Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-08-05
Matt. r. Ward.

"7he Brand of Cain"-This caption one o.
the northern editors affixes to paragraph re
lative to Matt F. Ward, whom, we observed,
| few days since, the press, mercilessly and un'
| relentingly, if not cowardly, pursues; for many
Of the latter-or. at least, the editors connected
with the press-aware that he cannot counter.
act their reproaches nor resist their fendish at,
tacks, in the way in which they should be re-
sisted and met, poltroonishly shielded, as they
are, pour out their invectives on him unspar.
ingly. We think, maugre Mr.. Wards position,
lie ought to do Us Barrington's brother, and
silence them. ...
Thus, soullessly, remarks the editor of the
Philadelphia Courier:
"While at the Burning Spring near Mia
CARA, a few days ago, we were requested to
enter the names of our party in the Visitor S
Register, and, while complying, we observed
that the registry had been suspended at about
two thirds down on the left hand page, and then
continued at the top Of the right. On seeking
the cause, we found the last entry as follows
"Matt F. Ward, Brother and Servant OF
course the name had cast blight upon the
name beneath that of the Cainbranded fugitive,
but underneath was written, as by the hand Of
some recording angel, or crime pursuing Nemesis,
The Murderer"
"By the hand of some recording angel" in
deed! More likely by the hand of some cow
ardly assassin, midnight robber, pckpocket or
escaped convict from some penitentiary, who
like the breath of the Bohon Upas of the East,
cast blight on the very atmosphere that sur
rounds them. No gentleman possessing any Of
the nobler attributes of man would for moment
think of degrading himself by attaching such an
epithet to condemned "murderer," about to
expiate his guilt on the gibbet by the sacrifice OF
his life. We would prefer the company of the
most vile, to that Of such man. Mr.. Ward was
judged by jury Of his peers in accordance to
the evidence adduced and the laws of the Com
monweath of Kentucky, the State of his nativ-
ity and both by law and evidence was declared
innocent of the crime for which he stood charged.
Whether guilty or not, here persecution should
end If governments and laws have been crea-
ted to establish harmony, ensure justice, and to
promote the we'll being of society, all should
yield to them ready obedience, else feuds, an
archy, and civil war, must sooner or later, inev-
itably follow.
The course pursued by no inconsiderebe
number of public journals throughout the vari-
GUS sections of the country, teeming with nvec-
tives of the most scathing nature-both to Mr..
Ward and the jury which declared him innocent
-manifests on the part of their editors, sys-
tenn Of relentless persecution void of all Christ
ian feelings, and repugnant to the genius of our
republican institutions. Is it simply because Mr..
Ward is gentleman of fortrne, refinement and
education, that he must be singled out, and
made the theme of newspaper paragraphs for
the remainder of his days? We know nothing
of Mr.. Ward personally, never, to our knowl-
edge, having seen him; still, we much disap-
prove of the cruelty Of bounding him, or any
other human being to death without sufficient
or justifable cause, and ask ourself if his en-
emies are fitted to cast the first stone? We dc
not look upon Mr.. Ward in the light Of muir.
derer, nor can any one, if he attentively reads
and calmly judges the law and evidence re-
corded, and ably expounded by Crittenden
Marshall and others, in an authentic copy Of his
trial published by Appleton & Co., New-York
In our humble opinion, the Hardin jurors are
Daniels come to Judgment