New-York tribune., 1894-04-05
FAMILY PRIDE.

II Is quite conceivable that person OF goou
family. reared in luxury, and enjoying all the
advantages of high social position, might
IN changed circumstances and Impoverished
finances feel compelled 10 resort TO DISHONEST
nr,cticos and for nine or ten years live by steal
ing. There is Il quality. sometimes called iam-
uv nrjde undcr the influence of which gentle
mon in reduced circumstanccs>forccd to choose
between mcndicancy and theft adopt the latter
rs the more honorable pursuit 1t is more dilii-
cult IA conceive how a man so situated, after
living nine or ten years by sneak thicyery, could
stand up in court when his victims generously
offered 70 condone his offences and make nm
=, frco Gift of the sums he had stolen. ana re-
fuse the favor on the ground that his family
nrde would be shocked and himself disgraced
by his being placed in the attitude of depend
cnt upon charity He might say: Il am man
of human missions / have done wrong. L
have been nine years thief. My conduct Is
inexc1lsable | have been worried ana per-
nlcycl over It for all these years, and am now
suffering the consequences But there Is one
discroco 7 will not endure and that Is to accept
charity" Should such an almost incredibe
thing hopncn no doubt there are persons who
would admire and applaud who would say:
,udc he takes his punishment! And what
chiyalrous regard he shows for the reputation
If his family We need not stop to classify
,ho norsons who would take that view.
For nine or ten years the Honorable MI
proc,iuridrc lived I'm immoral relations with
the Young woman whose suit against MN Is
no,v on trial With the merits Of the suit or us
nossihle results we have nothing TO do. But
with the effect upon public morals of some OF
its features as they protrude themselves upon
notice from the unwhoesome atmosphere OF the
courtroom. 1t is our business to deal In the IN
tcrcst of common dcccncy. Two or three nhes
in the course Of his cross examination THIS man
has stroightcnc,l himself up. and, with an aiiec-
,,tion of contrition strangely mingled Win
an ,ss,,muton. II not Of injured inno-
CONGO. at least of the character oi II
v.niol offender cruelty pursued and al
rcolv more than sufficiently punished by his
ou.p remorse. has acknowledged that he had
lrc ,vr,ug for which there was no excuse
with clcnr voice and head erect unblnShinEly
ond almost dcfantly he has admitted all the
,h,rcrs of yIencss and untrlhfulncss, hypoc-
rIsv and domestic trcachcry brought against
| hin, 'rhc pcnitcncc and rcmorse 80 sinoouV
| ,ud ,,liblv mt i'm words were clearly Delieu oy
| his manner which always seemed To say: BE
| hod with what magnificent composure ! Dear
myself i'm difficulties" The air with which ne
! ,.scrtcJ his willingness To bear the conse-
uucnccs of his wrOngdoing fell little short oi
! hn,stf,ilncss And then the calm cnront"ry
v.ith which he said there was but one possible
punishment which he most positively refused
! ,o accent. and that was To marry the woman
,.b, for nine years had been his partner In
sin,
A. IL after nine years Of such a life, anything
could disgrace him further. And. above ALL
~ II an act bv which alone he could make some
sort Of rcparation To her, and in some slight ne-
,r.. wash out the stains which through all
those wears he had been putting on his own
conscience. his character and his life, were too
.,,,re . "nunishmcnt". Why, after all that had
rossod should he not marry herr Ii certainly
would have made him no worse 1t might nave
nodc her better. Was II family pride, the
ridiculous the atrocious- -pretcnce that hiS
or his fomilv's reputation would suffer from a
misollioncr in name which for nine years had
h.on = dsgraccful fact? Did this man suppose
| that he had any honor" left to he tarnished
or that a sacrifice. if 1t were 4 sacrifice, Of per
sonal feeling to simple justice would bring dis
credit mon his "honorcd" name? There was
| shame enough anu iEh""' '"""r - ~
mans recital OF his offences had he been con
tent 70 leave 1t there with the mock hcroics o
his paraded penitence and counterfeit contrl
tion. But he disclosed a lower depth or dc
prayity. more shocking insensibility TO hl'
own disgrace when he calmly stated and re
heated that the one punishment to which HI
would not submit was to cover with formally
and legality the criminality of nine years What
ever comes Of the present suit, which, 1t Is t'
be hoped may be quickly ended, one thing l.
certain-that from II Mr.. Breckinridge shoui'
90 into nhscnrify followed by the Nations hiss