, 1875-05-01
The Crime Of Perjury.

When the 5reat Brooklyn 'iia'
shall be eompleed the different Wit
nesses will be permitted to 90 their
way and sink into obscurILy from
which nothing but . great scandal
case could ever have raised them.
There will be 10 inquiry IS 10 VINO
( has kent the solemn oath to tell ihe
truth, the whole truth and nothing
( bat the truth, or as 10 who has de,
parted from il. We can understand
that the pubic vii! be very glad /"
let the matter rest when the present
I Jury shall have ceased It's consldera-
ton, even at the cost OF permitting
some scoundrels to 20 uupunlshed lor
perjury. But the example which IS
/ thus set of the impunity with which
men aud women mount the stand ana
swear falsely will exercise the most
pernicious influence upon society,
When we remove from the minds OF
men the idea That the truth Is an eSSen-
tial element in the affairs or he, We
do q grieYous wrong. In points ot
religions belief men may differ, per
haps, without injury tc themselves as
individuals, or 10 society as 4 whole.
But the great cardinal virtues OF
which truth is one, are 10 matters OF
opinion. No sane man VIII attempt
to sustain the position that society
could exist if truth was uniformly
di>regarded. II no reliance could be
placed upon any mans word except
as it could be proven against hun, AL
confidential business and society rela-
tions would cease at once. Each man
would feel himself the prey Of every
other, and the very thought would
incite him to acts Of rcprisal. There
could be no happy homes without the
cohesive attraction of this most es-
sential of virtues. So keenly Is this
felt and so deeply is it implanted IN
the human heart, that man can com
nit no more deadly offence against
his fellow than to charge him with
deliberate taIsehood Macy a tine in
lawless communities where men met
and settled their dilicrities in 4 quiet
inexpensive way, bat etlectuaIly to at
least one party to the trouble, have
the limits OF patience been touched by
the utterAnce of the diShonoring ep-
tibet, " liar" And if among rude
men, not trained to a fine sense Il
the social and domestic virtues, trntl
is held TO be so essential that an ac
eusation Of want of it ;mpeIs a
deadly contest, what shall be required
OF those who occupy mere exalted pO,
sitions in society? Whatever may be
the direct result of the trial to which
we have alluded, there is one cOGciu
sion from which there IS no escape
The perjury that has been committed
is simply appalling Nor is it the
halfunconscious perjury of a dull
brain dlmly c0mprehending the mora
guilt of the act, but the iateIIigen;
and calculating perjury Of persons OF
high intelligence, who deliberately Ell.
ploy systematic falSehood aS q means
to accomplish an end. In some legal
cases where there is an apparent con.
tfict of testimony, the acute and I'M
partial mind may construct a theory
by which such witness or set Of vii
uesses may be assumed 10 tell the
truth as it appeared TO them. \ con
tlict of statement does not necos. .arhy
involve intentional perjury. The
knight who approached the shield
from one direction and declared il
gold was as honest III his statement
rs the one who approached /; fTom Az
opposite direction and declared it sill
yer. For this distortion Of facts, which
results from the iufrmity of human
vision, excuses are readily accepted 4;
but for that knowing perveFsion Of
facts by which truth is made to appear
falschood, and falsehcod truth, there
can be 10 condemnation too severe.
Such crime is an attack upon every
thing that is sacred in the human reIa-
tions, and should be held as sin unpar-
doHabIe. Imagine for a moment the
depth and breadth Of the injury inflicted
upon society if the theory of the d, f.nce
in this trial is true-if Mr.. Beecher
is the victim Of a cunning conspiracy !!
how many men and women are in
volYed in the guilt which this theory
implies! The course the testimony
has taken leaves 40 room for innno-
cent error. No theory i. permitted
which assumes that an intelligent
man or woman does not understand
the meaning OF ordinary English
words The accusation was made in
precise terms, and as precisely denied,
No exercise of charity leaves Us
hope that there was a confusion of
meaning by which one misappreheu-
ded the language and purpose of the
other On the contrary, the issues
are drawn with remarkable distinct
ness and as squarely maintained-S-
+. Call
-
CRn8DED WITH INNiGRANTs.-Dis-
patches from Sacramento say that the
/ I I IT.,