The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-11-04
For the Somerset Hersld.
THE BANDIT0F EALLEGHENIES
An Incident fn the life Of Lewis the
RobSer Chief of the Mountains.

The Robbers and Highwaymen OF
every country are the favorite heroes
of romance of the masses. Even the
educated and the thinking part OF
/ the community do not altogether es-
cape the infection. The UNIVERSAL
ty and depth of this feeling render it
worthy the attention Of philosophic
minds. Something more than the
glamour Of romance and mans natu-
raj admiration for energy and daring
must be accounted for. The native
instincts ofthe average civilized man,
his general impulses, are right; and
opposed to theft and violence.
We all take the moral side in books
or PLAYS. Even the wickedest ap-
plaud virtue on the stage and rejoice
when the poor but honest" young
man defeats the Vaccinations of the
rich and heartless oppressor. An
audience whose daily conversation
would not look well in print, whose
garments arc soiled by the muck OF
our Vanity Fairs is a unit in rejoio-
ing. and applaud to the echo, the
Heroine, poor, proud and yirtuous as
she escapes from the castle OF her
ravisher by leap from the battle
ments destructive to everything Of
mortal mould in real life Or by
the aid of q mysteI ions individual
invaribly wrapped in a voluminous
mantle, his features shrouded under
sloucbed hat and holding a dark
lantern, whose language inevitably
hoarse and interiectional consists oi
Hist" "Hal" "away!p etc, in deep,
nerve thrilling bass, even in the
DEPTHS of the subterranean passage,
where sunlight never penetrates and
the human voice is only heard once
or twice in a century, on occasions ol
startling adventure. or an esea pc
like the one under consideration. As
rule people are law abiding. Man
possesses an innate reverence for
authority, and powerful must be the
reason, almost Irresistible the impulse
that drives whole communities TO re-
sistance or induces them to side with
tie lawless or sympathise with the
criminal, aiding him to evade punish
ment and cheat the administra'
tors Of justice. Robinhood in England
and many of the celebrated Robbers
Of ireland were looked on by the
masses of the people as champions
as the enemies Of dominant and op
pressive race, alien in blood and in.
terest to the natives. They cannot
therefore be cited as examples for oul
/ present purpose.
Long years of injustice and oppres
sion, in nearly every land among peo
pie of different faith, race and Ian
guage. have broken down and worn
away the natural reverence for au
tbority which it was the duty anC
the effort Of civilization to foster ant
increase. The very one who should
have been most dreaded and avoided
the man of violence and crime, 70
many ages and in many lands has
been and we are sorry to say still is
the favorite hero of romance This
| is specially to be regretted, and RENE
DIV earnestly sought for in our own Ian,
where the great majority are in favo
of our present form Of government
and even the humblest take an ac
tive part in forming and snsta n
ing it. At the time OF which We
write especially, there was not tb'
slightest desire OF intention Of chang
/ ing er destroying existing modes an
forms. Some party animosity CT eours
existed and was warmly cherished
bv the one dead people Of the day
But the opposition was entirely di
rected against specific acts and indiTid
uals. not against the form Of govern
meEt, the law or administration. Ye
the people of our good, old, law-abi
/ ding State sympathised with the Dol
dest. most brilliant and suseessfu
Bandit Of that age
America, like the communities o
The old world has furnished her ful
quota to the criminal calendar, des
pite her comparative poverty an
! consequent freedom from temptation
despite her scattered populations an
entire freedom from. many OF to
wrongs and reasons that in older an
E richer countries urged or forced me
into a criminal career. Her Sea Re
vers have been among the bodies
and bloodiest, her heads ofgangs, be
captains of Bandit, have been as rec
handed and ruthless as the bloodie;
of Itaiy or Greece. Pennsylvania par
lv owing to the difference of her POI
ulation, something perhaps to be
: central situation, but more TO the nj
tive goodness and honesty of Der pc
, nle has not been as prolific 10 Il
: production of rascally material as ht
! sister states with smaller and mol
homogeneous populations Anon
: ber heroes Of the rascaliy romantl
2 school the once celebrated and drea'
: ed Lewis took high rank in Rasca