The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-12-19

LocoFocoIsM Up TO THE IIANDLE.-The
whole country is aware with what facility
criminals in Pennnsylvania are enabled, I'M
der the rnerciful reign of his Locofoco Ex-
cellency, Gov. Porter, 10 procure pardon for
all ofences;-the following statement which
we see going The rounds Of The PeansyIvau-
ia Press uncontradicied, however, seems to
US to cap the climax. 1t is copied~rom the
American.
The Editor of the Shippcnsburg (Pa.)
Weekly News having given offence to one
John Piper, described as sa notorious Lo-
cofoco b~lackguard," was assaulted by him.
Piper being indicted for the assault, the fol-
lowing scene. as reported in the News, oc-
cured in Court:
Commonwealth vs.. John Piper, Indicted
for an assault and battery.
Called up by the Court.
Coart.-Cail a jury in the case of the
Commonwealth VS.. John Piper.
Sam Hammill.-YoH needn't call a jury.
Prosecuting Attorney-Will there be a
submission
Sam HammilE, with a grinning smile and
quivering lip No, there won't.
Prosecuting Attofney.-Well.
Sam Hammill.-If the Court please |
should like TO have an opportunity 10 make
a speech in this case, and lash the dastardly
coward that brought it into court.
Court.-Mr Hammill, we don't want 10
hear
Sam IIammill.--I have here Il previous
pardon unfolding the paper) from Cover
nor Porter, (handing the pardon 10 the
Court got on the petition of three hundred
good Democrats of Cumberland county, I'M
der the broad seal too. CThls was said, as
Sam sat down, with a most hyena grin.)
The Court was astounded, the bar woke
up from its slumbers; Jurors, witnesses, and
spectators all were surprised at this new and
speedy mode of disposing Of criminal cases.
And then the means by which the previous
pardon had been obtained, the petition OF
three hundred good Democrats of Cumber-
land county! Verify. verify, Democracy is
not what we took it TO be; we knew it 10 be
bad enough, in all conscience, but this
movement soaps the climax.n
The National Intelligeaeer commenting
on this act of the Governor says:
at is certainly not the political character
of the petitioners in this case that makes us
shudder; We should have regarded it IN The
same ligh: if the signers for the criminal had
been all Wings. But, good Heavenl what a
practice in courts of %justicel We have of
ten heard Of such acts on Governor Porter's
part; but we are utterly unable to compre-
bend how any court could submit to such an
enormous stretch of the pardoning power.-
That power, in its very terms, implies a pre-
cedent conviction; nothing but a judgment
already pronounced can really call it into
being. Thus exercised, it loses its whole
nature, and becomes not the gentle and bles-
sed prerogattve of mercy for cause shown,
but the fatal faculty of granting IMMUNITY in
advance. 1t is a sort of legal indulgence
held out TO encoura age crime and tell judges
and juries that they shall not even look into
a case. Strange things are every day hap
pening among US in stretches of power and
overthrow of the laws; but we have seen
nothing more amazing than facts like this,
and their sufferance in a country where peo-
pie are always making such an ado about
freedom, and yet suffer common criminal
Justice to be thus trampled on.n
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