The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1869-06-10
The Increase of Crime,

II Is evident that murder and crime Of
every grade is feariully on the increase in
| this country. In proof Of this we need not
| SO to the South, where every act Of violence
mo matter how aggravated the circum.
stances may be under what is committed
Is seizcd upon by the fanatics Of the North
and magnifed ten fold, until we are almost
made TO believe that the entire population
Of this section are God forsaken and mere
| set Of murderers, regarding neither laws di
vine or human. We see IL in our own i'm.
mediate neighborhood and can but shudder
at the growing evil. In ct of passion, or
under the influence Of intoxicating drink, q
man without proyocation, sacrifices the life
Of another-is arrested, tried, convicted or
acquitted, and the fate Of the murderers APP
pears TO be no warning TO others, even
though he suffer the penalty Of the law on
the scafiold in the presence Of thousands.-
Scarcely had the tragic scene been enacted,
before the curtain again arises and another,
equally horrible. greets our vision.
This increase Of crime of the most helm.
Gus character is attributable, in a great
degree no doubt, to the era Of war and
bloodshed through which our country has
recently passed. Men became 30 accus.
toned to facing death, or reading accounts
Of Wholesale hatchery, that they ceased, in
q measure, to place that proper estimate
upon human life to which it is entitled, and
when the great armies were disbanded and
returned to their homes in an almost demon
allied state, it was but natural that they
should continue to practice the occupation
they had SO thoroughly learned and that
others should follow their example.
Another thing we will note in this con.
nexion. Il seems of late that the most ex-
emplary of people, the most certain Of
salvation, were the murderers executed for
the eommittal Of the worst of crimes.
While making their last speeches on the
gallows, these men have professed so loud.
ly and triumphantly their firm belief in
getting TO Heaven, that il would seem the
surest road thither was through murder
There has been too much Of this and much
harm has, we believe, been accomplished by
those who exhorted and encouraged dying
murderers to assume all the religious con
yictions of prosecuted martyrs.
The displays which these miserable be.
ings make of newly awakened religious
belief has undoubtedly an evil influence and
is disgusting, because we cannot but doubt
the sincerity Of the repentance thus forced
upon them Of the last hour. Up to the last
moment they deny their guilt and seek to
escape the consequences of their crime, and
only at last, when death is made so evident
10 them, do they assume the tone Of saints
on earth and depart with assurances Of u
speedy transmission to Heaven. We do
not deny the possibility Of sincere repent
ance and conviction Of forgiveness, on the
part of the guilty-even in the dying hour
for we have an example Of this in Holy
Writ, in the case of the two thieves, between
whom Christ was crucifed, but we depre.
cate the effect to be produced upon the mas
ses by these alleged sudden and certain
transits to better world, through the me-
dunn of man. -Eastsra .Shoremdn.