Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-11-14
ON TIE REFORMATION NOW IN
PROGRESS.

purporting, ] think truly, to come from
Charlestown, and also purporting to
answer one of mine about telling the
truth in reference to intemperance and
the sale of intoxicating liquors in viola
ton OF law.
The article INDUCES in levity wholly
unbecoming the subject. The au-
thor cites scripture characters who
were good men, rs guilty Of talsehood.
But they ale stumbling blocks only to
the uninstructed, Scripture covers mp
the sins of none, but reprovcS them by
whomsoever committed.
Those guilty of talsehood were com
monty punishedin this world tho the sin
was committed in an age of comparative
darkness-always repented and torsaken
by those who were acquitted OF God.
Take the cited cases of Abraham ana
Peter. Both in a moment of weakness
told that which was false. And why
because they feared immediate death as
the consequence of telling the truth.
And ara these cases to be brought up Ill
apology for the cold blooded perjuries
of men sworn to'the honest discharge
Of public trust On whom now hangs
the Guilt of violated laws
When the conscience stricken Gardi-
ner Bishop Of Winchester remembered
upon his death bed the false witness he
had borne against the martyrs, and re-
fused to be comfortcd, he was referred
to the case of Peter,to which he replied:
with Peter | have sinned, but with
Peter | have not repented.
1t is with the sin OF lying in connec-
ton with the fraudulent trade in int0X-
icating liquors over which your CORES
dent makes merry. 1t is the crime Of
the non fulhllment Of public trusts
throughout the land which has of late
wears so feartully increased, which gives
the greatest cause of alarm for the sta
bility of our institutions. Whether we
are to continue free people depends
10: upon constitutions, not upon the
comparative merits of parties, which
may be alike corrupt, but upon such a
moral tone Of the people as will trust no
man with their interests who Will net
do what he says he will do.
One of the first symptoms of decay
in the Grecian and Roman Republics
was disregard Of the civil and Judicial
oath. Aud nothing is contributing
more towards the dcalening of con
science in this thing at the present day
than intcmpcrancr.
The back>ld'ng, but now pcni;ent
Senator from Tennessee, when, passing
some years ago through Lynchburg
was stopped for temperance speech.
lie began by saving. "Gtullenet | am
preacher and preachers can generally
get along better with a text. | am
going to take one, and though not out
Of the Bible, it is as true as any oncthe
Bible contains. Ny text is thiS-EvrnY
DRUNKAED Is \ LATHE will lie in the
church. he will lie i'm court, he will lie
to his wife and he will lie to himself,
and so on 20 prove how unsafe truth
was in the hands of Incorporate men.
And here is a great lesson to be learn
cd hv the tc"rncrs Of morals in and
about Charlrstow,r, aud in this place
for we do not wish to make inyidiouS
distinctions lesson for the ministers
Of religion. the teachers Of Gibic Glasses
and SUNDAY Schools. for parents, and
Tin behalf of such Is have separated
themselves from such means Of moral
instruction. for the conductors OF the
public press. They have great oppor-
tunities for doing good in this line.
None have tine ike iii behalf OF the
county as our three newspapers. And
there is no mani care not who-who
might not envy their opportunity. Ii
they tolerate error, as more or less they
must. they let truth be free TO combat
it." and in 10 one respect can they bet
Ter serve the people than by bringing
public opinion to speak out in the sup
port and reward Of faithful officials, and
for the cenSure and removal Of all who
are uHtaithtul.
This work of promoting truthtn!ncSS
in witnesses and Jurors, and generally III
the political and commercial world may
well enlist the heart OF every good man
not only for the public interest, but Ill
behaIf of those whose moral sense is toe
feeble to resist the temptations to for
swear themselves.
We cannot resist TIE evidence brought
out in the accusations and proofs of the
secular press, that perjury in order to
that which cannot be reached without
!, in conducting the financial affairs OF
the Government, is becoming the tray
,led and beaten road to perdition, not
only by the verdict of revelation and OF
public opinion, but by theacknowledge-
ment of the guilty parties themselves;
for the oath, as decided by the courts,
derives ITS force from the profcsscd be
lief Of him who takes it that he will be
punished in the next world, If he does
mol do or say that which he has sworn
he wouN do or say.
1t is with no pleasure that we write
upon such subject, but the people arc
fairly shut up to the necessity OF taking
their own cause into their own hands
Ifthev fail to do that they mast safer
on and pay the penalty in dissipated
sons heart broken daughters, and beg
cared grand children, it following
alas rs one of the infelicities Of civil
society that the good must suffer along
with the bad.
But we anticipate no such result. Nc
victory was ever more easily made final
boz.