New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-06
FELO DE Sc,


the general advancement of mankind toward a
higher and more perfect civilization, crimes OF
violence ale naturally the first to decrease in
number and flagrancy, and 1t Is comforting 10
have the assurance that self-murdeI is no eX-
ception to the rule. This fact, nevertheless
MIR. Abbott does not establish by statistics, be-
cause 20 trustworthy figures are at command
but the very absence of such data furnishes an
argument against the soundneSs OF the popular
belief in the growing frequency of suicide. In
times when the law heaped indignities upon the
remains of the self-murdered man and de-
spoiled the heirs of his body of their rlghtful
inheritance, there was strong temptation Tor
the conceament of the crime; while now, eager
news gatherers are Oh the alert to give the
widest publicity to every act OF selt-desructl0n,
and statistics are more carefully gathered and
preserved. 1t may be admitted, too, that
society does not suffer now, as in generations
past, from those sweeping epidemics OF this
felony by which cities were threatened with de-
population and perhaps, though this seems
hardly established, there is tendency among
suicides to make their crime less Obtrusiyely
horrible and disgusting. That the body OF the
man who murders himself is no longer sub
iected to baIbarties nor his estate to coniisca-
ton is no proof that the law views the crime
with more leniency than in earlier times. This
change is only part Of the general softenng
of penal rigor and recognition of the lnjus-
tice Of furnishing the innocent for the crimes OF
another. The law still holds self-murder to be
a felony, even though the criminal has passed
beyond its reach, and the man who gives aid or
counsel to suicide III his crime is held as an ac-
cessory to the murder. And besides all this, rs
the best proof of improved sentiment no
moraist of any standing can be found to-day
to Justify or palate crime which ancient phi
losophy approved as a reasonable and praise
worthy act, and for which leading teachers
within century had no condemnation in their
ethical systems.
And yet, alter granting every consideration
advanced on the hopeful side of this subject. the
appalling fact remains that one or more sui-
cides are chIonicled as portion OF almost every
days news. Under these circumstances it can
hardly be accounted prudent to trust entirely to
the general progress of society toward nillennial
perfection for tho suppression or moderation OF
this evil. Against other specific forms OF crime
are arrayed the terrQrs OF the law, the con-
demnation of society, and organized effort OF
various kinds. But in this case the criminal by
the very nature of his crime places himself be-
youd the reach OF human punishment. This
difficulty, however, emphasizes the necessity of
measures looking specifically to the prevention
of crime which stands alone in its superiority
to ordinary legal restraints, ana certainly II
there are any current modes of thinking or ex-
pressions Of sentiment which AFFORD even
negative encouragement of suicide they should
be changed at once. Ii may be that the com
mendable desire to speak tenderly of the dead
too frequently prompts u sympathetic exag-
eeration of the supposed evils which havo
driven the suicide to his own destruction. Too
often all the circumstances which can be adj
duced to paliate the crime are carefully set
forth, and there is the constant temptation to
imagine temporary fit of insanity" as a sat
isfying explanation. No one attempts to de-
fend the crime in the abstract, but too rarely in
individual cases is the self-murderer spoken of
az a criminal. The fact that tho murder OF ones
self is looked upon az 4 crime quite az shocking
az the murder Of another would never be gath
cred from ordinary comments on cases as they
occur. so that in effect the repIObation of
society, which acts 80 powerfully as q restraint
against the commission of other crimes, goes for
little or nothing. One can hardly imagine n
suicide deferred from his purpose by the thought
that his fellows will abhOr the act as grossly
criminal because such adherence rarely finds
expression.
Here, then, is one duty plainly indicated. In
stead of framing pitful excuses for the crimi-
nal, let it be understood that Oh his memory
rests the stain of bdeous guilt As matter
&C co. ba farrihIo frialc rubioh
urged to mitigate the enormity of the deed aIe
purely fanciful. In most cases the evils which
men wish to escape by skul1ng into bloody
graves are triflinR, or certainly endurable by a
spirit with any courage in its make. Suicide is
a cowardly crime, and it should be spoken of as
such. 1t is a revolving crime. Carlyle, IN his
rugged way, characterized it as "pukinR lid
life !" and if it were understood that society re-
gaIded it with loathing, ambitious suicides would
not 80 often stHive to win distinction by making
a public exhibition of the terrOrs of their taking
of. 1t is shocking cruelty to the relatives and
friends of the criminal, making all their bur.
dens more grievous and overshadoWing their
lives with O horrible remembrance. To drive
a stake through the body of the suicide. or 10
deny it Christian burial as was the practice of
our ancestors, would bTutalize the living and
excite sympathy for the dead but the seDti-
mental reaction against this coarse simulacrum
of punishment is still more perncious Plain,
honest, truthful treatment is what the subject
needs. A crime against God and the State which
battles law is the one crime which needs to DO
set forth In its full Nervousness. 1t certainly
" ill not be shuddeIed at and stunned as it
should be, if it is never spoken Of in specific
cases as q crime to be detested, but az an error
to be excused OF palliated, or a misfortune to be
pitied.
COLOR IN THE COMMON SCHOOLS.
The question OF colOred children I'm the