The Evening critic., 1881-09-10

THOSE DISTINGUISHED ornaments of the
West, known as the James brothers. have
thrown this country back about two hun
drcd years in the development of their pc
culiar line Of industry. In most every other
branch of human pursuits we are marching
on, like John Browns soul, sloughing of
the she'll of old prcjudces and ancient no.
tions, and going rapidly ahead without
these clumsy impediments. The re-
cent exploit Of the James boys
at Glendale, like the late Re-
turning Board, works on our boasted
progress like reversed engines on train,
not only holding us stationary, but drag
ging us back. These eminent land d-pirates,
having supposedly reduced robbery to a
science should have been influenced to
some extent by the national respect in
which their great abilities were held, and
felt national pride in not only keeping
the occupation Of professional brigand up
to tho acquired standard, but in adding all
possible improvements. fJa
But they have been basely rccreant to
their trust, and one Of our greatest indus
tires now stands disgraccd in the eyes of
the world. The business Of an outlaw is
ancient and venerable. 1t is associated with
some of our most hallowed recollcctions.
The cut-throat policy of an Arab band or
an Indian foray no more deserves to be
mentioned in the same breath with the
heightened pilfering Of Robin Hood than
murder as q brutal amusement is with
murder as fine art Robin and his gallant
company Of refined archcrs never forgot,
while roaming the greenwood in search of
victims, that robbcr can preserve the in
stincts of gentleman under the most
tempting circumstances. In all his deal
ings, Robin took care of the personal com
fort of his prey, never compromising it any
more than absolutely required. His methods
were necessarily crude, because the times
were wild. fHf
When Jack Shepherd grasped the helm,
several centuries later, England had grown
into the stage coach period There
fore, when Jack and his doughty
footpads proceeded to business, their
field of operations was confined to the
stout old gentleman and fluffy dowagers
who patronized Hounslow Heath on their
way to London. Within these circum-
scribed limits Jack was most gentle and
cavalier in his department. He had
living to make, the world owed him one,
and his methods, considering the undevel-
oped condition of travel, were above re-
proach. In other words, situated as Jack
was, he had to go through peoples pockets
| or not be able to meet his bills ON the first
of the month.
| Now, the first exploit of the James boys
in July will strike the philosopher us quite
up to the standard of American enterprise.
1t was broad and progressive in conception,
and executed in the most approved style of
advanced science. They confined them
selves, like gentlemen, to the express car
that contained booty enough to satisfy the
demands Of their social position, leaving
the alarmed passengers to carry away their
small change. Up to this last exploit
their record was abreast with the times
and u national credit. We feel authorized
to state, from an intimate study of the
characters of these two great mon, that if
Robin Hood and Jack Shepherd could have
had express cars to operate on, they nerer
would have intcrfered with defenseless men
and women. Their souls were cast in
larger moulds. Hence, when the James
boys countenance pocket picking, as they
did the othor day, in the face of all modern
improvements they hurl us back to the
childhood of the freebooter's art, and should
be drummed out Of decent society