Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-05-08
The Ward lequIttal.


The Petersburg Intellgenccr appears to have en-
tircly Inexperienced us in our comments upon the
result of the Ward trial. We never denied the right
the press to express its dissent from the decision
OF the jury in this case, in any other, but we did
# contest its right to charge any iry with corruption
and perjury, because it may happen to differ in opin
ion with it, as to the guilt of prisoner Juries have
perfect right, and bound, also by their conscien
ces and their oaths to render decision according to
law as interpreted by the Court and according to
the evidence, they understand t-n,t othersun-
Il derstand i;-evcn though the whole world beside
should think exactly to the contrary Is it not in
deed, novel andsinguar doctrine that jurcs should
be subjected TO unmeasurcd denunciation and abuse
and their motives villed, SIMPLY because they cant
think precisely as other people dol
Despite the opposite n,tions Of the Inclligencer
We still maintain that uries should always be pre-
r Sumcd to have honestly and faithfully discharged
their dut es until the contrary appear some
TACT or circumstance is brought to light affording
: ground for reasonable suspicion that they have
yielded to improper influences, and are, therefore,
peDured men. The fact that they rendered a verdict
different IRON what the press or the public at large
anticipated, IS not sufficient ground upon which to
base the grave and damning charge Of corruption
requires stronger evidence than this to convict
body OF twelve men of premcditatel fraud an n.
spracy against the rights and the peace Of society,"
Besides, public opinion is far from being always right
in its judgmenof the merits of questions even WHEN
enjoying complete immunity from all excitement and
when, too it has had infinitely better opportunities
i'r forming correct opinion, than it has had in the
case OF Ward We prefer, therefore, to take the de-
befae judgment OF jury, whose honesty and intel.
Sencs have not been seriously Questioned no matter
what the cause upon which they are engaged to
relying upon the haStily-ormed conclusions OF
million OF editors, though one of them should
be SO for innate as to be member of the Common
Council in Little Petersburg"
Whenever it shall be proved, whenever 4 reason
able uspicon shall exist, that the jury in this or any
other case, have been influenced by corrupt consie-
ration' in making up their decision, we shall no, be
behind those who may go farthest in dcnounc'ng
them, and holding them up to public scorn. But we
must be excused f T not Ginning in with the frantc
popular chorus against the result of the recent trial
in Kentucky. The court, jury counsel and witness.
es, all who participated in any way in the acquitta of
Ward are not only made the objects Of overwhelming
denuncinton but the indignation and vengeance of the
public are invoked against them, as though they were
,. equally guilty with the murderer himself Is there
any sense propriety justice in this? Are men,
in this day and country be peted with rotten eggs
and burnt in efgy for simply discharging what they
believe to be their sworn duty?
e As for ourselves, believe Ward guilty of very
deliberate murder-though there was one circum.
stance brought out in the trial naturally us,ifying
, some provocaton and some resentment But our be.
evng so would no: justify in aspersng the integ-
rity of the jury, and charging them with deliberate
perjury. We willing to believe that they erred
Thousands of uries have done before, but we are
wholly unwil ng to think that they defed both the
justice Of Heaven and the scorn Of men, and basely
sold them selves for a price-and that too in face of
the overwhelming fact that not n particle of evil
dencc exists to amt them with even the slightest sus
picion.
We arc not prepared, either to endorse what ap.
pears to be the In'elgencers idea that jures are as
apt to be influenced by corrupt considerations as
professional politicians Jures, for the most part
are usually composed of the unsophistcated honest,
and Industrious portions of the communicated the
farmer, the mechanic, the merchant, whose thoughts
are distui bed by ambitious projects, and who are
pressed by powerful and ever-recurring temptation
10 swerve them from the plain path Of duty and right
There can be- usually, no inducement for Jury to
make wrongful decson-no consideration to corrupt
Iysway them Fl ON faithful discharge Of duty except
the single one Of bride in the shape of money
That one, or several may be successfully approached
by such means, in most any clse, il, admit, not
entirely unlikely. Bot that q whole jury, or a ma.
jority, should be able to thus prostitute themselves
without almost instant detection and exposure is of
all things, TO mind the most utterly improbable
And, be it remembered just here that the verdict OF
acquitta in the Ward case, embodied the unan i,aous
voice of the jury.
But professional politicians, on the contrary-Presi.
dents, members Of Congress, ct ii oD1nc geaus-are
besct with diversity Of temptations and these temp.
tations Of the most stringent and powerful kind
Political ambition has corrupted and debased many II
man upon whom precious ingots Of gold and SILVER
would have produced earthly effect Besides it is
C melancholy teaching Of all history and expefi-
encc that oath sits more lightly upon the souls Of
pofcssio 1al politicians and government officers than
upon any other class OF people in the wide world
1t is not an uncommon thing for such 70 violate
an oath in tho very act Of taking it. The Intcgen.
gersoEn reco!ectons will supply it with uncrJus
Of this SORT. Bi. II will task its me nory il,
win to fad many Instances Of such wilfIl and un.
bIuShing dcprayity on the part Of entire jury. It
H. therefore, neither just logical, wc maintain,
t. put the orlniry juric5 Of the country upon an
clurl footing, ~ resrl' purity and staining, with
powerfully yenrl politicians The character Of the
= oic class is usually above reproich-tI Of tho
other generally CONSIDERED some what doulhru-,nlG
cicrtly 50, at least, 70 require Wig LIANT watching 80
Tue one is comparatively free from all temptation T.,
d. wrong-the other is haunted continually by many
temptations, and afflicted with many tri4ls, from the
conflict with which their virtue rarely escapes
whole.
We blame nobody for condemoing the acqui'ta Of
Ward. But for every one in any way connected
with it to be outrng,ously sandercd anil yilf.d, is
quite another thing, and what we cannot approve
And really, we have never known such scnsolcss and
frantic excitement to spring ont Of snail matter
Thousands Of men, just guilty as Ward have been
acquitted, and yet no one bile condemnng the yer,
dctthougt Of denouncng the whole court jury coun.
sell and witnesses accessories But this case stands
alone. Wchayc never witnessed, before any where in
the South, such brutal demonstrations Of mob dcspera
ton and mob violence. We have never seen so many
unoHending citizens so savagely denounced by the
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