Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-07

The Evils Consequent Upon the Corr
ruptIOn of Public Morals


Israel that it may go well with thee"
In the history of human life there were
often great events which attracted ana
fixed the attention of all minds. They
were ike mountains around which Played
the lightnings, beat the storms, and rolled
the thunders. 1t might be an unknown
comet coming through the skies, hurri-
cane devastating a continent, or an as
sassin's bullet seeking the fountains OF
life which welled up in the heart of
great ruler. In the providence of God they
were called upon to contemplate the cow
ardlv shooting down of President, con-
spicuous for every virtue and quality
which make ruler great and essential TO
a nations life and welfare. Assassinations
were, unfortunately, no new feature IN
the history of nations, but 1t was seldom
indeed that the annals of crime had re-
corded such an attempt upon the life OF
a ruler whose personal qualities gave
him the highest right to rule, whose true
ROYALTY endeared him to the heart OF
the governed, and caused nation TO
feel as If each individual had expe-
rienced personal wound. Roman histo-
nv told of ambitious Caesar, whose life
was cut off because he loved Rome less
and Caesar more, until even the hand
of friendship aided to shed
his hfe's blood. The very genius
of assassination lurked in the pal
aces of the Caesars, and made her
homes cry out for vengeance. Inc
names of Commodus, Galba, Caligula-
and Maximus recalled the bloody history
Of Rome's methods of disposing of her
imperial tyrants. French history told OF
the dastardly murder of Henry W., the
great friend of the Reformation, and the
history of the Netherlands recorded the
untimelY taking off of William the Silent
in the midst Of his usefulness and his
triumphs. Abroad, the Russian Gar
had been slain and the life of Germany's
Emperor attempted. The memory of
the sad end of the beloved Lincoln was
still fresh. and now the dastardly at
tempt had been made to add the name
of Garfield to the long record or assas-
sinated martyrs
Assassinations were frequent amid the
barbarisms of the early ages, but had
ceased in frequency as nations pro-
crossed in civilization. AS resort to
rectify wrong it was crude and cruel TO
the last degree; it tended to lnclte the
very wrongs complained OF, and could
have no vindication when used against
Just and wise ruler. 1t was a step back
ward towards the brutality of barbarism.
and could only have the approval OF
fanatics and fools. When nation ike
this must contemplate the ASSASSINATION
of its Chief Magistrate, or the probabill-
ties thereof, it was time to pause and IN
ouire whittier we were drifting. There
were great moral laws which nations
must heed if they hoped for perpetuity.
They could not be Indifferent to the
shedding of innocent blood, be.
cause there were drifts which, If
unheeded, ended in remediless ruin.
The republic was but babe among the
nations, and it behooved it to be more
watchful to preserve national morals.
One danger which threatened was the
material which we were rapidly absorb
ing. Originally the population was made
IN of the best elements of European life,
but now we were absorbing the very
dregs. becoming Botany Bay for crimi-
nails. vagabonds and paupers. French
| Communists, Italian brigands and Rus
sian Nihilists were flocking hither as if
America were a mere city Of refuge for
crime and Socialism. We were trying
to incorporate too rapidly the unconge-
NAL elements that were being cast upon
American shores. What was needed was
neople who knew the difference between
liberty and license, between the tyranny
of Gar and the liberty represented by
Republican President.
The nation was literally beset by par
tisans, demagogues and political dead
beats. 1t had already reached the stage
where men had been deemed too pure
and too great for the purposes OF party.
When one contemplated the arena Of po-
litical strife, its ambitions, intrigues,
thefts, the moral filthiness Of its chief
| LIUus, me sndmC-IdCcu dITUSduCe duu
braggadocIo of its chief actors, was it
any wonder that some mere political
creature should catch the infection and
cap the climax with assassination What
was more natural than that the Conk-
ling Sprague intrigue and the Platt scan
dal should be succeeded by this great
crlmeP For notoriety the smaller crea-
ture must forsooth commit the larger
crime. The attempted assassination was
a natural outcome of the star-route cor
ruption and the Christiancy divorce
case, and the Divine presence alone
could foretell what might bt
the next revelation concerning the
secret history of our legislators at the
national capital. The lax execution OF
the laws was fraught with great DANCE
to republican institutions. The wise
words of the Jewish legislator demanded
that nation should seek to clear tseli
of the guilt of assassination. The ms
cradle assassin seemed to have aad all
manner of apologies made foT1lm by
} his would. he defenders. If tle wisdom
of the doctors, lawyers and jdges con
, cluded him insane, by all nous leC MN
be consigned to a mad hotse Vi W the
tender care of those den1gogues VINO
had stimulated his insay5 conuitlon. Or,
! better. let the people Use mp en- masse
and vote out all these legislators VINO DO
NOT Seem to discern between my office
2 and nv country. bween me, the Sena-
tor and we the people, between con-
r tond;no- for marty spoils and seeking to
q f,,-tbaS the bigI,st interests of a long
: suffering copsDinlty.
II was hyb time we recovered from
= rotionoI rntmentalism and made the
e Ill, s,.er for their crimes. A few
o Sona{or, Justly disgraced and few muir
t derers Istly punished would greatly
C cIaor our moral atmosphere and en-
j bana5ur national honor. This country
{ bsTcased to have any further use even
e foSenators whose chief claim to posi-
|. II was ability to outbid political oppo-
, ats and to divide the spoils of office
mong furnishing Office seekers. One
|. iemedy for our evils would be a law
, regulating immigration. 1t would be
wise to bar our national doors and ask
every coming immigrant his right to be
esteemed an American citizen. What
right had men without morals or man.
ners to come here and overthrow our
institutions and make our nation a dis
grace2 Were our American citizens
aware that we were following fast and
far upon the footsteps of Rome's destruc-
ton? The very causes that overthrow
Rome were multiplying upon us year by
year.
The only class of men a government
or party could not afford to do without
was the wise and good. The man with
pure purpose, scholarly attachments
and broad patriotism, was worth all the
Representatives, Senators and Generals
in or out of Congress, actuated by mere
partisan ambition. The President was
such a man, whom we could i'll afford to
lose.
Mere care must be exercised in select
ing our rulers. The speaker had cast
L. LIT a. g.