Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-05-19

more attention throughout the country than
the recent trial Of Matt. F. Ward. Of Louis
cillc ~, fNr 1anrdo' From ihc first il has
had clements Of unusual and absorbing In
tcrcst. The wantnn killing of an amithlr.
moral and peaceful man, in the performance
of his regular duties as u teacher, and lr
son of one of the most vcalthv ami ari,tc-
cratic families il kcntu.ky--thc attempts
to manr 'ae'nrc public sentiment IN favor of
the murdcrcr-thc display of counsel on his
side, who numbered eight, all eminent for
legal tact and skill, and headed by John j.
Crittcndcn-thc packing of jury. Of whom
one had hccu indicted for arson. another had
committed perjury. and all, with single cx.
ception. had any thing but an honest rcputa-
ton--the rowbcating of witnesses, and mp
pcals to passion and prejudice by the coun-
sci for the prisonrr-the orcn charges Of
bribery and corruption of the Jury, and the
verdict. in the face and eyes Of the c,rarc,t
and most abundant evidence, neither Of muir
der nor Of mnnsaughtcr but Of absolute ac-
quittal-all have raised the horror aud ndig-
nation of the whole land, to high point.
In st. Louis especially, the excitement
reached II pitch never known before. The press,
with one or two exceptions. denounced the
result ns an outrage upon all justice aud law
aed the moral sense of the communitv An
orderly public meeting Of from seven to
ten thousand persons, presided over by some
of the o'dcst anr' best esteemed citizens, r.
solvci, among other things, "tlat notwith-
standing the verdict Of corrupt aud yonnl
jury, the deliberate Judgment Of the heart
ccs that killing to be murder = The olium
Of clearing murderer has attached to his
counsel, and the high standing Of Mr.. Crit
tcnden has not spared him from the seycrcst
rcprchcnSion. The Kentucky papers have
been filed with accounts of public meetings
in all Of which Mr.. Crittenden has been re.
quested to resign his seat in the Senate \
general feeling Of the insecurity Of life in a
community. whore station and wealth could
legalize the most atrocious crime, and whore
an act like that Of Wards could be defended
(as it w,ls by rx-Governor Helm. counsel for
the defencc) as the simple discharge Of Il
social duty, seemed to he the result Bowie
knives and pistols were called the Kentucky
Statutes, and the sale of weapons of defence
increased largely. The Indignation of the
community was visited upon the family of the
criminal. They shrnnk from the pointed finger
and indignant eye OF the public and left Louis
Vile. The guilty man himsclfhcd with his wife
and child, from the places where his face was
known. and is now wandering the earth with
the curse of Cain upon him. Though the
majesty of the law has been outraged, the
murderer does not 20 unpunishcd fugitive
and vagabond the scorpion lash of rcmorse
must follow him wherever he goes, and can
leave him no rest tins side the grave.
In the many comments on this terrible ai-
fair which have filed the columns of the
public press, the comparison between it and
the celebrated Webster trial, has been almost
universal, and contrast of the relative pow
cr of law and security of life in New Eng
land as compared with the southern States,
has been natural corollary, We copy the
following from the New York Churchman -
CASTE IL KENTrcKY.-From the part taken
in the Ward fair by certain persons, it is
scarce possible to avoid the conclusion, that
the upper ten thousand of Kentucky. instead
Of having Il manly and noble pride of cha
ractcr, are possessed with Il most mean
miserable and pitiful pride of caste. Well do
remember, that when the crime of DIR.
Webster became known in Boston, none were
so desirous of having stern Justice done on him
as the circle in which he had most moved
They felt, and justly felt. that they had been
personally sinned against, that their honour
had been rcproachcd, their society dcsecratcd ;
and they were personally interested to have a
due vindication follow.
This is right. This is such an aristocracy
as we can well afford to honor an aristocracy
Jealous of their character. not of their caste.
1t is SO with the highest circles in England
and it must be SO where ever true honor has
any real life. If the great Duke of Yelling
ton. in the last year of his life had done such
a deed as this in which Kentucky jury finds
no guilt, he would have been hung without
mercy. We find nothing sadder in the whole
affair, than the circumstance that the very
people who should have made it a point Of
honour and of esprit dc corps, to let the cow
ardly assassin who had proianed their circle
become sacrifice to justice, and thus yindi-
cate their character from the reproach he had
brought upon it that they should have act
ed as if Justice to.him would be stain upon
themselves The Lord deliver us from such
aristocracy