Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-07-12
A new STANDARD 0F MORALS.


A new STANDARD oF MORALS.
The most remarkable event which has
occurred in England FOR some time is the
restoration of Colonel Valentine Baker to
membership by the Army and Navy Club,
on the ground that the oiTense that led to
his expulsion did not affect his character
as a agentleman. It VIII be remembered
that the offense of Colonel Baker IVES q
brutal criminal assault upon a young lady
in railway carriage. II was so very bad
a case that he was sentenced to heavy
fine, years imprisonment, and was dis
missed the service in disgrace. 1t is diff
cult 10 understand how his character as a
gentleman could possibly have been m9re
seriously injured than by ,his offense and
its consequences. It Is impossible to un-
derstand how any man capable Of commit
ting such an outrage could retain any claim
to the character Of a gentleman. The
Army and Navy Club in fact. in restoring
Colonel Baker to membership upon such
ground has formally committed itself as
an institution to the astounding doctrine
that the character of gentleman is not
injured by criminal outrage upon
woman such as a costermonger might be
ashamed Of We have no hesitation
in expressing the opinion that the Army
and Navy Cub has d;sgrsced itself
most deeply by this act, and il
the common report be true that
it did this shameful thing In defer.
renee to the Prince OF Wales, then
is lis conduct the more despicable and
odious. As to the truth Of this report
there seems no ground for doubt, more
over. 1t is certain that the Prince Of
Wales, who was always particular friend
to Colonel Baker, has taken him by the
hand, and in fact manifested determine
ton to rehabilitata him entirely. It is
equally certain that when the Colonels
ofense was committed ne would have es.
capped dismissal from the service but for
the emphatic expression of the Queens
views OF the subject. The Queen insisted
that the punishment should be exemplary.
The Prince Of Wales woald have had 1t
merely nominal. The Prince appears to
very great disadvantage in this affair. 1t
is very evident that he has different
moral standard from that which his father,
"Albert the Good" maintained, and tha;
nc has nothing in common with the Ideal
knight"
| Who reyerencad his conscience ~ his King;
! Whose glory was, Fedressing human wrong;
Who spoke no SANDER, no, nor listened to il 4;
Who loved one only, and who clave to her,"
The Heir Apparent to the crown of Great
Britain has in this case not only put him.
self in open antagonism to his royal mother,
but to the sense OF decency and propriety
of the whole English people. The ofense
of Colonel Baker was fragrant one. 1t
was tenfold more outrageous in him, an
educated man, than it would have been in
a peasant It was a crime against his or.
der as well as against public morals. 1t
seemed to belong to that class Of outrages
which the pro.reyolutionary French nobility
was prone to. And for this reason it was
an offense which could not without serious
danger be condoned. The present course
of the Pfince OF Wales and the Army and
Navy Club will be construed as a defiance
of public morals and challenge to the
Radical sentiment of the time. It will
certainly be so dealt with, and apart from
its intrinsic immortality it is calculated to
produce sinister consequences in time
when there is little disposition 10 tolerate
royal proaigacy or aristocratic insolence in
any shape.