The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-05-17
THE TRIAL OF THE WARDS.

nlaL We w ANS.
Since the unfortunate occurrence which de.
prive6 Professor Butler of his life and dragged
young Ward t" felons cell, certain numbe r
Of leading papers of the country, have labored
most indus triously 10 convict young Ward, be
fore the case was ever called in court Their
structures to some extent might be psrdonable,
but the unauthorized extent to which they car
ried them before the trial, was we'll calculated to
warp public judgment and poison the fountain
Of public justice. Not, bu, what young Ward
| using the language which he did towards Pro.
fessor Butler, but public journals have no right
to PREJUDICE the case and public journalists to
| sit ex-offiscio tribunal to determine the
innocence or guilt of party. It is becoming
too much habit with this class Of individuals
to argue the merits of case, when they should
| simply announce the existence of a fact And
| it 10 probably from the effect Of this unauhor.
| lied license that the laws and authorities OF
| Louisville were put aside and violence resorted
to, TO avenge the acquittal of one whom they
| had been made to believe before the trial, was
/
tend now, to express an opinion as to his guilt
| or innocence although our faith in his guilt was
| much stronger a few days since, than now.
We shall wait until full report Of the trial can
be had and after careful perusal Of the evil
dence, an impartial and rational judgment can
be formed. We are led to these remarks from
having perussd the following article from the
I" Louisville Times
"But does the decision, which calls forth
these appeals to the bad passions OF men to arm
themselves to the teeth with instruments Of
blood justify the appeals Admitting, for
arguments sake, that the decision was wrong,
was there anything connected with that trial to
show that, if wrong, there was anything more
tl.an an error of judgment in rendering a YER
dict. Was not the trial conducted with all the
dignity, solemnity, and impartaIity which
should characterize such an occasion: 1t is
admitted on all hands that the prisoner was pro-
secuted with an ability and a degree Of zeal
never surpassed in the State.
Besides the weight Of the Commonwealth
as prosecutor, the friends of the deceased had
the means, which they used, not usually pos
sessed for moulding public opinion before the
trial. They had influence in the community
and in the Stale, quite equal to the friends OF
best counsel in the State, which was used fol
that purpose; the parties went before a jury and
court strangers to both, and appealed for a
decision to 9 God and their country; the court
and jury, sheriff and Commonwealth Attor-
ney representing the latter. No subornation
corruption, eollusion, or bribery is charged to
have been resorted to or employed, and a de.
cison given under these circumstances, if not
satisfactory to all, must stand as a 6nality
49, =. 1N4s r.. H.
none. There is no redress but by the shedding
of other blood and outraging all law and all
order Il is better, far better, 10 submit to the
,,c-.llv constituted tribunals of the country,
even If they some tines err, than to precipnate
society into chaos of frightrul passion, II H..
frghtful deeds. We trust calm reflection will
have its proper influence on some Of our cti-
zens, and that all of the past which is disagree.
able may be allowed to pass into quiet oblivian
There is no fear of the effect Of this verdict
being injurious No sane man will ever seek
the opportunity of placing himself in a position
to pass through similar ordeal to that which
tried the late prisoners. Religion teaches US Ia
respect vrdict which leans to mefcy-phi.
Ianthropy approves that which q Igid sdher.
ence to the letter of bloody code and the
spirit Of revenge may not
In the sa ne paper we see a card by Nat
Wolfe, ESQ.,, one of the counsel of the Wards
in reference to imputations upon the citizens o.
Louisville, alleged to have been made by him in
the course Of his speech before the jury. His
card is az follows
To the Editors of the Times:
Owing to misrepresentation ofmy late speech
at EliEabethtown have to request the people
Of the city to suspend their opinions about wha
have said until the speech is published.
1t, together with others that were made or
the trial of M. F. Ward, is now in the hands
ola stenographer, As understand, and will
shortly appear.
The stenographer, learn, is now on his way
to New York to publish the proceedings of the
trial. do not know that my speech has yel
been written out by him
utterly deny that used the language attri
buted to me by the correspondent of the Cou
rier
Whatever harsh remarks may have made
referred to class Of persons here, and not t.
the people of the city. l am incapable of ut
tering such horrible sentiments towards my
numerous friends here, including number
who are bound to me by the tenderest ties on
earth.
Respectfully,
| NAT. WOLFE.