The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-11-09
From the Indianapolis Journal.
ADEFENSE OF JULIAN.

puiatiop, and we can never tell
what is in man until events bring
it out. had il not been for our
war the name OF
George Washington would, in all
human probability, never have
been known to posterity. The ex-
ioencies Of the rebellion called
Abraham Lincoln to the front who,
like Moses OF old, seemed to be
the chosen instrument oe Divine
wisdom to accomplish certain great
ends. And thus it is that the
hour always calls forth the man.
Men think they arc carrying fol-
ward.their own little schemes, when
they are really working out the
larger purposes of an overriding
Providence "There's divinity
that shapes our ends, rough hew
them as We may"
We have been led to this rather
serious strain of thought by the
course of George w. Julian, who
admitted a, Muncie, the other day.
that he lied-meanly, treacherous-
~ and basely-bnt added by the
way of paliiation. that he had done
so Tor the purpose of purifying
politics" We have always known
that politics was not an over clean
business, and the: it stood in need
from time TO time of some purify
ing; but whether it can be purified
by lying or no, is a copundrum in
ethics we do not feel competent to
answer. Bad as politics may be,
/, ing is admitted to be the mean
est OF all wees, and as a conserva-
tor CT the public morals we should
be 10th to approve OF the latter
even rs means Of purifying the
former. The question whether a
man may do evil that good NAV
come Of it has long agitated the
minds Of casnists, and lis decision
must probably depend on circum-
stances, which always alter cases.
Even the existance OF evil is q
problem that has racked the brains
of theologians for centuries with
cut receiving any satisfactory go
luton. Why should lying he per-
mitted st all ? Why is the Devil
allowed to exist? Why arc such
men as Julian permitted to live
These and coenate questions has e
puzzled the minds OF casuists and
scbooimen for hundreds OF years
We are neither a casuiss lor a
schOolman: yet we venture 70 sug-
gest that Julian and his like are
permitted to exist as living warn
;ngs to M; kind to shun the vices
OF which they are conspicuous ex-
amples. Julian, for instance, ad-
mits that he is liar; the pallia-
ton that he lies in order to purify
politics is out OF the case now. But
allowing, Tor the sake OF ilIustra-
ton, that he is what he confesses
be is, liar, We cannot TAI! to draw
useful lesion from The utter de-
feat that has oyertak.n him. II
shows that even in politics fonest,
is the best policy, aud that while
falsehood may seem to answer ar
excellent Temporary purpose truth
is much the safest and wears in
comparably the best. talsehood
struts out briskly, but lacks vino
and bottom. Truth sometimes
limps the first quarter. but never
fails to get down to her work a
last. and always comes in nobly ol
the home stretch. The lesson viii
not be lost on the young men o
the State. Tie fresh, aspiring
mind Of youth is particularly Gus
ceptible to such lessons as this, ant
it Is not unlikely that Julian's bra
zen confession, coupled with hi
!gnohle overthrow, will exercise
good influence on the morals q
our young men after he is dea.
and forgotten. "The evil that me
do" says Shakespeare, lives ate
them; the gond is oft inferred wit
their bones." In Julian's case tn
evil that he tried To do seems like
" to be oyerruled in spite OF hin
and turned to good which, instea
Of being inferred with his bones
shall ous.ive his memory. Trut
is the same, now and forever
THE eternal years of God al
hers Lying will be considere
just as infamous a hundred yea,
from now as it is now, and poster
ty will not stop to inquire whet
the politics OF the present da
needed purifying or not; it wi
simply take nots of the fact ID,
Julian attempted to purity them
lying, aud that he confessed 8
much, and it will pass judgment Q
him accordingly. What that jud,
ment will be it is hardly necessar