Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-04-13
sympathy for Crime.

With the general Decentralization Of the
country has grown up M avowed syrnpa-
thy for crime, which is truly alarming.
The time was, within our remembrance,
when people regarded crime ofall SORTS
with proper degree Of adherence, very
saluiary in its effects on public morals.
When murder was announced, o thrill Of
horror shook tho frames aud pierced the
hearts of the honest people Of those good
old days, now despisel II not forgotten.
So OF other crimes Of hcinous nature =
they all met with universal reprobation.
If any sympathy was felt for the criminals,
IL was cherished in sccret--none dareed to
give public expression TO it. 1t was fash.
ionable then TO be honest, and II wicked
people then existcl, as surely they did 4,
and have existed in all ages, they tried to
put on the appearance olvirtuc as mucs has
possible. How is it now? So great is the
change it is not now deemed necessary to
keep up the pretcnce of honesty. The
masks arc thrown aside, and thousands
seem TO glory in their shame. Men steal
large sums ofpubl'c money AMI sill move
about in what are cailel the highest cir
clcs, without any blush Of shame upo n
their cheeks, indeed courtel anl pettel by
many and tolerated by oil. Forgeries and
frauds, by which the innocent suffer,
,,o,, 10 c,n f,,. a,lot rnou Tho nnrnet m nra
who are deemed smart financers, and
their victims are laughed at as "green
ones, quite deserving of their fate. Muir.
ders, prcmcdiated and malicious, fulflling
every definition laid down in the books of
murder in the first degree, are regarded
with complacency, at least, if not direct
approval. The murderers become heroes
and heroines, attracting largely the pub
lie attention and sympathy, and great eff
forts are not unfrcquently made to secure
their accutal when arrested and tried
for their crimes. Need we refer to the no.
torious Ruluff, for whom, so much feeli ng
was manifested by respeol able people, as n
literary wonder, when he was only base
pretendcr, and fortunately met with the
punishment he so well deserved? Take
the case of Laura Fair. What is there in
excuse for | cr crime? What is she in
law and fact and morals but murderer
of the first rank ? She sough. her victim,
and, with the dire purpose of revenge,
shot him down in the M ;dsi Of his family.
She could plead no innocency of youth, Sc
duced and ruined by the deceptive arts Of
the tempter Though not very old in years
she was old in The ways of tho world and
its wickcdr css. Ifthere was any seue-
ton in The case, she was the scducer, and
when her deuded paramour overcome her
Establishments and returned to his desert
ed wife and children, she followed him,
and, in their presence, shot him down and
dead W hat is there in ralliation of the
deed Nothing, nothing. And yet the
most determ ined efforts are being made,
far and near, to prevent her punishment
] IL lliOES are representing NV 10 "hJ"ot'y
prosecuted ana prosecuted, as almost an
angel of mis- fortune, ms worthy of our
warmes, S mpalhy and good wishes, and
petitions, we are told, are being circulat
ed from ocean TO ocean for her pardon
Lately a new trial has been awarded her
ana il would not be strange if she should
be finally acquitted and turned loose upon
society to still further increase the DARK
record OF human depravity. Why bas this
sympathy for crime and criminals become
SO common? Is it ecause of the genera
corruption of the times Is it because
so many feel that they are little better in
thought, AMI might themselves have com
mittcd the same acts, under similar cir
cumstanccs, and possibly may yet commit
them and need the same sympathy and
aid to keep them from the galowsP WHIT
shall say 2 We fer that in the sight of .
Just God the whole Land looks red with
blood and tie hearts of its peop'e blacl
with iniquity.