The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-06-29
Carrying Concealed Weapons.

Carrying Concealed Weapons.
The Mirqnicls of SuGda last speaks
a fOllows on tie subject of carrying
deadly Reapons, It says;
Ne See every day striking proof Of the
fset thst the administration OF bur GRIM
inal laws for the past ten years have not
inspired that respect for life hat ought
to exist in every community, in every
State; in this advanced stage of c%iyiliza-
ton, Our laws may be stringent cn-
ouSh, but public sentiment on this point
has not been ~aggressire enough to lie.
mand the strict fulfllmcnt OF the letter
and spirit of tho statutes The truth
plainly spoken is that We do not sufi.
GENTLY value the life Of our fcllow.men.
1t has become fashionable, if VIC may
speak so Of such q dangerous practice,
to kill men on too slight p%rovocation,
and it has become too fashionable for
public sentiment, either to endorse such
crimes or to fail to ccnsure them. There
are doubtless some circumstances under
which the taking of life is perhaps justi-
fable, but the line ought to be rightly
marked and strictly pursued. Provo
cations that frequently ought only to
mitigate the o~ffense, are allowed to eS-
euse it entirely. The danger from such
practice is that wha! is considered q suf-
fcient provocation is continually en-
larged--made less a%ggrayating until pre-.
ccdent finally gives us a dangerous law.
The habit Of carrying concealed weap.
ons is undoubtedly the oausn OF many
murders, and it 10 II Of growing and
alarming danger. The practice Of car.
rying firearms will in time reconcile any
one to use them under provocations TINT
to men not carrying them would seem
very slight and trivial. The very act Of
carrying firearms is likely to educate
men to commit crime, 1t hardens the
conscience by naturally keeping before
the minds Of the man, the circumstances
under which he would feel warranted in
using them, II accustems him to think
lightly of the graycst offenses known To
the law and TO civilization, and serves
to reconcile him TO thoughts and acts
unnatural and unmanly, This practice
beside being dangerous is absolutely
cowardly. 1t is no mark Of manhood
or courage to go about ready TO take
the lifo Of a fellow mortal and bring mis-.
cry and distress upon his family OIL
friends, who alone arc to suffer, and who
are in no way responsible for the sup
posed p%rovocation for the killing. The
wrong the murderer does is not alone
to his victim, but in most cases to the
widow, orphans and others dependent
upon him.
To infict misery upon such helpless
persons is not evidence Of courage, it is
on the other hand proof Of absolute bru-
tally and cowardice. Public opinion
if it wants to strike at the root of these
frc ,uent murders, must condemn and
o~straciso these walking arsenals who &C
about ready at any time and upon even
slight provocotion TO take a life and en-,
tail upon others miseries, worse. ton
times worse, than death itself.
But Il courts, judges and jurors can
do something, too. They must, if they
would put n stop TO these crimes, make
III example of such criminals. They
ought not to begin on some poor anfor-
tunate offender but ought to make an
example of men who know the law and
who realize and can appreciate the wrong
they have done. There must be a limit
to such offcnsos for their frequent oc-
currcncc suggests the necessity. Take
up an exchange aud soc how many muir
dcrs are every doy reported. The dan
ger is not imaginary but real.