The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-14


| to be for the kindness bestowed upon him,
who goes out in the streets, and, seeing a man
who owed him a miserable 100 pence, takes
his debtorby the throat and casts him into
prison. When mercy had been bestowed up
on him he threw his debtor into Jail, as the
plaintiff In this case has thrown this poor wo.
man In the street. And the conduct OF that
unworthy servant at that time, rings now
through all the aisles of history, and Its
teaching is as strong, it's lesson as cogent, as
| they were 1900 years ago, when the story was
| first told and that servant met with the same
condem nation from the Great Judge, and
Searcher of all Hearts, that the plaintiff in
this case, who showed no mercy to this poor,
friendless, widowed woman, will find from
the Judge and Searcher of all hearts to-day
from the men who have hearts to be moved
and pity to be excited for story of oppres-
sion, outrage, and wrong. Applause, which
had to be checked by the court.
this guilt all this black page of oppression
and wrong perpetrated upon this widowed,
childless woman, Is illustrated by no bright
spot, relieved by no kindly kindly act, sus-
tanned by no single emotion which would
| dignity the heart of man or entitle him TO any
sympathy at all, saws the single, faint, feeble
ray of light which CLEANS with ftful radi-
ance from the 50 which he gave to this wo-
man through the Union Defence committe!
Gave him credit for this 3. / am willing to
admit there was no discount on it it was in
the days before gold went out OF circulation
whether it was Illinois currency or not,
know not, Give him credit for 1t He prom
| Used TO give her more, but it is all she ever
got except wrong and cruelty and oppres-
| sion.
They tell us he had a right to close this
contract, to take this property by foreclose.
Thot il n we
| question we are tying here is whether he
! did a good and kind act towards this poor
woman, or whether he was unjust, cruel and
| oppressive towards her. A similar case once
| happened in the city of Venice. 1t was the
case of Shylock vs.Antonio. Shylock dealt In
money. lie lent Antonio money on bond,
the penalty being that,if he did not pay it at
certain time and place, he should cut
| pound of flesh from any place be choose, near
est his debtors heart. The day came; An
! tonic failed 10 connect his ships had gone
| down to the bottom of the sea banks had
| broken real estate mad deprecated and he
| could not connect. The case is brought into
| court; the parties are all present; the duke
| speaks 10 this plaintiff Shylock, aud says -
| Your claim is cruel il will be very brutal
| for you to enforce 1t; cannot you have some
! mercy on this man ?" But that old plaintiff
tells him ''No, will have my pound Of flesh;
/ L
| pity is again applealed to, he turns to the
papers as they do in this case, and says, lis
/ il not nominated in the bond I'll have my
| bond" So the case went on TO tral, as this
case went on TO trial. Shylock insisted upon
the letter of mis- bond. There was, however,
a little trip in tho pleadings. Shyleck Gid
not get the forfeit. They had Judge who,
/ while sticking to the law, stuck 10 the letter
of it. and suggested that he could take
[ l.. II Il. &
! blood, his life should become forfeit to the
/ state Shylock concluded shat he would
withdraw Juror in that cRse, and left the
| court room which he had entered in conf
/ dence of getting his bond. Now it would be
q great deal better for the plaintiff in this
case to do the same. The judge woad say
/ to him, you can have your pound OF flesh, but
! if you take one drop of this poor woman's
! ulood if you do IN unjust or cruel thing TO
| her: If you violate the sense OF right and
justice that is not in the bond,-you will for.
! felt your reputation aud everything you have
| to the public in which you live. That would
have been the judgement that would have
passed upon this case by that judge. And,
/ gentlemen of the jury. that is the judgment
! shat will be passed upon this case by you.
And, now, we are drawing to Il conclusion
of this trial are getting we'll on TO the
| end of IT, We have seen how this woman
has been treated, but have not yet lett
/ her Not content with taking ali she had.
| since this suit has commenced, they have fol-
| lowed her in the streets and by-ways aud
| lanes,-hedged her round with spies, TO
| if she had not borrowed an article of mourn
ing TO come here in and when she comes rob
| ed in widows weeds, they ask If she has not
| borrowed them, and if there is not dress
! maker that has lent her some little article OF
mourning she has not been accustomed to wear
! Great God has il come to this | remem Der
the story of the widows son. lie was the
! only support of his widowed mother. When
| he died her heart was broken, and ~ she went
! to his grave all hearts were touched at seeing
! some tattered ribbon of black some little ar
| ticle of mourning which she had borrowed
! from her neighb0r in order that she might
| give some outward manifestations of the grief
/ which weighed down her heart So If this
| poor womgn,-afflicted as she has been, sad
| dened as she has beer, had borrowed some
article of black TO wear, because her heart
was mourning who so cruel "a to ieer her for
| it. What do you think of the man who would
try TO introduce that kind of evidence to i'm
peach the credit and character of this house
less friendless woman? Not only have they
done these things, gentlemen, not only have
robbed the woman of all the property she
! possessed in the world, but, as the last and
Anal ODD, whom all that she has left 10 tho
reputation she has among her neighbors and
friends, they try to take that from her. Sem
satlOn.
But they say they are going TO take these
things down the aisles of history. They are
going down to future generations with them.
l say to them, let them go. This plaintiff
has got bigger load to toddle down the
A. l. n IL.