The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-02 00:00:00

The Execution of Mr, Gordon.

The summary execution of Mr. Gordon in
Jamaica, without legal trial, appears, upon the face
of the despatches, says the Law Times of to-day, to
be wholly illegal ; whether it was justifiable, is a
question which the local authorities must be called
upon to answer. He was not taken red-handed in
any overt act of rebellion, or even of sedition, which
alone can legalise a drumhead court-martial and a
summary execution. His offence, as stated, was
hasp lai plainly
ias
dciicvtili
nc ri. me,
oorveeory
ewrl:i.ebhe thea
scivilt law t
ualroende,
but surrendered, placing himself thereby under the
protection of the law. No lawyer will hesitate for
a moment to pronounce his trial to be illegal, and
his execution murder—in point of law.
But, of course, there is an answer to this. There
are times when necessity overrules all law. Self-
defence is the first right of communities, as it is of
the individual. But the burden is cast upon those
who exercise this privilege, in opposition to
the law of the State, of proof that such necessity
existed, and that it was not a merely dubious
*rni, but a real and imminent danger,
threatening life or limb, or, in the case of
a' cm,
tohme
inudniivtiyduaanl ahracsh ya ar
gdbt itst
oc
islle cit
ee nrcoebsb. e
rThen,wi
i 0
uses or threatens violence, so the authorities, to
whom the maintenance of peace and order are en-
trusted, have a right to kill when society is threat-
ened with dissolution. If Governor Eyre can show
this, he will be enabled amply to justify the execu-
tion of Gordon ; if not, he will have been guilty of
thgetoreabeflsull l
w
It is for him to shownl
at
jhoarti
ty he.
Ia
as
feis i
r\c‘lunietsliutmlreieid:
eleraer'inogr
face
a gravecsetifioefda.etiliiachad a difficult duty to perform in the
crime.l
rebellion, where
much less btahl:efposeeraerceei'vri ceuntionasbtalevicisaepsne
rhoeov
con-
demnation ; and then to a large judgment of acts
and motives, as assuredly he would
have been se-
verely judged by his present too hard censors, if
undue leniency had fanned into a flame the sparks
of the rebellion which•
severity has trampled out.
'We suspend even •
an opinion until his defence is
fully heard, and
we ask the lawyers, who mutt
acknowledge the illegality of the act per se to do
the like.

FREEDMAN'S AID BAZAAR AT FnANXFORT.—A Bazaar
in aid of the American 10
Frank-
fort-on-the-Maine on Monday, and was to be continued.
Freedmen wag opened at Frank-
on Tuesday and Wedueslay. We have received an ac-
count of the first day's proceedings only, but. from it we
gather that the success of the Bazaar was beyond ques-
tion. The bazaar was attended by the leading citizen,
of Frankfort with their wives. Handsome presents were
made by Baroness Carl M. Von Rothschild, and by
Baroness Willy Von Rothschild. The receipts for the
VTenheaCsodnosanlarne'ratl expects that Frank-
first day were over 3,000 florins, exclusive. of it handsome
the United States'
es gum
s. oufy i _
Gm
oonneeLti
1
1 fort will contribute a total of 10,000 or 12,000 florins for
the Freedman's Aid Association.

DR. DE JONGR'S
(Knight of the Order of Leopold of Belgium)
COD LIVER OIL,
LIGHT-BROWN.
prescribed as the most efftctual remedy for
CONSUMPTIGENERAL DISEASES OF T HE CHEST, and
DEBILI TY.
Universally recognised by the highest medical authorities
TO BE THE ONLY COD LIVER OIL
invariably pure, uniformly excellent,
PALATABLE. AND EASILY TAKEN.
Sold only in capsuled Imperial Half-pints Chem ate
2s. Bd. • Pints
4s. 9d. ; Quarts, 9s. ; by respectable .
Sole Consignees, _ _ -

ANSAR lIARFORD, and CO., 77, Strand, London, W.C.

11[1-ER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
Signor ARDITI'S CONCERTS, Every Evening.

SECOND WEEK.

NOTICE. —The Concerts cannot rossibly be prolonged
beyond the Fuur Weeks originally stated.
TO-NIGHT ,Saturday), December 2.
VOCALISTS.
Mdlle. Laura Harris. Mdile Sarolta, and Mdlie. Sinico ;
Siv,nor Stag no, Signor Ferranti (his first appearance at these
Concerts,, Signor Foil, and Mr. Santley this last appe.aance
in Eng and this winter).
VIOLIN.
3ldlle. Emilia Arditi.
THE ORCHESTRA OF HER MAJESTY S T.IENIIV,
_ _

- -
Conductor—Signor ABDUL
Commence at Eight. Promenade, One Shilling.
The GRAND BAL D OPERA will take place on
TUESDAY, the 19th December.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT-
GARDEN.
(Opera Company, Limited.)
Last Night but Eight of L'Africaine.
THIS EVENING will be performed Meyerbeer's Grand
Opera, L'AFItICAINF. Mss Louisa Fyne,
Madame
Alberto
Lem-
mens-Sharrington, and Mrs. A. Cook ; Messrs.
Lawrence, Henry Corrl, A. Cook, E. Dussek, J. G. Patey, C.
Lyall, and Charles Adams.
Conductor, Hr. Alfred Mellon.
Acting Manager, Mr, E. Murray. Stage Manager. Mr. W.
West.