Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-04-05
81. clairsviIre, Ohio. April 5.
Publish d by requcs.I
An Admirable Charge TO a Grand
Inry.

The following admirable charge was de-
to the Grand Jury Of Crawford Co..
Pa, at its recent sessics ,
OF THE JURY:
Although the primary business ofcriminal
courts aud grand juries Is to- punish crime,
yet all will concede that If they can aid in
the prevention, they are thereby fulfilling
their mission and disoharging their duty to
that extsnt, better than in any other way.
Il is & familiar maxim that IAN ounce Of
prevention Is worth a pound of cure" To
ave one young man from dissipation and
ruin 10 better than to punish q dozen old
enes for crime committed. The moral vac
cinstieu Of society. by which tho contagion
Of vice IL checked, is better than the most
skiliful treatment for its cure. 1t should
therefore be the principal aim Of the phil
Authropist and patriot to remove the source
Of the evil, the causes Of contagion, and to
supprs,s resurrection against the laws, by
the shsdding..of the least possible amount
o. blood. De
He serves his country in peace, who stands
up FIRMLY for the right and protects the
virtue Of it's people from the assaults of sin.
a. serves her best in war who anticipates
the strategy Of the foe. and wins her blood
less victories It Is always easier to protect
your coast against tho debarka,ion of an
Invading foe, than to dislodge the invader
sfter ne has obtained foothold on your soil.
So il the moral world. Ii is infinitely
batter to protect your child from temptation
and ~oorrupting associations by which the
citadel Of his virtue is first attacked, than
to undertake bis reformation by the force Of
penal snsotm euts. after the enemy has got
possession and vicious habits have been
termed. l am led to these reflections by q
knowledge Of the past, that there are in our
midst schools of vice, dens of dissipation,
licensed and unlicensed. made attractive by
oil that tsmpts the appetite and stimulates
che bsys passions.
W. have evidence enough to satisfy every
Intelligent man in the community, except
acme constsbles, that this city and several
Of the large towns Of the County are in
tested with many Of these cess-pools OF cor
ruptios, where multitudes Of young men
are dscoyed to their rain, and where the
laws Of the land are daily and nightly vio-
lated,
In my anxiety TO do what in mo lays to
benefit the people. and justify the confidence
they have rsposed in me, | have labored at
every term Of the courts to stimulate tie
proper officers, the grand %juries. and the
people, to wage an unremitting and exter-
ulndtluH war uVpl tuo u BoluU
ling dsns, including billiard saloons and
bowling alleys with liquor bars attached.
Although some grand juries have done
we'll, our success has been but partial. We
have failed to awaken that high sDprecia
ton Of moral duty either in the officers or
tho people necessary to secure q rigid en-
fofcement of the laws.
Indeed, those who support such institu-
tioua, ia places where they most abound,
seem 70 have gotten control of the machin.
cry By which constables are elected. and
frsudulsntly throw the mantle of their off
eiaf reports over their violations of law aud
decsncy.
Beosnss the law makes it the duty Of the
esnstsblss TO ferret out and sxpose such de.
lipqusnts, the private citizen assumes it i
net bic business to become informant and
prosecutor, AMI thus they go unwhipt o.
juslias and continue their nefarious occu
pstions.
Everybody complains, but no one acts,
not even 40 ss to secure the election of faith.
fpl officers. until the evil becomes so great,
md the lives and property Of men so in.
secure, that popular Indignation is aroused
committees Of vigilance and safety are
appointed to do, in an illegal manner, just
THAT their own negligence Of duty had omit.
ted to do in . legal way. Had half the
men Who thus meet on such occasions OF
sxeitsmsnt and evince their detestation of
crime aud criminals by loud denunciation'
and rnsnscss Of lynch law, but done their
duty in . quiet way, rs citizens and Chris
tiaIs, for six months previously, the law
and o6aosrs would have removed all neces.
sity fer such demonstrations, aud in the
meautine have protected the community
from depreciation.
Bussards only frequent where dead car,
e.ssss avs found. Such carrion birds as cal
into being vigilance committees never con
greSsts except where haunts for their resort
and association are tolerated. You will find
no general assenblaso of burglars, thieves
and lawiess Williams. except where brothels,
groceries snd gambling saloons ara permit.
ted ts.exist 10 defiance of law. Every one
complaiss Of everybody but himself. Even
the Judges Of your Court ara reproached
personally, publicly, and BY anonymous let
tsrs. for their existence, while the citizen
and poles officer knowingly permit their
continuance uuharmed.
II IL q great mistake to suppose there
meg exist any real necessity 10 invoke the
Summary and severe administration of lynch
law Ia this country, when tho laws are sc
stringent and the courts ara so able and
prompt TO administer them. No Intelligent
VlHtSaftu8 COIN Wouiu iNftlct iUd penal
ties 10 . case when tho evidence Of gull
vs., not 81 Efficiently clear to convict the cul
pritin alcourt OF law. Then why not brin,
him to the judgment Of the law, and save
tho rsproach upon our citizens which q re
sort TO mob law always inflicts2 II c%ortainl,
would better consist with our boasted intel
Iigsncs. 20 say nothing Of our virtue, Il
tske fhs rsiiosal view OF this question =
Remove the cause and avoid the effect, Re
raovs the carrion and the yulture will dis
appear.
Let the virtuous aud orderly portion o
the community assert their manhood an,
Independence. Let them combine to crust
out oil illicit traffic in Intoxicating drinks
ell gambling establishments, under what
sssr mama oondunted, and all yiee-breodinl
issntutions where the primary lessons II
crime are taught 10 the juvenile portion o.
the community. Thus will order DO pre-
served. expenses saved, their soma aud neigh
bsss rescued from temptations that sntict
them 20 destruction. and the persons and
Properly Of individuals be rendered again
ssturs.
If sths pulpit would raise its warning
-. "a aL..uaa taalaaA ~ ..Qc - - a