Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-11-15
Beecher's Remarks on the Convic-
ton of Gilman.

cIoud ana nave DeeO opp.tSSeu ny %
great sorrow caused by The fall OF
my nephew by marriage, Mr.. Gill
man, now on the wsy to Sing Sing
under q five years sentence. lie
married daughter of my sister, Mrs.
Perkins, and was always regarded
as christian man. We have learned
20 know how the newspapers look
upon these things, and from them
we may discover what view the
comparatively thoughtless take.
They appear to think that religion
has 10 restraining power, that il is
milo and geu,le enthusiasm which
fails on one on the day OF trial. But IT
these men would read their bibles
more they would find that ;here i
lot che thing involved in this fall
hat is not foreshadowed from the
beginning T. the last leaf OF the Old
Testament. 1t is buoyed all over
and not rock or shoal upon which
man can wreck himself but has
been plainly marked to warn him of
mis- anger. He fell, not because he
lad no religion, but because the
warnings which blaze all through
he bible were UNDECIDED. This is
good time to read the proverbs. IL
u on OF the best OF books for men
who have q great deal to do with
be affairs OF the world. There IL
not christian duty which one man
owes to another that is notsin this
look. Here and there men fall.
his $ q part of the great transition
raovene through which our ooea-
ry is going. A state of war is
state of earthquake and state of
dislocation. 1t has poisoned the air
md inflated mems ideas of the ro-
lations and values of property. Any
ming that dlsturDs the measurements
Of values transforms the whole man.
A currency, even though necessary,
which initiates everything, makes
man feel three times richer than he
is and three times more powerful
than he is, and when it begins 10
come down with its cracks and
yawnipg chasms and landsides, there
~ brought TO bear upou business
men stress which the virtue of
,nultitudes is not able to endure as
il would in ordinary times. 1t is
not strange that in going through
nalarial districts the weak arc
brought down while the stro0g sur
vive. We are going through sea
son of malaria. l hope we are near
Iy through. The times have tested
men as one tests timber. Some woods
will bear a strain of one ton, some
two, some five. When this strain
comes then the original fibre is dis
covered. There are some sins which
having been committed, are repent
cd of and stop there: there are 9TH
srs that drag after them innumer-
able consequences. This act of Mr..
Gilman is one of the latter class, and
stands connected with long trsin
of causes and effects which he may
not have been ABLE to control.
A child may step on board oil u
White star steamer and with touch
open the valve and set every wheel
and lever in that vast marine engine
10 motion bnt if it should strive to
stop it by taking hold of one of the
wheels When Mr. Gilman had
through confusion or through lack
If abhorence of evil, taken the first
rust funds to make good little
shorlcoming he had either TO confess
or RUN himself, or take more in hope
Of better luck next time to enable
him to make good the deficiency.
Press ed, not by avsrice or greed, but
ty his love of those who depended
Upon him and his reputation he was
f3rced to take again and again and
ty this time his moral sentiment
was 0 blunted that he went on TO
the nsxt step-actual forgery. By
this time he had come to think OF it
IS generic, not specific crime.
can readily concIev5 of a mans
feeling more remorse for some par
ticular act, than for long series of
evil seds. | am satisfied that for
gerry has existed and does exist to
81 extent which very few suspect.
EIany q man has issued piece of
forged paper to bridge an abyss, has
gone safely over and burned the
fridge behind him, you may be sure.
"G.man thought that he could.
II the times bad been prosperous he
might have recovered. They were
rot prosperous, and he was crowded
into that Slough of Despond Of
which Bunyan says "Thousands
md thousands of loads were thrown
10, but it was not less deep"
What are the relations which such
man sustains 10 the mercy of God,
30 himself and the church universal
suppose it may be said that Mr..
Gilman is o repentant man. Some
,,arts of the statement whice he sent
DR.. Houghton would have melted a
4eart of stone. have reason To be-
lleve that he abhors with utter
Ioathing the sin into which be bias
fallen. He does not attempt TO ess
tenuate his crime, or mako excuse
Tor himself, but confesses and is
ready 10 endure all the penalty
winch Ms acts ontalt. Inc IIoru
will dwell with him broken and
cnntrite heart he says hs will not
despise.
As compared with the last five
years, the next five in the Peniten.
iiary will be like Elysium, and he
will feel more near to God, more like
christian than formerly, Remem~
Der those in bonds as though you
were bound with them What If
this we're your son, your brother,
your frlend7 All parents who have
sons should put up prayers in their
own behalf, and In behalf of the son
of Christian parents and OF his fam
lily, his wife and dear little children,
his son his daughters-l cannot
speak" Here Mr.. Beecher was
overcome with emotion, and after
moments silence said 10 an impress
i've manner; Meanwhile let alone
evil before it be ungovernable That
is safe. DON'T believe you are strong
enough and shrewd enough to enter