The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-23
Merciful Murder.

Several of the leading London weeklies have
lately been discussing the right to commit
suicide, as advanced by Mr.. Lionel Tolle-
mache in the Fbrtnightly and supported by
Professor Newman. The original cause of
the discussion is said to have been an essay
which formed part of volume published
by the Birmingham Speculative Club. Mr..
Williams, the author Of the essay, suggested
that persons dying Of incurable diseases
should be gently helped out of the way. Since
the discussion began it has been shown that
the same project seemed feasible to other
minds long ago; that it was advocated by Sir
Thomas More in his utopia and by MIR.
Charles Brexton in his posthumous book. In
Sir Thomas More imaginary realm the clergy
took leading part in the philanthropic homi-
eide and Mr.. Brexton's advice was that the
old and the imbecile be summarily shot by the
bishop of the diocese.
When one gives the reins to imagination,
and begins to speculate what will and what will
not be thought to dovetail with justice, mercy
and expediency five hundred years from now,
he Immediately becomes lost in distractions.
But it might be well to consider the immediate
effect upon society of the adoption of such o
principle as that proposed by Mr.. Tollemache
and Professor Newman. There are, doubt
less, many cases in which suffering seems to be
as useless as it is constant and profound
The respite from pain, if there be any respite,
is exceedingly brief, and existence is so
agonizing as to appear, both to the sufferer
and the sympathizer, to be a curse rather
than blessing. In the face of affection
like this the broadcast and most cheerful OPP
timist feels how mockingly his words of COM
fort fall Nevertheless it is healthful to re-
member that the endurance with which pain
is supported, and the hope and trust that are
engendered by the patient cherishing of q
belief in future compensation, are nobler
qualities than that desperation and infdelity
which madly fly to death as the cure-an and
the snd-all. 1t is well to recollect that con-
slant contact with deep suffering develops in
us some of the sweetest and fairest, attributes
Of human nature-attribute which, more
forcibly than anything else, remind us that
those who possess them are very little indeed
lower than the angels.
But the question is not without other as
poets. Surprising it were admitted that the
killing of the incurably diseased were not
only innocent, but laudable, what limits would
be set to the practice' How easy would it be
for man afflicted with misguided mother
in-law to persuade himself that the old lady s
decisions in regard to himself were so painful
and permanent that due consideration for
her happiness demanded she should gently
be pushed out of life How rapid would be
the process by which the impatient heir would
become convinced that the rich invalid from
whom he derived his expectations would be
much better off out of the world than in it,
and that simple humanity demanded that his
passage to the tomb should be accelerated
How revenge and greed and hate would hasten
to clothe themselves with the mantle of hu-
mainly, and to claim heroic virtue for the act
| By which they sputad theH victims out ot