Unparalleled Incendiarism.
By E. W. Whitney
Not long since in looking over a circular of an insurance company, I noticed the following statement, which to me seems to present a fearful picture:— “There has been, for the last year or two, an amount of incendiarism unparalleled in the history of the country. You seldom take up a newspaper without reading of the destruction of a large amount of property by fire, and in the majority of cases, these fires originated from incendiarism. A farmer, at this time, is hardly safe to discharge his assistants, if they are dishonest, or to give offense in any way to an unprincipled person whom he may deal with. It seems to be the most prevalent mode of revenge, and the numerous fires originating from this cause, and the vast amount of property destroyed, shows the alarming extent to which this most vicious of all crimes is carried at this time.” What a state of things is here set before us! What a statement is this for those to reflect upon who are preaching that a temporal millennium is about to commence; that a reign of peace is about to begin upon the earth. Just read the first statement again. This does not look much like the world's conversion; and yet ministers of the present day, with such statements as the above before them, will even tell us that the world is growing better! What an utter depravity of the human heart this seems to indicate! When it has come to this, that it is not safe to discharge a servant, or in any way give offense, for fear the offended will seek revenge by doing that which not only destroys property, but endangers life, what may we not expect? What will the end be? Would that we might all realize the true import of these things, and prepare for what is coming on the earth. E. W. WHITNEY.