Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-08-08
BY C.. CLEMENT.
VICTOR HUGO DEFENDING HIS SOW


~, III struggle of more than half an hour, to
return him to prison, and to postpone his execu-
ZION until another day.
The writer in the Ecenenlent, COMMENTING nm
on thls horrible spectacle, denounced caDital
punishment III language which was thought dis
respectful to the authorities. The authorship
OF The article was traced to Charles HUGO. the
son of the distinguished author of Noye Dame
who was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced
tie SIX months imprisonment and fine of 500
francs. On The trial he was defended bv his il.
iustrlous father, who is reported to have made
one OF the most eloquent appeals ever heard at
the French bar. Those who remember to have
read ms defence of the right to continue the rem
resentatlon of LIE Roi s. Amuse, which was
stopped by the Censor after its first perform
ahce, some twelve years ago, will appreciate the
power of this latter speech, which is esteemed
one OF the greatest efforts of his life.
We have not yet received an official report of
the trial OF young Hugo, bat we find notice of
the case in the LOnd0n Times. which NAV in
terest our readers. 1t is written with the ems
tomary bgotry of that journal, and mcanlv un-
Just, OF course, to every feature of the ransac-
ton calculated to eXalt the parties to the de-
fence, IN pubic estimation 1t was case invoI-
wing the freedom OF speech, and, of course the
IMae$ could not be tar, or even deccnty honest,
III Such controversy where absOluIon reuuir-
cd an any or a champion E rening Post
From Correspondence Of the London Times, June 49,
noticed this morning the sentence pro-
nounced yesterday by the Assize Court of parjs
on VI. Charles Hugo, son Of the poet for re-
marks on the execution at Macon OF a tnan nam
Ell Montciarmont, for a double murder on the
persons OF two gendarms, under circumstances
OF great atroclty. Mcncharmont was found
gully by the jury, and without cXtcnuating cir
cumStahcc. No one, in fact entertained doubt
OF his guilt. The criminal petioned for a par
don, or communication of punishment. The
petition was referred by the President of the
Republic to the council of state, who. in turn.
took the opinion of a Local Cont. This opjn-
ION, owing to the Cnormity of the case and to the
absence OF all e1tcnuatlng circumstances, was
untavora5le. The council of state decided in the
negative, and communicated that decision to the
President of the Republic. The President read
with much attention the whole of the documents
connected with the trial The decision OF the
Council OF State was ratified: and the proucr
officers were Informed that tie law must take
It's course. On the day of execution, and while
the murderer was led on the scatfold. conflict
took place between him and the executioner.-
Montcaarmont resisted all attempts to induce. or
force him, 10 ascend the sCailuid and strur-
Gle lasted more than half an hour in the pres
encc OF Il vast and silent multitude. The criiui-
was led back to prison, but at clock the same
evening was again conducted to the scailold
when the sentence was executed.
Those incidents furnished the phiIanthro-
pists of The Socialist school with material for
Invclghlng against the punishment of death i; and
NJ. Charles Hugo, young man of % wrote an
article IN the Etenenent, the prevailing scnu-
mcnt ct winch was, while advocating the abo-
llton of capital punishment, to inspire compass
sion for the criminal and horror for those who
BIN. The article was prosecuted
by the Attorney General, and the result was as
| have above mentioned. The Director of the
journal was acquitted, but the author of the ar
tcle, who was defended by his father was con-
yictcd. The Auorney-Gencral observed very
justly that the prosecution was not directed
againstt the advocary Of the abolition of the pun
lshment of dcatf1-that was question open to
diScusslon-but against the outragcs flung al the
courts, the law officers, and the jury. The ar
tClc begins thus:
"'Four days ago, in the public square Of town
of France, in presence of thc sun, and of civil
cation, the law. that is to says the divine and no.
Iy fire of society, took an unhappy man, who
struggled and who shouted. seized him hv the
neck, by the arms, and by the legs. dragged him
by the hair, and tore the skin from his body. in
order to'drag him to the scatlold. What has this
man done to society! He killed some one
What has society done to this man 1t martyr
ed him
"Aud again"
80 What have Won done You have done an
act of violence, horrible and dcplorable Instead
Of placing the crowd on the side OF the law. You
almost put them in favor of the condemned
As to us, we are profoundly sorrowful and alarm
ed for all those interests, so dear and so sacred,
on which public tranquility reposes. We pro-
test, and shall always protest, against those
sights where society, toroetful of the Gospel,
dragS an unhappy human being to horrible pun
i>hment, and shows while dragging him an image
Of Christ which he will not look at
- We ask of II, SUN Uhc Attorney Gene
poD to give uphis place to another ADVERSARY
The real advocate of the Government in such a
case is not an Attorney Gencral-hei is the erc-
cuti0nsr.
The whole article is written not merely in
a strain OF slckly Sentimeutali>m for which the
school to which the Erencmcnt belongs is known.
but it tends to excite in the people horror, rot
of crime of the deepest dye, but Of those whose
duty Is II to punish it. There could b. no harm
in repeating what has been said over and over
again by the speculative and experimental schools.
by philosophers and philanthropists on the abo-
hton of the punishment OF death for murder
but no authority can tolerate that while the law
stands as It Is. those Nho are bound To execute
Il shall be branded As cXccutoncrs. Butit is Gu
uouS that in such cases no pity IS expressed for
the victims who have been masSacred in cold
blood bat only for those who have massacred-
No compassion is felt for the victims of the Bar
r'orc de Fontainbleau by those pretended philan-
throp>,S, whilst the murdercrs of General Bera
and his altc-da-camp are regarded as martyrs to
the cause Of liberty.
The Ev"a"m nj has not word of pity for
the innoeeui victims of the ferocitv of Mont
Charmont. but abundance OF sentiment for hard
enNd criminal. Aud the same journal. alluded
to the horrible assassination committed not many
weeks s'pce IN Paris, by Young man named
Won, on his master, mention that Won had COM
mitted the crime because Society. had il-trcafpd
hun for the crime Of his father The murder.
committed as preliminary TO robbery. by SER
want in whom confidence is placed is charged on
Society, and those who. made Paris run with
blood in the days of June, are termed our mis-
taken brothers, but no regret is expressed Tor
their unhappy victims.
At the close of the defence, VI. Victor Hugo
addressed his son thus,
My son YOU receive this dav great honor.
lou are now worthy to combat, to suffer, per-
Laps, for the great cause Of truth. From this
al, oE