New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-02-15
Sentence of Bennett.

Gordon Bennett for repeated and nrocious Libels
published in his Herald on the Criminal Cour, OF
Sessions Of this City.
From the moment we learned that Bennett was
indicted, nc have retrained from any remarks on
the case, and have scarcely spoken Of hin or
his paper in any way whatever. When "a man is
on his defence before the Courts he ought not TO
be tried in the newspapers. Blu, now tina, the
Trial is over the Sentence passed, and It's Penalty
executed, the remarks which this extraordinary
case suggests, need no longer be rerressed
Bennett stood indicted for several gross and
wanton libels on the Judges of the Criminal
Courts Of our City-bels calculated 10 degrade
and debase them in the estimation OF his nu.aer-
ours readers-to oyervhem them with rdicule
and contempt These libes were Systematically
persisted in and being read in his papercSpeclally
by that large class Of population which
this Court was intended to exercise u salutary re-
straint could not fail to exert a most perIciou~
and lawcontcmnng influence. If the great mass
Of our floating and loose prncipled population are
taught day by day that the Judges OF the Cour,
before which they would be igncd for crime
arc old fools, dotards sleeping on their bench and
spending their ~akcfs hours in cracking poin,less
| Jokes with feons and each other about Pork &c.
and punning the names of the culprits arragned
before them, how is it possible that they shall re-
spect or fear the administration of Justice
Tie management of this case by the District
Attorney struck Us as most souching and naisera-
bic, indicating very different anxiety with regard
to the result from that which animated his exer-
tons against Colt. Then the conduct Of Judge
| Noah was such as cannot revert to without
pain. Who thought or cared of his being libcllcd
bv Bennett! 1t the assault On the admins
,raton of Justice that this suit was intended to re-
pei. Yet he could talk of his being quits with
Bennett in the way Of lampoons as though that
were atoneincnt for the degradation of = Cour,
| 4 wotul mistake this, whether dictated By kind
ness or policy.
| But the libel Is proved the libellcr convicted :;
and now comes the sentence. Judge KENT, ear
nesty contendng for the vindicaton of the out
ragged majesty Of the LAWS ovcrrulcd BY two Tam
many Aldermen, who happen to be constituted CO.
ordinate Judges with him; and for two fragrant IL
bells the culprit is sentenced pay fines amount
ing to $3.50. He draws his check for the amount ;
| walks out of Court, and the Law rclaxes its stern
visagc into smile of triumph Justice has taken
its revenge, and is satisfied
The grounds on which Mcssrs. Purdy and Lee
base this sentence strike us more cxccptlonable
than the judgement itself. Bennett did not see
the lOelous article till II appeared IN his col
anus And Attree swears thathe at first thought
Of apologi=ing for IL. And pray did he not SEE
any of tho series of outragcs upon and carcaturcs
of that Court which have appeared in the Herald
from day to day through the last six months Did
he not see those he must himself have written I?
Did he not see the farce-likc report of MiS gerry
Trial, which appeared in his columns few days
ago, in which Judges, Counsel Witnesses, and
Spectators were represented as outlying cuch 9TH
CT in immodsrate and irrepressiblc laughter over
the surprising and delicate humor of that very
Libel for which James Gordon Bennett was on
trial7 And yet Benefits let off with u paltry
fne, as innoccn,ly guilty of constructive and
nominal libel! And the City of New.Y orlS ha,
the Bench Of her Criminal Courts filled with such
Aldcrmanic legal lore at four dollars "A day per
head, and is to have more of it as soon as the
Law Of 1910 can be repealed Masters at al
bany! upset the Court in welcome, if you will;
but have mercy and give us some better substitute
than this! You have lawyers, good men and true;
put them on the bench, and relieve us from .lis
shameful mockcry of justice, dispensed BY acct
dental Judges who have never read the Revised
Statutes, and who continually housing TO Sc
cure additional strength for the next Election
Ho,,.
as Slaves in all beside!
VIRGlSlA.-An unsuccessful attempt was made
to elect Governor of Virginia by the Legislature
on Friday last After the whole day had been
consumed in debate nominations, two ballots
were had with the following result:
lst ballot. I'd ballot
Gen. Edward Watts, Wing ..-...87 81
VIM 7. TAYLOR, Calhoun Loce.79 81
Scattering. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
Hon. Andrew Stevenson was then nominated BY
a Loco, and Hon.=Lewis Summers by a Wing.
Tho Legislature then adjourned to the next morn
ing, when the baloting would be renewed. The
result was extremely doubtful
Mr. Taylor wa. formerly Wing Member Of
Congress from the Caroliae District, but followed
MI. Caiheun into Nuillhcaton and L0cO-t Ocolsn.
q The Democratic Anti-Bond PAYERS of Mis-
sssippi held Convention at Jackson on the a8lh
inst.-ticn Briscoe of Carroll in the Chair-and
nominated Martin Van Burcn and Richard NJ.
Johasou for reelection as President and Vice Prcsi
dent. Judge \. G. Brown, Folney f. Howard and
Lewis Sanders, Jr. were the speakers.
Much i'll feeling prevails in the Legislature
The Anti-Bond majority complain that the minority