Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-05-29
Case of Matt {. War7.

We c55p} from the n. O. Delta, a.
card addressed by Matt F. Ward to tbs
public press, making the request, that he
should not be condemned BY the public
sfet being acquitted BY jury. befate they
get an accurate and reliable report Of the
whole evidence given at the trial--evi-
/ dence which he says lad been very inn
perfectly and loosely giveir in the public
papers:
70 the Editors Of tie United sfa'es,
GENTLEMEN If iclt less confidence
in the Justice and magnaninity Of the
American people, | would not now in
trude myself upon your notice. My posi-
lion is one which may well be considered
peculiar in the United States, where the
laws have hitherto been respected and
where the verdict of jury has been re-
garded as final in all criminal cases. Acc
quilted, though still accused free, though
still prosecuted must appeal, through the
columns Of the Delta, to your generosity,
and beg suspension Of opinion until the
evidence in my case can be laid before
you.
can blame no man for feeling strong
prejudice against me, or for expressing
the lcudest condemnation of that unfor-
tuilate deed, which has been 50 darkly
aud ingeniously exaggerated By my enc
mics. The public have as yet seen but
one side OF this case, ard that one has
been most unscrupuiously misrepresentcd
by those eager for my blood an4 ruin. |
have been acquitted by jury OF M peers
ton enough, aad even. in my case, per-
verted asst has been. my acquittai, should
al least argue presumption of my inno-
cence, strong enough to induce the most
hostile to pause till they can examine the
testimony produced at my trial. This is
all | desire. and surely it is not mach tor a
man to ask who has uncomplainingly SUD-
mltted to as much as have done.
A full and impartial report Of the test
mohy in the case has been prepared by
Mr.. Al. d. Richardson, one of the most ac-
complished shorthand writer's in the
West. and will soon be issued from the
press Of Me ssrs. D. Appleton & Co., New
York. Although felt the highest conf
dence in Mr.. Richardson's ability and i'm
Partially, yet When remembered the
former course of my enemies, file precau-
ton was taken to have the report authen-
ticated by several gentlemen, whose posi-
tons place them above even the soaring
accusations Of the Courier.
All that ask from you, gentlemen of
the press, is silence until this report can be
placed before the public, and if you do
not then discover some better reason for
my acquittal than the corruption of the
jury, / am willing to submit TO your uni
versal condemnation. | have made no
previous attempt to resist the designs of
my enemies--not, as they would falsely
Observation-Disclosures | had no defence to
make, but because | relied with conf
dence on the lust administration of the
laws of my country. break that silence
now which the better Judgment of friends
formerly imposed upon MT, only because
my prosecutors seem TO have lost all re-
spect for law, and have constituted them
selves higher tribunal, to reverse the de-
eision of jury regularly cmpannsled By
the proper authorities OF the State.
Once more ] appeal to the generosity of
the press in this country, and coniurc eve
ry editor, in the name OF Justice and hui
manity, TO read the report of my trial
weigh we'll the testimony on both sides,
and then declare to the world whether
have not the right TO say that injustice,
black injustice has been done me. And it
any are convinced by the testimony that
my prosecutors have not been sustained
in the case which they made out against
me, | have too much confidence in the
magnanimity Of American editors to doubt
that they will confess that they have been
misied, and will expose the uujustilable
means to deceive them and to inJure me-.
BE just be generous, gentlemen of the
press. Read this report ard consider
closely IFS contents.
The louisville Courier has, believe,
proposed to publish my trial in pamphle,
torn, but the gentleman who was employ
ed by this paper is not a stenoerapher, and
the report could not be fell amd satisiaeto-
ry in all the details of cross-examination
even if his notes were fairly published
Mr.. Cole would not know, make an un-
fair report for any consideration but from
past experience | should appIehena that
some liberties might be taken with his
notes before they see light. make this
suggestion for his sake as well as my Own.
| is a fact worth noting, too. that while
Mr.. Cole was preparing tins report TO the
Courier he wrote letters to his paper, The
Cincinnati Gazette, in which he expressed
an opinion that l woue. be acquitted,
which was based on the evidence in the
ease. We may hereafter have an oppor-
tunity OF comparing Mr.. Coles opinion Of
the testimony with the version the Courier
NAV give 10 it. MATT. +. WARD.
The Annular Eclipse.
Astronomical circles are all agog III ex-
pection ofan eclipse of the sun, on the
Goth instant. This eclipse, iii some per-
tons of the continent. is to be annular, a
narrow ring Of light surrounding the shad-