Maryland free press., 1867-04-25
For the Free Press

For the Free Press.
The common consent of mankind seems
to have placed the Staying of fellow be-
ing as the most heinous in the catalogue
of crimes, and has affined to that offence,
the highest punishment inflicted by the
laws. Wilful and deliberate murder is q
crimo of rare occurrence however, compar-
atively speaking But there is another
offence, that is extremely frequent every
where, and particularly SO in our own
community, which in its malignant and
diabolical pature is in many respects akin
to murder and in mearess and petty
malgnity, sinks far below it.
The slrndercr of his or her neighbor, is
but murderer of reputation and good
fame. and in proportion as these are Of
greater value than life itself, so is the
ruthless destroyer of fellow creatures
good name moster more to be dreaded
and abhorred than one who would merely
slay the body. The slanderer resembles
the murderer in many respects, and differ
ent modes and means of circulating
slander may be committed. For example,
there is the bold desperate whose life is a
long course of violence and bloodshed. who
at least does not always join cowardice to
his crime, but who Stays his adversary in
many cases after bloody and desperate
struggle and often without any desire for,
or attempt at the concealment of his crime.
This species of murderer resembles the
foul-mouthed and. violent, but open defarm-
er of his ncighbors character. His accus-
ations may be false and malignant, but
they are published aloud to all, and the
person whom he seeks to destroy has at
least the opportunity of knowing and en-
deavoring to thwart the violence of his
vindictive assailant.
Then there is the secret assassin the
friend who seeks an opportunity to dog
the footsteps of the object of his hate
and to stab him to the heart
in the dark, or? who while pro-
Tossing friendship, and it may be in dulg-
ing outwardly in kindly Intercourse with
him; takes advantage of this outward ap-
pea rance of affection 10 mingle poison in
the cup which he extends in seeming love
to his unsusp eciing victim. The coward,
ly assassin Of this class, resembles very
closely anong p,ous letter qrriter: the mean,
est, lowest and most contemplate of all
slanderers. His attacks like the assas-
sins are hidden and secrctlthey are'poison.
GUS like the cup mingled by the latter for
his victim, his thrusts are stabs in the dark
and at each stroke of his dagger he woult
fan cxsult over bleeding and murdered
reputation. The anonymous letter, is +;
favoritc weapon of the female slandcrer
for when woman once lays aside hel
gcntleness and goodness, and dcsccnd
from her natural and proper position, il
which she is immcasurably elevated abov,
the majority of mer, she generally sink
far below man in mcancss, cowardic,
and total unscrupulousness.
| Odious and contemplate assthe anony
nous letter is in the estimation of ever,
right-minlcd and honorable man or wo
man, it still generally fails in the purpos
for which it was intended, No one but
very weak-minded or unrefccting persol
would pay the slightest attention to th
advice or warnings if an ANONYMOUS letter
of the kind that has been alluded to, ant
the writer generally find that his malicious
and cowardly compound of venom and Sian
der;has totally failed in its intended aim ant
has been received and treated with th,
contempt which alone it merits.
1t has been truthfully said that Course
like young chickens, come home to roost."
the same maybe generally in their object
they never fail inGlemonstrating the rusil
lanimity sand worthlessncss, the malic,
and low instincts, of one who would max,
use of so vile weapon, and always soon
CT or later "como home to roost." W.