New-York tribune., 1901-09-12
SOWING AND REAPING.
,,sHop DOANE SAYS RECKLESS CRITI-
cIsM OF PUBLIC MEN SAPs SENSE
or REVERENCE FOR RULERS.
-s,tnr Of The Tribune

:. ,,e Editor OF The Tribune.
-. stirred as the minds of all men are To-
-. With suspense and sorrow and shame by the
,roomparable crime Of the attempted assassna-
-. of the President. some direction should be
-, n the feeling and the thinking other than
-, NJ horror and Indignation The sudden act
:. violence wrought by man whose feeble and
~ursssoning mind had been poisoned by the
.s-rlent anarchy Of a mad woman. has some
.,s behind il which concerns us all The
ND of rude and reckless criticism Of our pub
- men. so common as to be almost universal
COWS seeds which issue in harvests that the
orer never meant. What our Lord said of
himself. that He reaped where He did not sow.
and gathered where He had not scattered seed.
: . natural and spiritual law of universal ap-
plication
inst as the processes of nature cannot be ar
r.sted in order TO prevent the coming up of
..res which have been sown, so the inevita BILE
laws of moral and spiritual life must work out
,bstr own allotted course. and men reap harvests
..ot they did not dream of from seed, which in
no thoughtless violence of hasty and i'll con-
s,aered speech they did not dream that they
vsre sowing Is it not worth while for men in
asvste and in public. in conversation and in the
,-sss TO learn to draw the line OF difference be-
,rssn fearless and outspoken criticism Of policy
end the bitter denunciation of the person: be-
,zesn the condemnation OF disapproved methods
epd the abuse of the man in office?
J, really is only step further along the
s.ms line. from the harsh and cruel personali-
,,ss os speech TO the treacherous assault upon
,ba person When St. Paul stood before Ananias
,,s he commanded that the Apostle should be
u,,-en on the mouth. the human instinct of
,s,ed injustice uttered itself in ST. Paus strong
language. God shall smite thee, thou whited
vsl" but instantly when the question
asked. "Revilest thou Gods high priest?" the
,,sanct of the Christian and the gentleman
fsstened 10 this apology, Il wist not that he was
the high priest. for it is written Thou shalt not
sresk evil Of the ruler of thy people
There is really no difference between the high
ext theory Of the divine right OF kings and the
shsolute certainty OF the fact that the powers
,hst be are ordained of Cod so that the min
,gtsr of God" by lineal descent, or by the choice
NJ the people is invested with that representa-
tive authority which demands respect and rev.
ersnce Duly considering whose authority they
bsar" II is the duty of the people ito honor as
wsH as 10 obey them" And if only the lesson
can be learned this threatened assassination,
whose fatal issue may God avert, viii not have
been In vain.
The attributing of motives. the attacks upon
character the suggestion Of wrong purposes
The reckless and random assaults upon those IN
authority are sapping the sesrre not only or
reverence for rulers but of recognition of the
rghtfulness and needfulness Of rule. Who shall
dare 10 say tracing things back to their spring
and source how far this thoughtlessness of
harsh Judgment and the responsibility OF con-
,euptuous speech are the seed and the root from
which have sprung the horror Of this attempt
upon an invaluable life?
WILLIAM CROSWELL DOANE.
Northeast Harbor, Sept. S, 1901.