The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1871-07-22
Vindicating Character.
T From the N. O. Times.

In the testimony taken by the
Coroner's inquest on the body of MI.
Samuel Rainey, it is stated by Mr..
Pasteur that the unhappy young
man who committed the homicide,
when asked by the witness after the
fatal shot had been fired, " What
had he done" replied, II have done
it to vindicate my character.' There
is revealed in this extraordinary de-
claration a delusion and perversion
of all reason, morality and social du-
ty, which is too prevalent among
certain classes of this community
not to justify and demand remark
and exposure in the public journals.
There are many young men, and
even those of mature age, who hold
and act upon the idea here express
ed, which assumes that character
can be vindicated by physical VIC
lence on the accuser and alleged
defamer. Can any grosser or more
irrational and anti-social tallacy be
imagined than this? How does it
yindicate your character to kill the
man who accuses you? What proof
of the ialsity of the charges against
YOU can be derived from the fact
that, You being armed and your ad-
versary unarmed, you discharge a
pistol into his body, and penetrate a
vital part and deprive him of his
life? How does that set you right
against the most calumnious and
blighting imputations? Does not
yorlr rash violence rather prevent
and defeat your yindication, by de-
priving you of that only sure and
satisfactory mode of investigation,
and the exposure Of false charges,
which is secured by compelling your
accuser to confront you and make
good his charges, or bear the conse-
0uences of their complete refutation?
Then, when you have done this
when you have shown your mno-
cence and his malice-the law and
Nlnorality will hold you vindicated,
and will justify your demand for his
punishment.
But when you kill your accuser,
you have only satisfied your revenge
and resentment at the sacrifice of
the very means Of vindicating your
character.
We know that it is common idea
of many young men, that charges
affecting their moral character must
be met with the knife and revolver,
and that it is frequently the emana-
ton of al inhamed pride and sense
of honor. But besides it's illogical
ness, is not such a mode of vindica-
ton the very one which could alone
avail the guilty? If it is to be a
trial of skill in the use of weapons,
or of physical nerve and Indifference
to physical danger, and fearlessless
of consequences, will not the very
guiltiest be as able as the most i'll
nocent to command and employ this
means of vindication Will not
such prefer the chances of rencon-
tire, especially a rencontre with an
unarmed man, to those Of a fair and
thorough investigation and arbitra-
ton, of the questions i'll dispute? {?
Will not such a custom secure a
shield and shelter for men Of wicked
and dishonest practices, so as seri-
ously to disturb all the relations Of
society and upt1ifn all the rules and
processes for the exposure of crime
and the yindication of innocence?
If employers are to be kept in dread
of exposing the malversations OF
their employees; if citizens are to be
intimidated in the discharge OF their
duty. in warning their neighbors
against designing and dishonest
men, by the apprehension of assault
and murder, the conditions and OBJ
legations of our social organization,
and the mutual dependence and du
ties of citizens to one another, for
which men chiefly organize into
communities, will be destroyed and
obliterated. Every man will then
take care of himself and leave his
neighbor to do olikewise.