The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-31 00:00:00

THE MAJESTY OF 7HE LAW.

Our readers may remember a recent incident
which occurred at Jarrettsville, Maryland. It was
there, on the 10th of April, that Marana CAIRNS
shot NICOLAS AVCOMAS, murdering him with the
coolest deliberation for seducing her under a pro-
mise of marriage he had failed to keep, the case
being aggravated by the fact that she had given
birth to a child. A breech of promise suit was
commenced by Miss CAIRNS against M'COMAS,
but she did not await the dilatory, proceedings of the
law. Announcing to M'ComAs her intention, she
rode after him to that Maryland village, took off
her riding habit and hat, and walking through a
bar room erop-ded with men she marked out her
victim, and relentlessly emptied her revolver into
his body. Then putting on her habit and bat she
remounted the horse, previously tied up at the door,
and quietly rode back to Bellair, where on the mor-
row she surrendered to the Sheriff. When telling
the story we added, " Considering she 1
will
GD y
excite public compassion,have a subscription raised
for her, and be made the heroine of the day, she
ran little danger in an act which, as her hate was
cold; blooded and her nerve strong, was easy of ac-
complishment." The young lady (Miss CAIRNS is
about 30 years of age, and moves in a good social
circle) has realized all and more than we predicted.
The jury in five minutes acquitted her; the She-
riff, with obsequious politeness, handed her to and
from the dock, and it was on his owdarm she leant
when proceeding between the Court House and her
hotel. At its door, with hat raised, he left a flagrant
murderess while the trial was proceeding, as he well
knew that restraint on his prisoner was unneces-
sary, for had she run away it would have been from
a reward, not from a punishment. The greatest
excitement prevailed, crowds assembled to catch
a glance of the gentlewoman, and through the
dense throngs which respectfully opened a way she
passed as an object of interest and compassion.
She held levees during the day, and was sere-
naded at night. What she did and said, what
she wore and how she looked, were minutely re-
ported, and she was the sensation of the period till
her admirers carried her back in triumph a free
woman, absolved in the eye of the law from all
crime. The facts of the case are too clear to he
mistaken or to leave any room for a maudlin senti-
mentality, and it is their startling reality which gives
so much importance to the action of the public.
'A. woman, verging on thirty, is a participator in
a sin alike against the religion and laws of her coun-
try. If there is anything a woman of her age ought
tQ know, 411d.vfbieh a cool, deliberate person, as oho

,
is, must have known, it is that the promises 1330
sin are not those observed with faith. As a 10,0
policy, putting aside altogether the improprieV
woman of sense, would be a party to such a 01)
pact, though very young people who mean ‘%.
might be betrayed by passion and opportunity
the indiscretion. But no such excuse can be offore
for Miss CAIRNS, who was thoroughly well

