity of keeping in the direction
ii no in the path of truth. is expected OF
every man. But at times there enters the
world man in whose composition this
element has been left out. A lie don't dis
arrange his conscience in the utterance any
more than his breath disturbs his wind
pipe. There is no struggle to show that
anything is coming ont except what nature
meant to come out in that way. He af-
fords the possibility we stated at the out
set. He upsets all natural relations and
ideas. He puzzles other men. They feel
that If they should Ire as he does they must
show it somehow. and seing no sign oil
such consciousness in him. they are be.
wildercti, not so much by the doubt that
he is lying. for that is rarely In doubt, q,
by the singularity ofsuch nature. They
are astonished into mo ncntary confusion
as if they had heard a calf singing a comic
song. and are puzzled to know whether the
sound was song or the animal calf
But they soon learn the way ont of tn.
puzzle. The man is found to be lusu.
naturo. sort Of moral four-legged chick
en-.
People don't contradict or reason wit \
him. They only wonder at him. His in
trinity is pitied as if it were crooked
back or club-foot He is held to no &C
countability. He may scout the truth, de
fly the absolute personal knowledge o
those he is talking to. turn against hi.
own statements. laugh at facts of publ,
notoriety. repudiate his own recollections
and snap his fingers at rcfutations tina
would make other men hang themsclre'
with shame. Where another man woult
but it is useless to present the ALTERNATIVE,
for no other man CAN lie so. He is borne
with. his deformity kindly held ont o
view, and his vagaries set down its inhu
ence. He becomes sort of moral lepe
whom men avoid with potent indifference
because contradiction is useless, and refor
nation impossible. Properly understood
and guarded. such man might b, sori
of unnatural credit to the place he lives
in. like burning spring or an unfarhoma
bic hole. But his nature must b.
known. He must not be rated or treated
like other men. That would turn curl
osity into nuisance, as the hot sprin,
would be If the unwary were left to think
it Geld. He must be labelled and fenced
about by popular appreciation. Possibly
in the course of human progress, sucl
characters will be so fully developed, ailt
their nature so thoroughly understood. tina
every town will have its moral monstrosi
iy, duly marked, and open for exhibition
to the curious. If that time were com,
now we should have one of the m ost com
plete the world is ever likelysto see. IF j
comes many years hence history may still
record that in indianapolis in 1861 honr
ished one of the rarest and hugest speci-
mems of the class. Any one who has reat
the recent articles in the Sentinel. on tn
financial affairs of the city and State. vii
know where to look for the animal. Il
uaything in the way Of impudent defiance
! Of notorious fact, and impudent reputation
Of its own party record. can -oe produces
at all comparable to these. we are willin,
to admit that our city will be honored il
the possession Of a moral curiosity in tn
i good tipe'' we have alluded 70, than w
had hoped. Possibly future liars may sur
pass il. but certainly nothing IN the pas
or present approaches it. 1t islands slone
as Ryan said Of Buchanan's administra
ton. the most wonderful exhibition q
complete and matchless lying we ever saw
/ SCHOOL LAw.-The South Bend Regi,