Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-03-25
MURDER j!

The news flies as on the wings of the
wind, that human life is brought to
an untimely close by the rash act of a
fellow citizen 1t must be left to the
courts to decide the guilt or innocence
of the one who, in no immediate peril,
surrounded by those upon whom he
could depend for aid, with abundant
means of retreat, inflicted an injury re-
sulting in death. We would not esti-
mate the usefulness or uselessness of the
life that in the dead of light began to
flow away from the death wound. The
law. our protector, will slowly but sure
ly unravel all the intricate points and
disputed questions. The desirable point
is that justice shall so surely and unre-
lentingly move forward. that it may
prove an instructor to all classes, and
the sacredness of the human form be APP
preciated. There is portion of the hu-
man family that delight in their
strength as in the case Of parents, their
first thoughts are to assault the child
they design to reprove and instruct
Weakness or ignorance excites no COM
miseration in their minds, but with
blow of great severity commence their
expostulations. In new countries they
are always ready to attack any who may
offend them. The presence of such per-
sons make it necessary to carry weapons
of defence in places where men speedily
congregate-as new colonies, whether in
Vermont California, or Pixies Peak. In
some of the large American cities, the
influx of new population is so constant,
that large class are always in that
state of unrest and self-reliance that
leads them to forget the law that con-
trolls and protects them. An occasional
riot reveals part of this class, and a
prize fight of notoriety brings them out
in fearful strength.
1t is doubtful if there will ever come
time when all will be educated to real
ize the necessity of that forbearance and
self control that marks christian civil
ization. Personal wrongs and insults
will arouse thoughts of personal re-
dress and reckless bravado will in
cite to violence against an unofending
weaker party. The drunken. the idiot
ic, the insane and the old are often sub
ject to annoyance, arising from this dis
position to contend with what is disagree
able. When quite young, all children
should be taught to control not only
their passions, but all those acts that
may inhict pain upon another party.
Every child should be taught the sa-
credness of the person by the reluctance
manifested by parents and teachers in
inficting corporal punishment, and the
positive prohibition of all acts of vio-
lence between children. The young men
who in their rapidly developing strength
feel the power to right their private
wrongs, should not he encouraged in
any assaults upon unpopular neighbors,
teachers, or fellows, but if all christian.
iz;ne influences have been lost upon
them, let the transgression when it comes
be met by the cool unrelenting force o,
law, which is only another term for the
strength and power of the disapproba
ton of all enlightened men. There may
or may not be palliating circumstance
whenever an outbreaking sin is commit
ted. There is always two sides to a sto
~, but where one side is death the othe
can hardly have light enough in it t,
dispel the gloom. We should desire t,
have it clearly shown in our count,
court, in the case of Henry Turner, wha
circumstances can justify the discharg
of cold lead into the legs of fellow
, man, and when extreme measures o
self-defence may be used, and when tn
person and life of the humblest citizel
ceases to be Of value. Y. X.