quainted with the fact that her course was netu%
a bad introduction into marriage, but very selu,°.
preceded it. Those who intend to behave hone;
ably will not commence by behaving dishonoara%
nor will the first step of a man towards a sele°3lN
ceremony be an outrage on a Divine command• i
his share of the crime was coupled with falsebeil
her's was equ illy marked with folly, and thusstl
the case when she determined to slay her sed'lce.
That story has already been told,
and
we subiaitl
to our readers if there is anything in these C'
to call forth respect., admiration, and sympathy f
iC
the public. The most noticeable feature is
case is, that the course the people would P°
could be calculated on with certainty by Miss C-'lll.„f‘
before she perpetrated the murder, as well
us on hearing the story. It is this 5Y103,1,'
and immunity from punishment which lead to ;
perpetration of such crimes, meaning nothing
nor less than a swift march on the road to angel;
"The majesty of the law" is not a mere phrase;
the foundation stone on which society is laid; it?
the key of the arch, and it bodes ill to a Pe°o
when their sympathy is often with those, v;130;10
defiance of the remely it offers, erect thetnion,
into the judge and executioner for their own wrerj.'
There are cases, such for instance as that
CHALONER, who, at Quebec, killed an officer -
the British Army, which might make the ea°
went of extreme legal penalties appear harsh
unjustifiable, yet to a stern and unrelenting
should be entrusted the measure of the pnefabin
and the vindication of the law, for it is not In
that Ensign WHITAKER and Mr. M‘Coulg
been killed for crimes, but that society'is lejav,
Supposing a full justification in each case, if
it
CHALONER can walk out with a loaded piswrey
shoot another, and MARTHA J. CAIRNS can Slice,
empty her revolver into the body of her seall.)
what is to prevent REAL going forth from Prdit
to murder the policeman to whom he owes a grubf
or any scoundrel blowing out the brains exernti
an honest man in counteracting his villanies•
vain for men to argue that the former cases are
able, the latter, unjustifiable ; the very Pri°:,s
we contend for being that no man is a fair je(lbg
his own case. He may be right, while it is elo
probable lie may be wrong ; in one instance tar
may be this j ustification,!in another,with the salueriit
son, there may not, while he holds none thelessury
to the justification of the latter case, however str°°"li
opposed his conviction is to that of societPo
REAL believed that he had been grossly injured° et'
suited by the policAnan, why should he not boy 0
mitted to shoot SMEDICK as well as Miss COI)
shoot M'COMAS ; and is it a sufficient reply'
the sentiment of society is against, him. That sed
tnent has no more right to rule than has the vnttl
individual to decide ; but if it must rule it °ago)
lay down a code specifying the offences for W.,,rei
the summary execution of the injurer by the fui
will be condoned, and those for which the ail
will be rigorously given up to the law. Wbs3,id
maintain is that that law should not be deg tY
into a farce when it happens to be opposed t°o
maudlin sentiment of the moment. Once thei)
tude is given, the flood-gates are opened Brco,
the community, and all manner of noxious t'ioco
come in with the inundation. In the Sontb,
are often shot with impunity for expresiil
nions in opposition to those of the majority. 0
North a man may, and a woman certainly call'Di
those who have offended against their horollr.
tli
habit then grows of carrying pistols, and toe
result that, in a fit of momentary irritation'apill
inflict death on each other. Society
the restraints of law becomes the sufferer, f°oo/
more latitude given—the tendency being to grey
the more are honest, upright men at the Luc or
unscrupulous ruffians, and this carried to 2111e0
bounded excess creates a Mexico. The argilll:s.o
BULWER puts into the mouth of an EuGEO
or of a PAUL CLIFFORD wou'd carry the cons'ilel4
to the minds of many criminals that their actlefor
in loosur to,
justifiable; nor is it easy, if Vie law be set atir,
ordinary men to draw the line where crime ,u,,,1
May the fa, her of a starving family steal the 'anti
has no opportunity of earning, to save his elu ,
lives ? If sentiment is to decide, Yes ; if
A thief is a thief in the eye of the law, ao".,i'er
deter a murderer. Let the Judge cono"t.
degree of the crime ; but society will' destrlief
if the theft of the father leads to ample re„,iit:4
stead of to punishment, and the murder con' .41)"
by the woman not only condoned her sin fretuoto'
that highest of crimes sprang, but erects.her
heroine.—Anglo-A merican Times.
c
Senator Chandler, if he has not alreadi f-ods ti
Europe, soon will, with his family, where 110 1e.gte,,,,0i1
spend the summer. We hope that he will visit 'tlJ-3t,,,
and ventilate his opinions, and we venture to WO'
he announced a lecture, he would fill the biggestbir tsefoi
London, for the Cockneys aro curious to lino° scaly,,
should be so hated by Mr. Chandler and the Se'
Americans he represents. chat

At Washington letters from London say t-
desl ices
•t
George Peabody's health is not good, and be 01/
1- teto
return home to end his days. Mr. Peabody I°o3
to Georgetown, Massachusetts, stating his We ye e
supply the funds required for the public librarY ere
the town, and also preseniing $4,000 towards, the P
nent fund.
Mr. E. B. Washburne is the guest of l‘ir'iefo'4,
liugane, who, with all the Embassy from China'
ew • e
Paris for Berlin on the 21st June, when the cboi
Minister will take the house now occupied by the ,
Embassy. Mr. Washhurne presented his ereclaildb;Ore
the Emperor last Sunday, when General Di% ba
well audience. fijib
101,. dOr
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Da
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---- • ---
sfif°
BROWNE—On the 29th moßsit.R,Tallt :,• tile
Onslow-square' .el'
of Jemmett Browne, Esq., of a son.
ROUTLEDGE -On the 29th inst., at Kingvraterl Nor::
lane, the wife of RobJrt Warne Routledge, °' -
re
.I.I.IRRIAGES. ri y 6,fe° ri
HIITCHINEON—WATSON— On the 27th inst., 11'..-","°111A-tbil•t
Bntchinson, Esq., Bth Hussars, to Florence -1'011"a, O. .
Watson, daughter of the late Commodore Wats°
5.0
and Queen's A.D.C. qt Jaillipt
HALNE .... WESTALL—On the 28th inst., at ~.-;, JO-4
Church, by the Rev. A. J. J'Cachemadle, i).`,-,'' ar19,,-,)
eldest son of John Halse, Esq., of Acton, f°,l„-,. f t't,
St. James's Palace, to Frderica eldest datigha.°sol:v '
late Samuel Westall, Esq., of 108, Guildfer
Russell-square, formerly of New-ian•
el
DEAIIS.
GnIFFINHoor.E—On the 28th inst ,at Arkesden ale
Essex, the Rev. T. G. Griffinhoufe, aged 43. fores(l'
SMITH -On the 26th inst Robert Edwin Smithy 01
~ f• I
street, Cheapside, solic.tor, aged 48. , sOliCiP
WALM— At South Lambeth, J. W. Walsh, Esq
aged 52.
o.e.
_, ANDII
London: Printed and Published by VirILLI,sL. io, Stl",,s
of No. 112, .)tr .nd, Printer, at THE SUN Meet NliddlCOS'
in the Precinct of the Savoy, is the CellatiQf
7442hdan !Soy 31,- ma