Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-03
A PLEA FOR ASSASSINATION.

Rev. Hugh Penticost does not grace the
religion of the meek and lowly founder of
Christianity when he takes the rostrum
and declares that the Gar of Russia ought
to be assassinated. Such, it is said by tele-
graph, was the expression of the reverend
gentleman on Friday night, at the New
York meeting in protest against the ST.
berian outrages Mr.. Penticost, in advis-
ing assassination as a remedy, preached
the gospel of hatred, revenge and passion.
Where he finds the warrant in the Chris
tian code for such advice we cannot fancy
Mr.. Penticost has disgraced his cloth he
has dishonored the pulpit, and has brought
the religion OF mercy, gentleness and low
ing kindness into disrepute, for assassina-
ton is never justifable, nor is its preach
ing defeusible.
The enemy who strikes in the back, who
Stays in the dark or lies in ambush is the
assassin; the enemy who confronts his foe
and meets him in fair contest is entitled to
regard the assassin can never command, no
matter what the cause for which he strikes.
To assassinate the present Gar would but
give place to another; it is the system that
is at fault in Russia, and the assassination
of a score of Cars will not correct it. Be-
hind the Russians Little Father" is the
Russian; heunderstands precisely what the
Government is and what It's methods
Perhaps the lower order of the peasantry
may be kept in ignorance of most of the
brutalities in Siberia, but the mass of the
people Of Russia are not ignorant of the
treatment of Siberian prisoners. So long
as the Russian people have this knowledge
and do not protest against the atrocities,
nor put a stop to them, as they may when
ever SO minded, they are the responsible
power. True, the Gar is a hereditary
prince, heis hedged about by an aristocracy
of birth, and he is panoplied by the royal
traditions of centuries; but not he nor the
aristocracy can be said to be alone respon-
sible Tor the Siberian shame, for no people
in this day and age need remain under
tyrannical rule.
We must not allow ourselves to indulge
in the belief that the Russians are down.
trodden and crushed people; that they are
absolutely subject to Imperial within, or
the victims of royal decree involuntarily.
On the contrary, the Russians are shrewd
and largely cultivated and spirited peo-
pie. 1t is loyalty to the Russian idea
that makes them. save small minority,
the supporters of the Gar.
None can have greater adherence for
the Siberian penal system of Russia than
we we can join fully in the demand that
other nations should refuse to commune
with the Government of the Gar as
protest against its cruelties; that human
ity demands of civilized people that
they express their adherence of Govern
ment persecution and brutality in Siberia;
but to expect society to indorse assassina-
ton of the mere instruments Of system is
to expect too much. When Rev. Mr.
Penticost breaches the gospel of dynamite
and the bludgeon, he breaches murder !;
he advises men to deeds of blood without
Justification He ought TO know, and
probably does, that in these days govern
mental systems are not overthrow by
driving a knife between the ribs
of the rulers, nor are the people
of great empire to be drawn into
revolution by such means as he breaches.
On the contrary, assassination of the rulers
of Russia makes them martys and more
absolutely rivets upon the nation the
Siberian penal system.