Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1912-12-26
Weekly Sermon
THE POISONED SWEETNESS OF

Revenge. says Lord Bacon, els a kind
OF wild justice. which the more mans ma
ture runs to, the more ought law to weed
1t out The old philosopher was in line
with the most enlightened teaching. An
eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth
may be the code for pagans, but not for
Christians. With them an tmmeasurably
higher principle prevails: II say unto
them that hate enemies. do good unto
them that hate you" Unto him that
smttcth thee on the one cheek offer also
the other" whatsoever shall compel
thee to go mile. go with him twain
Human nature does not always take
kindly to such teaching. For it apparently
fails to meet the practical situations Of
life. The old Adam In most of us demands
more radical treatment of detractors
and assailants. One sees people every
where feeding ancient grudges and even
Ing up old scores. imagining that thereby
they are fulfilling demand Of their be-
ing.
Right instincts will show us the folly
of such course To pay back evil treat
ment in kind simply puts one on level
with the original offender. 1t is con-
fession that one is on no higher a plane
OF life. II a man can retain wholesome
respect for himself, he is really uninjured
through any series Of calumnies or ma
him. He suffers real injury only when,
forgetting his manhood, he descends to
tactics as mean and cruel as those of his
foes.
There is heavy loss in gratifying a de-
sire for revenge and 1t is hard to see any
compromising gain. No arithmetic yet
discovered ever made two wrongs equal
one right. Law is the bulwark of society
and punishment is often divine neces-
sity. but the sort of guerilla Justice meted
out In some so-called Christian commune
ties is disgrace to civilization.
A year or so ago man who had served
In the Dutch navy as cook and had
been discharged for incompetence, decided
that he would avenge himself on the state.
He went into the museum at Amsterdam
and slashed with his knife the great pic
ture by Rembrandt, entitled the might
Watch" No one but fool would think
of gratifying personal spleen at the ex-
spense of art lovers the world over. Yet
our own revenge is often about as ira
tional as that.
After the courtmartial, at which his per-
secutors pressed their malicious charges
against him, Benedict Arnold wrote to
General Gates: by heaven! l am VIII
lain If l seek not revenge for injured dis
honor. Because he persisted In that mis-
taken purpose his name remains in fixed
dishonor through all the years. If he could
only have waited, time, that squares most
things, might have cleared his reputa-
ton and set him clear above his detrac-
tors.
Washington was cruelty maligned in his
day. He endured an incredible amount OF
stupid opposition. But he was too great
a soul to sulk in his tent or to join the
ranks of the traitors Taking no thought
to avenge himself, posterity has crowned
him with unfading laurel.
He who values the integrity of his own
soul, or his final place in the regard Of
man, will beware how he INDUCES In the
poisoned sweetness of revenge. Wild JUS
tee Is poor sort, after all. The apostle
who had been imprisoned and prosecuted
and stoned and left for dead, bequeathed
to us the only safe rule-"Dearly beloved,
avenge not yourselves; but rather, give
place unto wrath; for it is written. ven
geance is mine; will repay, saith the
Lord mo D,x....