Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-02-12
For the Monitor.
A PROTEST IN BEHALF OF MO-
RALITY.

RALITY.
Who that has one spark of love for his
| fellow beings or even selfish interest |
in the virtue and integrity of society,
and in the welfare of the rising genera
tion but must be stirred to the very
depths of his nature, with grief, indigna-
tion and apprehension, as he reads at
tempts to palliate the vices, of that no.
torious soul destroying, heaven-defying
character, who faunted his corruptions
in the very face Of society, and who in
so sudden and unexpected manner was
called into the presence of his Maker.
Talk of such a man having ''rirtues' to
offset his vices! a man so brutal in his
instincts that he was even without shame
yea, who gloried in his shame-talk of
his benefit to the physical comfort of the
travelling public of his munifcence to
| the poor both of.which virtues only
served to increase his power for evil over
the recipients of his favors-and served
to help throw glamour around his sue
cessful but iniquitous worldly career.
There is such thing as a cruel charity,
"a crme} kindness. Yes intensely so.
These maudlin attempts to shield vice
from the execrations of outraged society,
are in themselves corrupting. And what
parent that has an interest in the moral
welfare of his children,-yet pure and
Notwithstanding must shudder at
the thought, not merely that they will
come in contact with the vicious, but
that they have apologists from among
the ranks of the professedly virtuous. 1t
is this fact that gives evil its power to
work mischief among those whom we
think are safe from the contagion of evil
examples What must children think
when they hear, or read of clergyman,
and others, commencing the virtues
of such man-holding them up as an
example. VIII not the alder children
think Sach persons must have strangely
blunted moral perceptions, and what "a
depth of virtue" there must be in one,
to give of his surplus to the needy, while
spending untold sums in gratifying his
evil inclinations and love of notoriety.
Why, penny from poor newsboy, or
from widow subsisting by her needle,
would far outweigh it all,-but riches
cover multitude of sins, and open up a
mine of ''virtues, that would have re-
mained undiscovered but for their power.
And we are further informed of the
aco'adertuI fact that the dying man par
TALLY paralyzed by the assassin's shot
! Db,o, Il of
contemplate murderer. Strange if
he believed his end was near, had he not
enough to occupy his thoughts ? the ar
rangement of his business affairs, the
surety that his murderer would be ar
raigned for his crime, with his physical
suferings, failing strength, and the pros
pect of speedily appearing in the pres
ence of his Judge, surely furnished nat
ural causes sufficient to account for the
fact, withoutits being considered grand
ly striking" ''heaven-like," &c. Let US
further contemplate the virtues of one
who proved recreant to every sacred
trust, and in order to do this, let us
think of her, whose affections he won in
early life, and whom he promised at the
altar, to love and cherish, and of whom
we know nothing but that she was aC0-
man. Think of her grief at the first
dawning of suspicion that his love to her
was wavering; then imagine the untold
agony of a slowly breaking heart as un-
I I deniable proofs of his infdelity are fore
ed upon her; then the death in life the
living death that must have been her
: portion during weary years, as her hus-
band no longer even sought to conceal
his iniquities. Why was he not an in
mate Of a States Prison? Why, when
> thousands without 1.-THE of his guilt,
spend long years therein? What was
; the guilt of the assassin's blow, compar-
ed with that he dealt his helpless vic
/ tim What the murderer's guilt who
: laid him low compared to his who sought
= to destroy both soul and body? Can
. luxurious conveyances, minstrel bands
4 gold lavished freely, silken robes, costly
!" equipage, heal broken heart, or atone
to community for such moral ruin ? Are
his virtues to be inscribed on pillar
. of marble statuary, as an honor to Yer
mont? ? We are thankful no more voices
dare insult society by raising plea il
IS his extenuation He has gone to his &C
l. count, and silence is the greatest favor
II his friends can render his memory But
lie while he is gone, others live to poison so
II ciety more insidiously, more surely thar
1t he, because under the garb of religion
,e and only less extensively, because thei
ability and influence are less. Yes, there
f. are lips that say s.Our Father and tha
rs perhaps with the next breath utter in
le nuendoes and ISLANDERS against the chill
t. dren of that Father. There are thos
f. who though they may not be guilty o
er all the crimes Fisk was, yet who ar
): seeking with concealed weapons to de
IS stroy the reputation of the good, tn
is pure, the upright serpent-like strikin!
their fangs into their victims when leas
1t suspected stabbing in the dark, coward
j. ly, envious, malignant. and not only this
at but poisoning the principles Of the youn!
X by dishonest, iniquitous practices. On
ne such person, protesting to be light il
the world, the salt Of the earth, ha
as more power for evil, than an openly pro
ne fame, drunken, profigate, because th
1g latter disgusts all with his polluted pres
i, ence, while the former is perhaps so wi
I " and insidious in his influence and tn
accomplishing of his plans that he is un