The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-05-10
LOCAL MATTERS.

FarpAY NrGHr.-We have heard
- o,,;uiou with regard to the insult offered to
a' e.vsrnor on FIJI lay night 1t is condemned on
-. Not a man whom we have heard speak
"a. 30. word to say in its favor. very large
..;,v al the citizens believe that the pardoning
sc Jordan. was very iniudicious act; but we have
heard very few attribute it to any thing but an error
of Judgment.
If upon the examination of the record, Governor
Johnson did not believe the offence to constitute
murder, he would himself have been guilty oil muir
der in the first degree, had he permitted the
execution That such was his opinion, we
have not the least doubt, and we will add' thar
mary persons of intelligence and integrity concur
with him Among these are about sixty citlzens'
who signed petition for the pardon. They are TO
man persons of honor, integrity and truth. lne1
are all men of intelligence, and one third OF them
are lawyers, and men of sense, who have been long
accustomed to weigh evidence. If Gov Johnson
concured with them in opinion, surely it can De no
disgrace There lie reason on earth, as lar as we
can see, 10 doubt his integrity.
But while we say thus much as TO the motVe OF
Goverpr Johnson, it should not be forgotten that
in FIRE country such as this, the public acts OF
publidoicer are open to censure as well as sppro-
baiioI 1t was, therefore, perfectly legtimate-en-
| tirelyh accordance with our free institutions for
those If our citizens who deemed that in pardon
ing the slave who murdered young Jackson, Cover
| nor Johnson acted unwisely-that he njudic:ously
exercisd his constitutional power-to meet and
publicy say So 1t was their unquestionable right
to express their opinion of the act and to censure it
Thus hr the proceedings of Friday night were en-
| tireyEithin the pale of law and right Of CONSTR.
TUT1aSAL FREEDoM-entirely in accordance with
that indispensable feature of Free Government,
which subjects all public actions of public mt n, to
| the Fsblic Judgment When it becomes to be con-
sder impertinent and nsole nj for the People thus
to exs rcse their reserved rights, Public Liberty
will BE rapidly passing away if it have more than
m IRE nominal existence
Therefore, the meeting which censured Cover
nor Johnson's act whatever may be the idea enter.
tainsd Of its opinions legitimate one, end tits
entitled to the consideration due to public as.
sembage of citizens exercising a constitutional
right Nor can it be held accountable for the ex-
cesses at the Governors house, which occurred
after it's adjournment and sfter its final action
thesubect which caused it to be convened. Those
excesses stand out in their deformty, and the
men who enacted them alone responsible
for them. We are convinced that these per-
sors were very few in number, and that the
crowd consisted, with the exception of these tea0,
Of mere lockers on. The insults offered were con.
fined to vulgar noises and insulting language. They
were exceedingly disgracetul, and showed the ig-
norance and backguardsm of those who commit.
ted them. Had there been spark of intelligence
amongst them, they would have readily understood
that they were committing the grossest outrage,
for which there not the slightest palatioD.-
Had they been brave men they would not thus,
under cover of light, have invested the Governors
mansion and by their vocferous and brutal noises,
have disturbed the quiet of the Governors family,
with suspicious of some dreadful intent. Had they
been anything but rowdies and biackguards they
would nave uvtfo essy .i-yl.l
They have done that which while it shows their
| own unwcrthiness to enjoy rational freedom, has
and the dignity of the State Had they their deserts
they would be made to suffer severe punishment
Tor heir offence.
| But let US hope that the feelings the occur.
| rences of the past week excited have now had
some days to vent themselves, the matter may
&c allowed to pass away and that people win re-
| sumo their propriety and their equanimty without
further agitation. The people of Richmond uni.
versaly execrate the excuses of Friday night and
feel assured that the city will not soon be dis
graced by anything like them.
AMERICAN MEDICAL Assoc1ArIoN-This Asso