The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-04-10

ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUsrIcE-lNCRKAsK
OF CRME,-Communties like individuals, are sub
iect 10 fits of stupor, from which II seems almost I'M
possible for them to be aroused The deep sleep OF
moral death falls upon them. They become as rot
ten and as peaceful as the -yard-where there
is peace, because every eye is dim, and every arm
nerveless-where there silence because force was
not with force, nor man with man; and the only
sense of vitality left is that Of the crawling worm
that feeds and batens there. We greatly fear that
the community in which live Is sinking into this
perous state ofapahy and death; if, indeed, all the
social justice, truth and virtue, do not already lie be
meath that gravestone, which can be removed onl,
by power miraculous as that which called Laza
rous from the tomb .s... +.
If the astounding result of the trial of Singleton
Mercer, do not thoroughly arouse the community,
from one end of the Union TO the other we may al
once make an end of our exhortations, and prepare
for some terrible universal catastrophe like that
which descended on the doomed cities of the plain.
Just letus, for few moments. calmly review this
sad, sad case. From beginning to end it has been
the melancholy tragedy that any land has ever
seen. The beginning was horrible, but the end is
ten.fold more appalling II is the whole story OF the
evils which have grown up amongst us into gigantic
FORM and are about TO cover the whole face Of this
one dark chapter of blood, and defiance of the laws
The accomplished, systematic seducer-the social
insensibity to his atroclous crlme--the gross i'm
morality OF city once eminent for sobrety and
virtue-the reckless spirit of reverge-the assas-
sination in,open day-and in one of the most pub
lie places which could possibly be selected-the
loud burst of popular sympathy for the criminal
the Iia-the last browning act of open, mad, ut
rerlx raokle of Of met ~ III Lou,
yer such gloomy picture exhibited to the
world.
The whole trial of young Mercer was one of the
saddes farces ever seen. Who believes that the
murderer was insane Not one The murder was
act oil deliberate, premeditated matured reven ge
II not done in sudden burst of agony or pas
sion. None can estimate more correctly the awful
provocauon given, than we. None can be more dis.
posed than we to Judge with lenency the offender
But we must proclaim the solemn truth, which the
evidence has written, with pen of iron, mot to
be efaced, not to be misunderstood, Singleton
Mercer was guilty OF deliberately shedding the blood
of fellow being
Well, he is tried. The evidence Of his guilt is
full and satisfactory. And yet jury of sane men,
"a jury7of citizens of State in which the admin
stration of criminal justice has been heretofore no.
n
scene of indescribable tumut, as yet unexampled
in Court of Justice, ensues. The Judge appeals 10
the ob,-he beseeches as favor that they would
restrain their feelings-bu he appeals in vain The
voice Of the minister of the laws is as little regard
ed as their supremacy which has been degraded and
disgrcced and covered with contempt and infamy
The prisoner is carried away amid the acclamations
of the popuace; and the heavens are rent by the
shouts which nroelaipn he truunh of I'D md
maddened popular feeling over justice and the laws
of God and man!
Were we not right in saying that the sleep which
this startling warning fails to arouse, must be the
sleep of the dead1 Would any but the dead remain
motlonless, unappalled, unawakened, when the
flames are bursting forth all sides! or when the
earth sends forth premonitory echoes of the thun-
dering avalanche which is descending in fury from
the hills, and is about to cover the plain with ruin
and death!
The matter has come to resolve itself into very
simple question--are to maintain the dignity and
ss remacy of the laws, and established order of ci
vilzed society," to administer justice, pun
ish crime and avenge wrong, according to that
cheap, expeditions and old fashioned system which
prevailed in the days when
"wiid in woods the noble savage ran7n
We say to every manlln the community, are you in
deed prepared for the latter alternative If So let
us at once dispense with the present cumbrous and
complicated system, judges juries and laws Let us
at once dismiss our Judges who have 10 beg ON their
kness that the people will disgrace the sanctuary
ofustce, and iaughe TO scorn in return. Let us
at once demolish this trial by jury and save our citi-
zens from the crime of trifng with the solemn
sancuty OF an oath Let us at once burn in our
public squares, with becoming ndigny those statute
books, which the bravo and assassin have already
trampled in the dust.
Once for all, we say it has TO this. The out
ragged sovereignty of the law is either to be vnd-
Gated and maintained, to perish for ever from
amongst us Look around YOU 1t is no solitary
crime, committed with impunity, that up before
you, waving In triumph its garments all dabbled
with blood, and mounting the very heavens with its
iendish laughter as it exultngly proclaims it's i'm
munify. 10 this very city, we have had, within a
few weeks, series of atrocities OF remarkable hor-
ror. man is shot down in one of our most public
thoroughfares, at the close of day, and after pain
ful and minute investigation, continued during a
whole week. not the slightest trace of the assassin is
discovered. Then we have the death of an unpro-
tected female, under circumstances which awaken
the most painful suspicious OF well concerted wrong;
and yet the guilty escape! In fact, no man or
woman is safe. The authors of crimes of the
deepest dye are rarely discoverable, and when
brought to trial, can laugh at our laws. Who is
safe IRON assassination If you have personal
enemy, can he not just as readily dismiss you
IRON the world, as the murderer Of Corlies dis
missed that llI-sarred man 2 II even you have
not a single Toe, you sure that you may
not be mistaken by some skulklng bravo
for his enemy " Are You father, or a hus-
band, or brother, and has your daughter. or
the wife OF your bosom, your beloved sister, ex-
cited the helsh desires of any of those men, who,
like the murdered Heberon, pollute our community:
are you that you may not be quietly removed