The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-09-16

few grains of laudauum and slip into utter
oblivion. 1t is notion, more or lees pop
nlar, that every case of suicide is q case of
insanity. We are told that NO one in his
right mind would ever dream OF putting
an end to his own life. But we are unable
to see on what ground this opinion is
based ; certainly ii u man must needs toll
on through life deprived of the pleasures
fortune would give him, conscious of the
long, hard struggle preceding death, be-
lleving in no hell, no heaven, no God, n o
judge, assured that with his last sigh there
ls simply eternal annihilation for him,
nothing more, nothing less, we do not
understand how the conduct of such one
| can be fairly censured if he makes up his
| mind to put an end to HE suffeIing. HI is
simply using right others avail them
selves of every day; he is carrying it ont
| on his principles, to its fullest extent.
Now, one of the best means that can be
devised to legitimate suicide ia to efface
from the mind the idea OF hell. If people
can be we'll persuaded (and the doctrine
has many defenders) there is no he'll,
suicides will become far more freq1ent
| than even in these evil days. To escape
| present 8 afflictions they will run the risk OF
| temporary pain in some other world They
| witness round them every day of their lives
| persons in pain seeking relief in travel,
| visiting strange scenes, bathing in the sea
sailing on the lakes, climbing tie mountain
side, devoted to every possible pursuit
that may expel trouble and bring pleasure.
II one, blessed with lees of this worlds
treasures, aims according to his limited
means to conquer hardship and grief, what,
| after all, IS he doing more than che gay
world round him
And there is another reason. The means
employed to iptlic6 self destruction are so
thoroughly examined and so well veDtilat.
through the cOiumns of q thousand daily
newspapers that designing people come to |
know all about them. Tho fatal agent,
jast now, happens to be poison. There is a |
mania for polsoning others as well as ones |
self. The properties of the subtiest of |
poisons are known to thousands who never |
read page of chemistry in their lives |
The press explains all about them, in fact,
lays down instructions as to the most sue
cessful way to apply them so as to escape
detection. 1t is by no means difficult to
understand that ODe in a passion would |
make use CT such remedies if he thought
there wac chance of escaping suspicion.
And again, another thing goes far to
swell the catalogue of suicides, murders |
and crime of every description. A morbid |
Taste has settled on great masses of our
reading population there is q great deal |
Of trashy readiDg ard comparatively little |
solid thinking done. Sentimental and |
immoral romances are the textbooks of |
vast numbers of the rising generation. |
Sach literature as the New York Ledger, !
the New York Mercary, etc, are supposed |
10 Ss3CS tnS cenJic JaOiS Oh every Well |
ordered house. 1t is not fashionable not to |
be able to quote whole passages from spch |
works. Young ladies lie abed all day with
drawn shutters poring over such stuf and |
saving their compiexiOns; yOUng gents |
walk off to their shops with u roll IN each |
pocket, and in brief respItes hurry over |
the tragic parts Of the story. All parties
meet iu tue twilight aad chatter over the |
trash which they have given the day to, |
and wish IL were true. This sentime talieLn
is widespread that it has infected large /
masses of the people. Even gray headed |
men, with u foot half in tue grave, can be
seen walking off from the news etands with
n copy of the Ledger under their arm.
Vice is idolized in such productions there |
can be no hero who has not shot somebody |
or disgraced somebody's daughter. Aud |
80 vice ceases to Oe vice, ard is regarded |
as nothing more than a slight iDCirscretion |
or the evidence OF mettle and future |
promise.
A fair index of this morbid taste for bad |
reading may be found in many daily news
papers No matter what else may escape |
tho notice OF these journals, the scandals |
are sure to be well worked up and given
full prominence to by sensational headings |
and sub headings, go that they may not |
fail to attract the eye. Matters merely |
limited at formerly are now spoken of IN
the plainest language, and, when facts are
wanting, imagination furnishes the rest.
All these causes operate SO as TO Lessen tie
defUrmites of crime. Little value il put
upon lite. There is no moral code but the
code of expedency what can be accom-
plished unseen t" the eye of the public is
quite right. 1he great work OF life is
position and pleasure; the rose ia Blooming
and it must be p!ucked ere it "ither. When
life begins to drsg, then 1T is time to cut
loose from 1t.
This is the pass we have got t., and
logically enough, starting ont With the
premises that are openly maintained.
Some affirming there is no God, others, no
he'll, and more. no future punishment of
any kind the law, for trivial reasons,
sanctioning successive poly gamy and toier-
ating Simultaneous polygamy 10 Nor
mon ndom-all this remem bered, and the
why crime is rampant id unrav
el!ed.
THE FUTURE OF .ENGLAND.