The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-08-07

nal improvements aud we fear will conil-
oue TO Labor in vain, tihe without end
Btauehdnp and UG.-We occupy a
large portion of our paper to-day, "a much
larger portion than We usually oIlot 10 such
sub jrct-) 10 the elusing scene Of the unlor-
tnnate aud mrlnnchely tragedy recently
enacted in Kentucky. There is something
both about the life and death of 3enuchamp
and his wife. which separates them from
common every day occurrences. Whate-
yer may be said of the Improperly of ex-
citing commisseraiian, or feeling pity for
wretches who have committed the highest
crime known 10 the law, yet we cannus
hu believe that the unfortunate indiyidu-
ais sho have espiat.d their crimes with
their lives, deserve both c0mm'seratlOn
and pity. We ara too much accustomed
10 leuk ut the act When m individual is
charged with the breach of law, upon
due Observance If which we are pleased to
think the peace andisaGets of society de
pend, and too seldom refer 10 the meiiye
We see the Dtd; il is palpable 10 touch
and feeling. But we see nj the cause =
II is too abstract and int ngible 10 be APP
pr.eiated. The immediate actors stand
before us in Their naked drIormii, eDllr
the chief agent is hidden from o. eNs
The wiedcr Of the knife is followed TO
The sallo"s and The grave with abhor-
renee, while the great cause of the whole
tragedy prtmum monte because he
ls the utctlm also, rs honofe and rcmem
ber.d with yeneratIon We are as much
disposed as any body can BIO TO ridicule
that mamkish sensiblllty which wseps over
the grave of every Ina.etattor and we
rrpfobaIe as sincerely as any one thai
closing scene one of triumph rather than
of gnomny. Bot we cannot, in avoiding
one extreme, see the proprely oil runnins
INTO It's opposite. Na"ne who traces the
history Of The triple connexlon between
Col. Sharp, Beaochamp and Mrs. Beau
CHAMP, will not be satisfied INT the fol-
ner wronged tn, latter,--dcepIy, iIrrpara-
bly, wronged her. The Roman TarauIn
committed only a portion Of his outrage,
--Lncretia stabbed herself, & her husband
slew her rayishef. Luersla was held Up
AS the first OF Roman mairons, and Junius
Brutus was honored as the noplrst of men.
But Tarquin did not add iosnlt In injury.
lie did not attempt TO destroy Lucreta's
fame. If Colo. Sharp did this, and it
appears that he did-if he added Islander
10 edurtion--however mlch we NAV re-
probate the act that hurr d him into e.
ternIty, We cannot but admit there are n
| bout the transaction many circumstances
calculated To render It's preparedness obi
Gus than from the first impulse of feeling
we were prepared to admit. The murder
OF Francis Baker by Ilaac b. Deshl was
far more horrld. There, no extenuating
Circumstance exists. There, 40 wife had
been first dshonored and then defamed.-
There, no wrong had bren committed to
excite the passions, to blind the reason, t,
give an impulse to revenge. 1t was a cold
hIooded act, itself most horrible, but auu-
bly, 80 when we recolIcct that dparice was
the impeling principle. There is no com.
parison in the odionsnrss of the two trans
actlons-yet, Bakers bones have been bu-
rled more than two years, and Dcsha is
unpublished; while the blood is scarcely
dry on Beauchamp's dagger before he has
expIated his crime on the gaIIowe' Is this
equal and exact Justice
| --eae~.
IT, This No. is the 1st of the 9Th yo
lume, of the &" Yirginian." We had hoped
to have commenced this yolailr with
new set oftype bat have not been able