Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-31

Growing uemcfntt<ahons
A aound and healthy public sentimen
is more Important Ia the matter Of con
trolling rightfully the conduct Of met
than the penalties Of the law. Tha
which is fashionable, be II good OF evil
men will do without much thought ans
with still less conjunction. The causel
Of crime gather force with the frequenc,
Of its commission. Aud without pub
lie sentiment boldly ouispoken and
manifested by the men Of real integrity
among any people, the power OF such q
sentiment will be neutralized, or become
quite inert. In a>community In which
dishonorable aud mean acts can DO done
without an cutlery Of the public indigna'
ton, It is to be expected such acts will
be multiplied. II men, who grow rich
by committing them, are taken by the
hand and allowed n place among the
honorable and honored Of the citizens OF
the land, the distinctions arising among
men will be soon obliterated, and it will
cease to be true that the majority will
have any remaining reason to boast that
oil is lost save honor, or even to claim,
with any justice, that honor itself re.
mains. When this comes to be true, we
are in pitiable case.
The day was among us when a man
who would do mean action for pelf
would be regarded with loathing, and
when honest men would be ashamed to be
caught in his company. But how is it
now2 Has the war necessitated condi'
ton in which we should any the less alb
hor the miscreant who would take dis
honorable advantage Of the usurylaws,
turn a widow from her door for the crime
of poverty, buy up the property of
neighbor at tax-title sale for thou
sandth part of its value, and retain it on
such compensation, watch like a,cormo-
rant, and sieze with greed upon the fall
ing fortunes of the distressed and fam
ishing from the common misfortune, or
by being false to truth, honor, charity,
aud the laws of humanity, build up for
tune, which to possess should be but a
damning disgrace and shame3 We think
not Wethink that no gentleman should
dry his hands by contact with lying
rogue, tax-title thief, brazen and I'M
principled political trickster, or an I'M
convicted penitentiary bird. If honora-
BILE. minded men will not come to terms,
and, with unanimity, strike hands TO
frown down and utterly ostracise from
respectable society characters of this
description, they will do themselves
great injustice, besides doing the coun-
try infinite harm.
When we get political matters set
right we look for a better day in this
respect, for the experience of the past
and the present will have taught the sad
lesson of the magnitude of this evil.
And we must think that, when it is seen
fully, honest men will feel the necessity
of combining for selfprotection, which,
indeed, it is a misfortune to delay.
There are men in our very midst who
are received into society and occupying
places of trust and profit too, who ought
not to be permitted to darken respect
able door or shake an honest hand, and
who are only better than the inmates of
the public jails by the fact that they
have been shrewd enough to escape them.
This thing must have an end by fair
means or foul, if we would not be
demoralized without remedy, and sink
the whole we'll being and the very hope
of the country in a common ruin.