The Nevada journal., 1854-06-09
The Ward Murder Case.

takeaDle signs OI ulsapproOaLoD OI tne reCen
trial of Ward for the murder of Butler, til
school teacher last fall. The evidence leave
not the slightest doubt of the guilt of War
nor even shadow Of any circumstance Q
mitigation yet the jury saw fit to bring in
verdict of "Nor GUILTY" Had this been il
California, and the jury had not agreed, or ha'
brought in verdict Of murder in the secon'
degree, we had thought less of it, as the jurie
here are notorious for the licenses they Civ
these high-handed chivalry murderers. Blu
even here, parallel to this case cannot bf
found A California jury could not be picked
up who would stoop so low as this. We are
not aware that any attempt was made even te
pallate this guilt The means relied on, anC
which proved successful, was an array of infiu
entail witnesses to prove that he belonged to
the aristocracy of the State, some of whom
swore that e was man Of unexceptionable
character and amiability to fault The n
Y Courier and Enquirer winds mp review Of
the matter in this wise -
These two transactions are memorable
contrasting this with the Parkman murder,
they are great exponents of the moral sense Of
two communities They mark with decided
and unerring hand the status in civilization at
which each people has arrived. The one pla-
ces Massachusetts at the highest point the
other shows beyond cavil that Kentucky is at
the lowest Do not wrong the savage by class
ing the Kentucky juryman with him. Do not
degrade his fierce retributive code by comparing
it with that of community which makes its
boast of chivalry Better, far better, that men
should right their own wrongs by the red hand,
and every fancied insult be expiated with blood
shed at the peril of the avenger, than such in
suits should be so revenged with the certainty
of protection by such juries as Kentucky has
shown that she can furnish. There is some man
illness in the savage who slays his enemy and
knows by the act he makes a family OF mortal
foes but what is the grade of those men IL the
moral scale, who, in a country where all are
equal before the law, deliberately turn the
wealthy murderer loose upon society, purged OF
his guilt by the mockery of justice The use
of the tonlallawk becomes honorable when COM
pared with such use of law and even the stllet-
to in such light looks respectable.
1t is right to speak thus. This sitting OF
the breath of Justice the life breath of the land
is not new in the annals of Kentucky. She
breeds and nourishes a race of men who carry
bowie-knzes and pistols ; she pampcrs them
into feeling and an actual position OF superb
ority and then she protects them when they
use their weapons to cleave the hearts and scat
ter the brains of those beneath them in wealth
and influence who may happen to offend their
high stornachs by word or look. The acquit-
tai in Kentucky of a man of position who
struck a man of no position for looking at him
in way which he did not like, and instantly
shot him dead, lest, as it was urged on his trial,
he should himself be shot, is not forgotten :;
neither has the memory of other like atroci-
ties yet faded out. IL becomes us who have
laws, which we respect and enforce, to declare
at once, and in the strong terms which the
transaction warrants. our horror and our indig-
nation and our shame.
By the world at large the sentiments of Ken
lucky lying in the midst of our territory, the
state represented by Henry Clay may be re-
garded as q fair exponent of that which per-
vades the country. Let it then be known that
we of the Eastern States regard the result of
this trial as national degradation, deplora-
BILE event brought about by corruption by
family interests, and by the consciousness that
all the influence of a wealthy and powerful con-
nection would be used and could be used to
crush every Kentuckian who refused his aid to
bring it about. Asto the man who with Cain s
crime has obtained Gains protection for his
life, he like his prototype will find his punish
ment greater than he can bear for ne went
forth from that Court room fugitive and a
vagabond.