The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-10-21
THE STAIN OF HUMAN BLOOD.
1t Can Never be Washed Out in this World.

when his face grew deathly pale, he
raised his hand, and stated that he
never again wanted to hear that duel
spoken Of by any member ef his fami-
ly. That the horror of that tragedy,
committed on little island in the
Savannah River, haunted this great
and good man all of his days, is not
doubted, and it cast dark cloud over
o brilliant and useful life.
have known a great many men
Who had taken human life, under all
manner of circumstances, and without
single exception they wore the brand
of Cain upon their brows. There was
no pleasures or happiness in life for
them. Their existence was one long
reign Of remorse and self-reproach,
and if they did not manifest the same
by word Of mouth, it could be seen in
the restless eye, and nervous starting
at every unusual noise. Many turned
for consolation to drink, and which
only added fuel to the internal fires
that ever burned within them. 9th
ers proppered, but during those inter
vals when the mind was permitted to
wander back to the past, look of
haggard misery oerspread their faces.
The brand of Cain was fixed upon the
brows of those shedders of human
blood by Divine vengeance, and only
death could erase it.
1 remember, while living in Ogle-
thorpe County, Georgia, talking with
young friend Of mine who had gone
with party to chastise negro for
reported insult to white woman. This
young man was stationed at window,
through which the negro endeavored
to escape. He fired on the negro and
shot him dead, his body hanging over
the sill. This young man, who was
successful merchant, stated to me
that he afterwards discovered that he
had killed an innocent and slandered
negro, and the party who had made up
that story was enraged against the ne
gro because he intended to leave his
farm and he wanted to have him chas.
tised. But my young friend stated to
me that his whole life was blighted,
and his entire existence one Of misery
and remorse; that the sight Of the
poor negro haunted him all day long
and was q constant nightmare. Free
ly would he give up all he possessed,
and become convict in stripes, to
have that stain washed away from his
conscience. He often felt that did he
possess the wealth of the world he
would freely give it for even one days
relief from the agony of mind that
pursued him, and that he might sex-
perience the feeling of innocence he
knew before that wretohed night.
Were this globe Of ours coined into
gold, and placed at my disposal to take
the life of the most debased end mis-.
erable human being that walks the
earth, even under the most justifiable.
circumstances, I would scorn the
bribe.
Unless man, as / have stated, has
q heart scared with sin, and is inospa-
BILE Of feeling renorse, I sometimes
think it would be an act of mercy and
kindness for the laws of his country
to put him to death, after wilfully
and deliberately taking the life OF q
fellow man. A jury may acquit him,
and he may live a long life, applaud.
ed and honored by the world, but
there beats in his breast an inner
monitor, and which will ever keep him
5remilded of that dark deed. Hislen-
tire existence will ever walk BY his
side in day, and repose upon his pill
low at night, an unseen spectre OF the
dead man, and from which terrible
and constant visitor there is no es.
cape.
81 The murderer is reminded of she
fate that awaits him by the Bible and
which commands that "He who sheds
man'e blood by man shall his blood be
she'd"
I admit that there are occasions
when il becomes imperatively neces-
sary TO take human life, but my great
est hope and desire, is that no such
dread alternative shall ever be forced
upon myself. I had sooner go to MY.
grave tho victim of3 another, than
spend ydsys, on earth with hands
dripping with, the life-blood Of any
one crsated in Cod own image.
Life is sweet, but il is anything
but sweet 20 the red.handed murderer.
In psnning this article I had no in
diyidual case 10 mind, but give it as
abe obsesyation Of my life and : warn,
II 3 10 &tavs, q !. 81 4