New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-07-31

the crime of wife-murder; he is to be hung
until dead. To hope that 1t will be warn
ing to others when about to commit a
similar deed, and to stay the hand in the
act of dealing the fatal blow, is futile. If
intense passion does not nerve the hand to
use the knife or the pistol, cool and deliber.
ate premeditstiou does, and in neither case
would warning or advice unless through
detection save the victim, for men capable Of
committing such crime in the heat of pas
sion are entirely ungovernable while under
its influence land in deliberate generalization
cold, stubborn, and persevering. The cure
or prevention of such deeds as are now al
most daily perpetrated in our midst does
not come within the scope of human effort
to achieve; but like rank lettering weeds
rising in our fields to strangle the whole.
some corn, they may be cut down as fast as
detected, leaving what is good and fair to
flourish and prosper the better for their rid.
dance.
aThe law is not yet sufficiently stringent with
regard to carrying concealed weapons; the
mere act of fining person for violating the
law is all folly if done as a preventive,
for let the fine be what it may it will be paid
and laughed at. The weapon should be con
iscated to the State and destroyed, and the
guilty party or parties subject to imprison-
merH as well as fine; or even go little fur
ther, and prohibit the sale of all weapons
GdlCulhttu W tlIb Ol Tie DbACG vi
the community. Neither dirk knife nor a
revolver is of necessity useful addition to
mans attire, but always provocative of
wrong and violence. 1t is branding dis
grace to any community in which the wear
ing of them has become an acknowledged
custom, and bold derision of all law and
order in any State where the custom is al
lowed to prevail. If the existence of the
custom is too deeply rooted to be at once
eradicated by simply making the offense of
carrying concealed weapons punishable by
fine, enact a law that shall compel every
man wearing a revolver or pistol to take out
license for it, putting the amount at such a
figure that few will indulge in the luxury.
The license, like all others, to run for one
year: and the penalty for violating such law
should be at least five times the amount of
the fne. As sregards knives, the whole class
known as dangerous weapons should be pro.
hibited from sale.
| am fully aware that the above advice is
calculated to draw down upon my poor
shoulders anything but blessing and wishes
of good health from manufacturers and
dealers in the article, but nevertheless if |
thought that it would help to abolish the
internal ustom from our midst | would
use ten thousand times more argument than
this short sketch will admit OF.
Mans life is his only actual treasure on
earth-all others artificial and of his own
creation, but add to the enjoyment of it, and
jealous as he is of it, yet in his strange
contradiction of nature he will mauufac-
ture and carry in his breast as companion
the most deadly OF weapons as though it
were god 1t is his stay, his strength, and
his argument, until in the heat of passion,
in moment of frenzy, he hurls its hellish
contents on mission of death. The smoke
disperses; at his feet lies corpse its settling
and whitening features turned heavenward
with a smile of promise, but he, the mur.
derer stands there with compressed lips
and contracted brow, the brand of Cain in
that moment is stamped upon his soul, and
blackened with the crime, 1t sinks at the
motion of the avenging angel to eternal and
everlasting damnation.