Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-07-13

means to accomplish his object, he escaped an in
dic,n,ent for murder, while one of manslaug hter
merely was presented against him, and the trial
postponed TO a succeeding term of the court. He
is now at large upon bail-the amount of which will
probably be raised and handed to his sureties, and
he at liberty to leave the country thus escaping the
richly deserved penalties of the law-or if he comes
to trial at all, standing chance of being entirely
acquitted upon the present indictment, or of re-
celving punishment but slightly comparsoned to
the magnitude of his offence. If poor and friend
less wretch had entered the Council chamber
one whose !" education, association, and opporuni-
ties, had no: been of character to ensure profound
respect Tor the law, the decences of life, or the in
terests OF society,"-and had committed the crime
in the "manner and form as committed by the
Hon. James R. Vineyard, can it be supposed for a
moment that the utmost rigor of the law would not
speedily have been put in execution against him.
Should we then have heard of extenuating crcum
stances-of writ of habeas corpms-of an admis-
sion to bail-and of mere Indictment for man.
slaughter! No! The culprit, with no friendly
hand nterposed in his behalf would have been hur.
red to prison-from thence to the tribunal of just
iSC, W duSWCI W oil lHulCtillcHt fol HtWucI, dAu
from thence to the place of execution, to expiate
his crime upon gibbet! Is that Justice which con-
signs, without hope of PARDON to the cell of pris
on, the poor rogue in rags, who may have been i'm
PEELED to the commission of crime by want, and the
extent of whose guilt may be theft of a few, dol
lars and cents, to himself his family from
starvation, while the "rogue in ruffes,' who as
iorger, banker, or a specula,or, has swndled
the public of thousands, has rendered destitute ma
ny family, and reduced to beggary many widow
and orphan, is permitted, through the influence of
his ILL gotten wealth, respectable name, and re-
spectacle connections, to escape entirely the penal
ties of violated law! And are not instances of
this kind frequent throughout our country? Ex-
anime the criminal records of our Atlantic cities in
particular, and learn how many hundreds of the
first class alluded to, for comparatively trfnp Of
fences have been summarly hurried off to iails and
pententares, then visit the places of residence of
the Hon. Charles F. Mitchell the .orger, Lcris the
peculator ; Bidde, Coperthwait, and numberlcss
other fraudulent Bankers, and see them no, only
In the full enjoyment of their liberty, freed from
any "terror of the law" through the chicanery
and favorism of the Courts but luxuriatipg in
wealth hlched from the hard earnings of industry,
and shining with spendor whose price is the suf-
ferings and perjury of defrauded thousands To
come nearer home, look at the proceedings of our
judiciary, and see how many of the "poor and
friendess," guilty Of the most petty crimes, have
been compelled to pay the utmost penalties of a
violated law, while such men as Stringham, and
Knapp and others might mention OF Wiscon-
sin " and Mineral Point Bank" memory, ecntle-
men swindlcrs upon grand scale, have been per-
mtted to escape UNPUBLISHED, -and not only unpun-
ished, but some of them occupy the highest sta
tons in our territory. And when you have learned
and seen these things, which " he who runs may
read" can you forbear exclaiming-what mock
cry, what a violation of every principle of justice
and equality!
But better era, it is said, is arriving The con-
viction of Monroe Edwards, the notorious forger
is considered evidence of returning reason as
a proof that justice is about to resume her sway
and dispense the blessings Of ORDER law, and secu-
rity to society, for which her power originally
instituted" The Sunday Morning News says:
'Last week we issued our paper under an m-
preston that the jury, which upon the trial of
Monroe Edwards, would scarcely find verdict
Wealth and influence have so often triumphed over
justice in courts, and jurors who cannot agree
have become formidable, that a verdict of any
kind was considered almost hopeless in case
where gold and the best talent of the country were
brought into powerful operation. Edwards, him
SELF we believe, had scarcely anxiety on the
subject, for throughout the whole trial, his deport
ment has been that of self-possessed coxcomb,
confident in the strength of his position and paying
regard to his personal appearance than to the
proceedings of the Court.
''On Tuesday morning, the jury had been out all
night; some of them were reluctant to find YER
dict against the prisoner, and it only few
minutes before their entrance into court that one
was agreed upon. When they entered the court
room, the audience stood silent, and gazed upon
them with breathless attention; but the magnificent
forger merely looked up with that air of noncha-
Lance manifested through the whole trial He
smiled blandy, and took pinch of snuff with about
as much concern as if those twelve men had been
d., ding the fate of his mothers lap dog. The fore
man arose anu gave in verdict of guilty, and then
Colonel Monroe Edwards turned cxceedingywhite
for the word had struck him with CONSERVATION
and we doubt not unexpected as if no such |,
thing as Justice existed in courts He soon re.
sumed his usual manner, while the dense crowd !
which filled the court room, could scarcely be |
checked in an expression applause, which seemed
universal" IS ...-.,.- IA |