New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-22
MAKING TT HO1 FOR THEM.

nrntcd article, suggestive story concerning
the transient penitcncc of that Chevalier de
Guise Ca nephew of the Balafr6) who confessed
TO a Jesuit friar the strength of his attachment
to a lady with whom he was in relations for
hidden by the Church. The friar refused him
absolution unless he would promise to break
them of. He hesitatcd, but was at length per-
suadcd to Join with the friar in prayer for
strength. The friar prayed, however with
such JUNCTION that the Chevalicr stopped him,
anxiously exclaiming, " Not sc hot, father not
so hot Heaven may hear YOU The world
of human nature which the story opens to us
will probably repay us for the labor Of short
exploration. That there arc sinners on the
globe is the pretty uniform verdict OF man.
kind. La0orious efforts to trace the genealogy
of SIN from gnorances mated i'll shame, or from
innocent mistakes, leave the facts where thcy
were when the oldest poets took up their
hOmicS. That many men are III similar case
to the Chevalinr de Guise-that of loving sin
too much to wish to lose the love of it-n0ne
Will deny, even in these days OF graceful cX-
plantations of "human mistakes And 1t Is
something gained by the mOralist if he can pro
woke a confession that the sinner does not wish
TO surrcn,ler-does not wish Infinite Power to
take from him-the tasto and enjoyment of his
favorite moral poison. We are made very
familiar by current apoogetics with the sup
posed hclpcSsncSs of evil-doers. Even the
Christian women may be heard taking up their
parable concerning the heplcssneSs OF the
drunkard, while refined forms of scientific eX
pertism testify that II peculiarly wicked crime
is proof of peculiar insanity. Genetlc eyo-
L
luton of bad deeds, the doctrine OF our help
lessness under certain temptations, and the
theory that only madmen do great wrongs, are
having "a good timcn in the land. But what
if the transiently pcnitcnt Chevaicr furnishes
us with much better explanation To be sure
the story-like that of the PrOdigal Sons an
old one; but they may have known few
things down in Judea," or even i'll the Mi ddle
Ages.
The advantage of the explanation suggested
by the Chevalier i'll the story may lie IN the
truth it conveys; some precious ballast OF that
sort must keep the story alive. The probable
truth is that tho Grunkard does not want to quit
his cups that the assassin wants to kill tor hate
or revenge and that the genetic faint is evil loves
and passions. There are old fashioned wOr dis
that we hesitate to write for the sensitive people
about us, who may he supposed to suspect us Of
preaching when we are only trying to speak
little plain sense about some very practical
matters. Nothing can be more practical than
the treatment of wrong-dOing. There Is prob
ably no mistake in the common judgment that it
is something more serious than an Inconvenience
that it cuts deep into the vit4ls OF progress
and well being so serious matter demands
more than exculpatng explanations. ueredity,
a.. ID lint
they will not butter our paronips-deliver us
from wrong-dOers. Explanations that leave us
all without sponsbiluy-tracing crimes to
dead ancestors and the bitterness. of the en-
vironment seem to take away the protection
for which we pay large sums IN the form OF
government. If the apologies are sound and
lust we shall have to submit TO the new dis
pensation but what If the truth be that men
do wrong on purpose, loving tho sweet sins like
the Chcvalicr, or loving the fruits of unloycly
sins like other wrong doors What If the
statement should run, not Can't help it," but
don't want to help t"l That was the Chcv-
alters case. Is it not the common case I And
if it is the common case, should not society per
severe in treatment that will provoke desire
To help it Very Old-tashiOned this question
is; but is there "A new fashion so adapted to the
needs of both sinners and their victims We
cannot discover any remedial force in he can
not help it :; whilo make him help it u has
made great many converts. 1t may be unin-
tcllectual and even undignilied to DO scared
into decency, sobrety or respectable conduct;
but, wanting goose cooked, we are glad of a
fire hot enough to do the business. And the
MAN who was scared out of an indccency or in
q, lima thnt yy.tS
hot enough for the purpose. "COmpulsion in
morals yes, we know how dreadfully unin-
tellcctua it is, but there is o certain amount of
motive power in it, you may be sure.
Besides the fOndncss which he does not want
prayed ont of him, the evil man has a charac-
teristic that the old preachers understOod-in
deed, it is rumOrcd that there are modern
preachers who understand it. The evil man is
more or less ashamed of himself, and in that
condition he is more susceptible to fear than to
logic-espccially if the logic runs to the effect
that he can't help himself" In plain terms,
the evil man is a coward at the bottom of him,
and you can scare him though you cannot per-
suade him. 1t is very true y noble Sentiment
talist, that this is not the way to make saint;
bat neither you nor we arc just now engaged IN
that branch of manufacture. Let gnOStlc or
agnostic, old creed or ethical SPARKLE take in
hand the making Of saints. Oar want is re-
straint on evil men and we have more faith in
assaults on their cowardy fears. They do evil
because they like it, and they are ashamed OF
themselves. What is the value of cultlvatng
the sclf-rcspcct OF men who have none to
cultivated Betraycrs of women have been
cured of tho practice by hoTscwhipping; leave
the preachers to consider how the lash affected
their desire We may, however, presume to
guess that enough of the lash would be an effec-
tive counter-irritant To make evil doing dan