Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-05-17

eSexAty.-Tho Murder.
CT Merrill.
'u"uay, the Rev. Mr.. Tilden preached
avery able sermon, which he has been ;nv;,
gu 10 repeat, on 1.-The Severity of ,Jesus ~ II
tue course OF the sermon, as an illpstr.,;o :.
Tue point he was enforcing, the preacbe, .Jo
the following allusion to the murde-o, NJ
rill: "er-
Inc INFAMOUS youth who has haer nm
triai at this court house. durino the -, '
past ror one of the most aggravated cr;n,aa
10 history. has been severely d..l,
WI" os the laws of this State in the hand 80
ne court. 1t is hard case for person ms,
eiih'hg lie to be thrust into prison with
NJ prospect OF going out until he is carried
III. ~ oiu age perhaps, to his burial. To
i"ok al any human being. and think of ,ba,
as his unalterable fate is calculated 70 a .a'
en- emotions Of pity. And there are some
no fonot, who do pity such a monster as
Merrib. 1t was said bv more than ono il
.he court room, as the trial progressed. and
Tue prisoner supposed to be weeping. How
! pity the poor fellow; / should like to on 70
Dim and let him know that some one has FEELING
Tor hin :" Now this feeling was credi, IN the
numaneness of the instincts. but not To the
intelligence. These expressions came from
those OF the fair sex to whom hard hearted
ness would be an amazing reproach. surely.
put they incexeG only mome ntary feeling
whlch little thought would have dispelled
anu yet more or less are found in every
.on'"unity VINO are just as minimizing as
that. Everything that is severe seems 70
them to be cruel The pity of such il almost
sensuous; it is hardly moral or rational
when they see tear they weep no matter
Tor what cause it is shed. When they SOC
any one distressed in mind they are worried
also, no matter what caused the distress
Now, II we pity the murderer of his mother
what KIND OF feeling shall we che IRISH for
the mother! If we go back to the event
shall we take the part of the son who has
raised his arm to strike down the motberp
Shall all our sympathy be on the side of the
wicked son, as against the defenceless moth
er! Shall our sympathy and pity be on the
side OF criminals, instead of on the side of
their victims and their family friends? Such
expressions as | have referred to simply
show that some do not reflect at all. We
may be sorry that any human being could
commit such an act; we NAV deplore his
moral condition; but to pity him in his
act is to be guilty of the greatest
unklndness to the memory Of his victim and
the community at large. To deal severely
with such criminal, is to be kind to every
body else and the question is, shall l be
kind to the one criminal, and unkind to the
multitudes that make up society? or shall be
severe towards the one criminal, and kind to
everybody else, and in sense to all DOS
teritv! Is it difficult to tell where real kind
ness lies in such a-case? Nay more, severity
is the best treatment for the culprit himself
Any treatment that will arouse his stupid
mind to II sense Of his real guilt, will be
great mercy to him. And so severity is not
only kindness to such one, but it is the
only form of kindness that is left to be en-
ployed towards him. There is no question in
my mind but that public sentiment needs to
be braced to 3ccord with Christ's example
and teaching with reference to proper use
of severity. Officers of justice should be
encouraged by all means to strict dealing
with all criminals. for thus only can there
be public satety-thus only can they be kind
to the great mass of unoflending people"