Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-30

First let me ask, Have you expressed
or felt a sense of Indignation at the prev
alence of crime in the community ? Have
you condemned the courts, the Judges, the
officers Of the law ? Have you veaemently
nveighed against criminals Ii so, what
have you done to prevent crime What.
III your place as citizen and as a man
have you done to reform criminals? When
education has been de :lared to be pre-
vention of crime, has it had your sympathy
or cooperation When it is understood
that, in the last analysis. the fertile source
Of crime is the intoxicating habits Of the
community; that the drinking of alcoholic
liquors is the cause of perhaps ninty per
cent, Of the criminal actions of men, have
you done anything about it? Have you
been in favor Of temperance, and sought
to promote it, either by local societies, or
by laws that in some way should restrain
this Widespread and perilous mischief?
| There have been various debates as to
| how far law should be resorted to, and
how far moral suasion shonld be relied
upon, to restrain intemperance. | say,
nave law as quick as you can. | would
not have law put in force prematurely:
but the to one is unqueusioned.
What have you done to prevent crime
Have you any thought or care about it
Do you think you have right to sit by
and see the seeds of it sown, and the causes
of it multiplied around you? Can you full
I'll your dnty on this subject by Obs /"
and Abs, and &" The gallows are good
enough for him, when crime breaks out /?
Are you not factor in society? Is it not
the sacred duty Of every man who has the
protection of the law and the benefit Of
society, to contribute to society and % the
commonwealth Have you a right to ride
in the State as a traveller rides in a car,
never saying " Good-by =" when he goes out
Of 1t? Do you think that when you have
paid your taxes gaudgingly ly. you have paid
your whole debt? No States can be whole
some, no State can live long in power and
virtue. except as the great body of its
: citizens feel an interest in the welfare of
commonwealth. And it is my duty to say
to yon, as Christian men, as househoiders,
and as neighbors, that in everything which
comes within your reach, it is part of
: your duty 70 the ignorant, to those that
that have been badly taught and brought
up, and 10 those that are badly organized,
10 So participate in the administration of
daily life, as to bring in the light of intel.
l'gence, and purge away temptation, and
secure peace, by increasing the cerlerIty OF
justice. and the certainty of punishment
Tor crime, and SO build up in the commdn
: ity noble virtue from the top to the bot.
tom.
0ue thing more If that which our
VI tster said be true in our time { aud
who can doubt it ? } there is many a man
that goes a criminal out of life. whose
chances are better than those Of many a
man VINO staais 10 virtuouS connecuonsi o
society. Remember the Old time in Jer-
nsaIem, when the priests and high priest:
rulers il the temple were there in the
grandeur of their estate, when over them
! was thrown the imperial shield of Rome
when the Paarisees walked with unsullied
garments, and would not even touch the
poor, and the ignorant. aad when our
VI lster, pointing to those who were the
most detestable criminals in the eyes o
the Jews-the tax-gatherer and the court.
esan-sald to the religious class, the refined
the cultuIed, the educated. " the publican
ana the harriet shall enter the kindom OF
God before YOU " The inhumanity oil
men who are lifted above temptation to
wards men who suffer from having fallen
: under temptation; the separation of a
! man from MS kind by reason of the super
Tor advantages which have been granted
hlm-these things are treason aginst Heav.
! en-. And although passionate brutalitie:
u and crime are not less guilty than mer
! think, the arrogance of moral sense anC
Intellect are ten thousand times more Grim
n4l than anybody thinks; and we are t
Z beware in the proportion in which We art
= fortunate, that we cleanse our skirts from
q ali conformation in crimes and vices oi
u every kind, By more self-denying work, by
: mora sympathy with the poor and need
: and by strengthening the foundations o
; society in truth and purity and Justice
, Beecber.