New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-08
SOCIETY RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIME.

offended by wickedness or weakness. Nv
human being ever drowned in the voice
of the revolver the whisper that disturbed
his peace of mind, nor quoted his own
conscience by loading it with an add
tional weight of modification. VI all
stains. that of blood is the most lndehbie;
of all voices, that of the grave Is the most
terrible. Oceans are powerless to wash
away the one, and the roar of battle is
silence compared to the other. The vio-
lent killing of human being in the heat
of passion, or after deep Fermentation,
must be accompanied by two fearful SEN
sat1ons-the one immediate and repentant,
and the other consequential and suggest
i've. The author of the catastrophe must
feel that his conscience has not been sat
isfed, and that his future has been
clouded by the very act which
promised repose to the one and
light to the other. Darkness falls
upon the homicide at the very instant OF
his triumph, for even in the smoke Of the
avenging weapon the officer of the law
arises to become permanent enemy OF
the avenger. The life which was taken
does not carry hence the offense, and the
life which remains is still left to tremble
at the Islander which disturbed it, and at
the penalties which have accumulated on
its head. Escape there is none for the
murderer Silence there is none. The
hundred voices that whispered before are
multiplied into thousands of clamorous
tongues The scandal which was sought
to be suppressed spreads and expands
from the quiet few out to the many-voiced
multitude, and the story which was
doubted by a score of friends becomes
verify in the estimation CT the Indifferent
million. The averted eye, the cautious
touch of recognition, the stony stare, the
pointed finger, the suggestive shrug, the
public indication everywhere, all placard
and punish the man whose hands are red
with the blood of his fellow-man. And
he sees these things in the very instant OF
his success. Aye, even while his victim
falls he recognizes his own changed posi-
ton, and feels upon the instant that it
would be better if he himself had fallen
than that he should live to suffer the sug-
gestions of his own conscience.
How can man establish his honor or
his honesty by sallying out upon the pub
lie highway, pistol in hand, to destroy the
assailant of his integrity or the doubter of
his courage? There may be something
chivalrous and noble in the soldier who
risks his life upon the battlefield without
a selfish motive, but even that has been
described as bubble and deplored as a
weakness. Then how defenseless before
the bar of reason is the citizen who arms
himself to violate the law, and to alarm
the community by shooting in cold blood
the author of falsehood, or the asserter
of truth, and in the doing of which he
plunges a number of innocent people into
the deepest distress? No man can be
stricken down without others feeling the
blow. The pitcher that is broken at the
well was comfort to others and their
parched hearts attest the solemn visitation
with heads all bowed in grief.
When Boyd shot Rainey at the bank
on Thursday his pistol ball not only
broke the even surface of the glass
through which it sped, but it smote and
penetrated the hearts Of two families and
brought untimely desolation to wives and
children. He made fatherless Raiueys
tender offspring, and he surrendered his
own family to terror and uncertainty.
Did he estimate these results before he
started to the bank? Did the weak peo-
pie, who spoke to him as if they thought
he ought to become his own avenger,
stop to reflect on the consequence of
their advice if it was adopted? If they
did not before, have they done so since?
Are the weaker people who approve the
act ready to keep watch with the stricken
families that bow their heads under this
terrible outbreak of passion? Is the SEN
timent of the community which winks at
death ready to be the guardian of its VIC
tins? Is Boyds honor cleared up? Is
the scandal connected with it suppressed?
Did the killing of Rainey alleviate the
&c ~, Hos II NOT
multiplied his burdens? Is he not worse
off in name than he was before? Is his
position not damaged in every respect?
And might be not have predicted and
foretold his own misery, item by item,
if he had not been hurried, by a false
and damnable public sentiment, into the
commission of deed before he was al
lowed time to reason with himself or to
pray with his family?
The community is responsible. 1t re-
tails scandalous stories, and suggests vio-
lence. Especially does it patronize MUIR
der by shrinking from its detestation. 1t
points at the man who is not ready to
strike the ribald or the libeler, as if it
were not degradation to measure strength
with the liar and the blackguard. 1t re-
fuses to frown upon the concealed wea-
pom that reveals itself even in the ball
room. And because it comments this
awful treason against law and order it
suffers widowhood and orphanage to be
made in broad daylight, as if the country
was settled by savages and its regulations
were written in blood. Boyd is but the