Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-08-26

The public all know, that certain trials have
been held from time to time in the state Of
New Y ork, for the discovery of the authors of
the abduction and murder of William Morgan.
Against this mans liberty and life, an extern
sive and formidable conspiracy had been laid,
which ended in the destruction of both. He
was native of Virginia, and had removed in-
to New-York. 1t was there, it seems, that he .
committed certain offence, not against the \
laws of his country, but the Code of Masonry
namely, that of revealing its secrets; and this
is the offence for which he was made to suffer
death. The conspirators neither laid against
him, nor pretended any other The case isl
therefore purely masonic in Its origin and ter
mination. There is nothing extraneous tol
embarrass the Judgment or lead away the
thoughts.
When 1 remark, that the public all know
of the trials, mean that they have heard of
them, generally; for do not believe, that one
person in fifty knows any thing more about
lthem. Ihave folowedup the account of them,
las far as have had the means; and especially
those that have taken place at Lockport, With
lin the last few months. have done so in no
lpreiudiced spirit, but with an earnest desire
to understand the whole case rightly. They
appear to me, to unfold one of the most ex-
incidents that has ever TRANSFERRED.
| All the circumstances considered, know not
were we shall seek for its counterpart: 1t is
lseen from these trials, that the laws of the
land cannot be executed upon the authors of
an audacious and bloody conspiracy, although
its entire theatre was in one of the most pop
Iulous parts of the Union, although attempts
have been made to enforce them in all practical
bic ways for period now exceeding four Years,
lathough the government of the state of New
York, has aided, by its immediate countenance
and direction, the public prosecutions. besides
Having issued commissions of special inyesti-
gation; and what is more astonishing than all,
although the cpnspirators, with their aiders
and abettors, ace, in all probability, known
to more than one hundred persons belonging
to the masonic body, ifnot TO Il larger plumber.
I That they are certainly known to a great many
1 nasons, if to fewer than one hundred, is plain
i iron lights that must bring conviction home to
llev&ry$di spassionate and sound mind.
i S,schis the case as it meets us no the thresh-
,lhoia.G4It is startling. Under a government
l oNaws, and in season Of tranquility, it must
i be'pronounced an anomaly. Itseeins a scandal
-Inpon the trial by jury, upon the public exami-
lnation OF witnesses. upon our forms OF pre-
sentiment and Indictment, upon the power oil
a commitment for not answering legal questions,
,lupon all the modes heretofore the boast of our
,ljudicature, for getting at the truth; all Of
4 which have been, so earnestly, solemnly, yet
4 fruitlessly resorted to. Amidst the din OIL
arms we are told, indeed, that the laws become
1 silent; but that they should so totally lose
! their authority at period Of profound peace
{ land general good order, as they have done or
r. this OCCASION; must arise, from some extraor
: binary and portentous cause. The victocy o
/ crime is the opprobrium of the law, and shoulc
IS call forth spirit of determined inquiry int
d the cause.
!, 1t has been said, that the human bosom i
a not strong enough to hold the secret of fou
ir murder. So heavily does it press, that tn
e, stoutest heart gives way, seeking relief in til
c. gush of its sin. Hitherto, also. in proportio
d las the knowledge of the fact of murder ha
10 been shared by large numbers of people, ha
s. been the ease, the promptitude, we may ado
k, the certainty of detection. But in Morgan
" case, we behold the frightful reverse.
ID stands, in this respect, alone, in the records
he criminal jurisprudence. The law-books {
e., ancient and modern times, might safely be il
ct voked for precedent, The difficulty OF keel
II, ing the secret of murder, operated as SON
of safeguard over innocent life. 1t served
to some degree to deter the murderer himsel
MS by making him shrink from the fear of his ov
ld,1 thoughts afterwards, and to obstruct his fl
llylplans, from the like fear keeping away a
re- completes. As by stripes, the flesh, is made
ci- CULVER, so the whips and stings of remors
nth llacerate the heart. They are internal ex
,ht cutioners. from whose torture the guilty ca
M not escape. But here, we behold this SAT
INT guard of life put to scorn; one seated in 4
Ter very conscience of man, and which nothing b
III. the most baleful portions, administered as
in by INTERVALS, could not extirPate. Every $
ch Der minded citizen, will be anxious to arrive
the solution of this phenomenon. If a train
wn evidence altogether irresistible in its direct
es, circumstantial application. force upon his mil
be the belief, that its entire and complicated he
ror, is clearly traceable TO the confederated al
be unholy contrivances of bad men who are m
md sons. all his right feeling as a citizen must