The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-05-21
q70 ytlEEIi G. MORNING, MAY 21, 1867

an srtfslI eShtriysnoe TO increase the
chances of making a deep Impression on
tIle Iaasses ofmeff, that this man Fogter,
though perjaresf man--a robber and q
murderer, was1rEregescrated mar" an
the language of our Blessed Lord, and
of his Church; and was certainly Just
entering Heaven, when he re-asserted at
the gallOws this confession. The frlt nos
of FOgler and the enemies of MOntgom-
cry, and of the two young lawyers VINO
we're so unfortunate as to be the eoun,
sci of this murderer, knew full well
that if they could only produce the I'M
preston that Fogler was born agdiH-ln
the language Of the Church, "a new
creature in Christ" then the ruin OF
the MOntgomerys and these young Jaw
yers would probably be a fact accom-
plished. And in support Of this view
Of the matter, refer the reader to an
editorial in the Wheeling IRtelligencer
of the 18th of this month, in which the
persons implicated by the bare and Nm
sapported confession Of this self-cohyiot,
ed felon, FOgler, are advised to run
agay, or to hang themselves" We think
we do not err when we declare that II
is difficult to find case of as unworthy
and reprehensible conduct on the part
of conductors of the Press as that man
ifested by the Wheeling IntelHgeneer to-
wards the gentlemen who have been SO
unfortunate as to have incurred the
displeasure of this false swearq and
murderer, Fogler. 81 siCLNLt =,
1t is certainly true that men Sould
not listen for one moment, to charges
made upon the mere word OF such a
felon as Fegler, except upon the snppo-
sitiOn that he wasreally; i'll the language
ofour religion, "a converted man. And
/ am sorry / feel compelled to say, that
it is true, that the masses-especially OF
those who are only christians, in. name
are easily misled by this suPp0sition,
that dying men, who make any profess
sion Of faith in God, or Christ, are con-
verted men; and that what they say,
when they are bure, they are '.in their
last moments is true and ought to be
believed. This, the friends of FOgler
and the memies of Montgomery, know
full WE'LL The face Of this confession,
and the circumstances, some Of which
alluded to, attending its publication,
show that there is q body OF men some
where (whem do not know, though l
may conjecture) who have combined, or
concerted, to seize upon and to use Fog
ler or the confession, or the occasion or
all put together, to ruin and ertinguish,
Montgomery and certain of his friends
nor and once for all and that they have
rith aridity, seized the event and its cir
cumstances and surroundings, and with
much art and industry used the same to
perpetrate and accomplish what is al
ways a most UNIV orthy and reprehcnsi-
BILE purpose-namely the ruin of the
characters of other men.
without pretending to know or to
decide whether this man Fogler was,
in the language of the Christian Church,
"a true Christian and converted man
or not, l do most earnestly and seriously
contend that the cOnfVssi on of one con-
victed and condemned for murder, on
evidence such as is disclosed in this
case, ought not to weigh a feather
against the character of any one.
Whether Fogler was a truly.penitent
or a truly converted man." no enc
knows, or can know with any certainty,
or even with the certainty necessary to
prove u debt of five dollars. But We
do know by his own confession, made
Immediately after his arrest, and by
the verdict of sworn jury, and the
Judgment of the Court, that lie was a
murderer, and that, in the attempt to
commit q most foul robbery.
do contend that men of fair sense
and common honesty, whether truly
converted men or not, do not and will
not suffer their minds to form or to en-
tertain or to express opinions adverse
or injurious to the good name or char
acter of others, upon such confessions of
such criminals, whether they confess
Christian assurance of their conversion
and salvation or not. And why' |
reply, for the plain and obvious reason
that they do not and can not with suf-
ficient certainty know whether his as
surance is well-founded or his conver-
sion real or not. Conversion, regener-
alton, or the new birth, putting OIL the
old man and putting on the new man"
are among the high and solemn mystic
ries of our Holy Religion. 1t is posi-
BILE one may himself have what is called
Christian assurance of his true relig-
ious condition; bnt it is admitted on all
hands that even a sincere man may
readily deceive himself as to his true
Christian condition, as he often does as
to what is his real motive in this or that
case. But it is certain, and very cer-
tain, that whatever one may know as
to his own condition or consciousness,
vet it is certain that OF another can
not know it, nor can or another know
with any reasonable certainty whether
such other persons knowledge of his
own spiritual stats or condition is gem
uine or reliable, or otherwise. i there
fore expect that no one can or ought to
be Judged or condemned upon any such
confessions. TO do so is prostitution
of the holy mysteries of Christianity
and of the most high, and solemn prin-
ciples and doctrines of the Religion of
Christ, and to remove the landmarks
and criteria of truth and justice, which
the wisdom, virtue and experience of
all ages have established, and to break
down and destroy the bulworks which
nature and natures God have ordained
for the defense of innocence.
If such confessions are evidence upon
which can Judge my neighbors, whose
innocence or character is safe: For ex-
ample, if the regulations of Nessrs.
Little and Ruth are to suffer by reason
of this confession, what lawyer, or other
person, can with safety have private
conference with prisoner
The law, common sense, and COM
mon honesty all declare, and in the
deepa tones Of the voice @of our ma
tion, that no one shall be judged
or condemned, without the right
to confront his accusers, to be heard by
his own counsel and witnesses, and to
examine and crOss-examiDe his accusers
and the witnesses against him. Have
these rights been extended or offered to
these anfortunate young sttorneys; and
who are on this notable eoafession, ad-
judged by one of our editors to run
away or hang themselves.
Again: According to the correspond
ent II, and our editor, and perhaps of
Others, the evidence of witnesses exam
ined on oath, in court, on a regular
trial, and the solemn verdict of a sworn
Jury -of twelve good and legal men, and
the Judgment ofithe court acquitting
and dischargiRg once and forever young
from the crime alleged
against him are all to be overthrown On
.k N ,,,ara x,-ord N nd COW sf. of tho rnurJo.