Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-06-08


/ ncthing cNtranCOus To cmbnrrass In,
judgment, or lead away The thoughts.
| When | remark that the public al
Know OF the tlIals, mean that they have
heard OF them, generally; y; for do not be-
heve that one person in fifty knows any
Ting more about them. | have followed
up ule account Of them, as far as have
had 'hc means; and especially those that
have taken place at Iockport, within the
last few months. | have done so in nc
1 prcIndicfd spirit, but with an earnest de-
sire 10 understand the whole case rightly.
lhey appear 70 me to unfold one Of the
most extraordinary incidents that has cv-
er transpired. An the circumstance
/ considered, | Know not where we shall
seek for It's Counterpart. il Is seen from
these trials, thahhc laws of the land can
not be eNccutedupon the authors OF AN
audacous and Moody conspiracy, al
though It's entlrethcatre was in one of
the most populols parts of the Union,
although attempts have been made to
enforce them III all practicable ways for
period now exceeding jour years, al
though the government Of the State Of
Ncw-lork has aidcl, by its immediate
countenancc and dlcction, the public
prosecution, besides lnving issued com
missions Of special Investigation; and,
what is more astonishing than all, although
the conSpirators, with their adcrs and
abcttors, are, in all probability, known to
more than one hunded persons belong
ing to the masonic sod y if not to a larger
number. That thV are certainly known
to great many masons, if to fewer than
one hundred, IS plain, from lights that
must bring CONVICTION home to every dis
passionate and sound mind.
Il Such Is the case as it meets us on the
threshold. It's startling. Under a gov
crnmcnt Of laws, and III a season of tram
guilty, IT mus be pronounced an anom-
ally. 1t seclE Il scandal upon the trial
by jury, upoDthc public examination of
witnesses, won our forms Of present
ment and Indictment, upon the power Of
commitment pr not answering legal qucs-
tons; upon al the modes heretofore the
boast OF our udlcaturc, for getting at the
ly, solcmnly yet iruitlessly rosortod to.
Amidst tn din of arms we are told, in
deed, tlnthc laws become silent; but
that the, should so totally lose their au-
thoriiy, at period OF profound peace
and Eeeral good order, as they have
done q this occasion, must arise from
some extraordinary and pertentous cause.
The vttory OF crime Is the opprobrium
of the aw, and should call forth spirit
of determined inquiry into the cause.
1t las been said that the human bo-
som i;not strong enough to hold the Sc
cret 4 n foul murder. So heavily does
it pres that the soutest heart gives way
seeking relief in the gush OF It's sin.-
lltheto, also,in proportion as the knowl-
edge d the fact of murder has been shar-
ed by argc numbers of people, has been
the case, tie promptitude, we may add,
the cenaint, Of detection. But IN Nor
gan's case, we behold the frightlul re-
serve. 1t sands, in this respect, alone
in the recohs OF criminal jurisprudence.
The law boks Of ancient and modern
times, mightsalely be invoked for pre-
ccdent. Te difficulty Of keeping the
secret of murder, operated as some
safeguard Ger innocent life. 1t served in
some degre, to deter the murderer him.
self, by mailing him shrink from the fear
Of his own thoughts, afterwards, and to
obstruct his,cll plans, from the like fear,
keeping awy accomplces. As by stripes
the flesh is made to qulvcr, so the whips
and stings G rcnorsc, laccrate the heart.
They are internal eXccutloncrs, from
whose tortue the guilty cannot escape.
But here We behold this safeguard of
lie put to scorn; one seated III the
very Conscience of man, and which
nothing bu the most balelul potions, adj
mnlstcredas if by Intervals, could ever
cNtlrpatc Every sober minded citizen
will be myious to arrive at the solution
of this phenomenon. If train Of evil
dencc a.ogcthcr irrc sistiblc in It's direct
or circmstantial application, force upon
his mini the belief that It's entire and
completed horror is clearly traccable
to the onlcderatcd and unholy contrl-
vanccs of bad men, who are masons,
all his ight feelings as citizen must
be shocked He must stand coniound-
ed, at s,cing human life and liberty SO
sportcd with, by power the more trc-
mcndous IN IFS victory over the laws, as
it rides in darkness. Good men who
are masms, will turn from such conduct
with adherence. Candid men of the
society, on hearing the relation of II,
may be disposed to ask themselves,
whether all the benefits of masonry,
alleged or real, can be a counterpolsc
for the prils which may thus spring
from 1t, Trough deluded or dcpravcd
-u...l..i. DIN nnIn ,l...tlInnnn IN IL