Butte record., 1856-05-24
Death of MIR. King.

of the State. Since then, the press and
telegraph has given assurance for nearly
a week that the attempt of the assassin
had failed to accomplish its object, and
that he who had been singled out as a
victim, would be spared to his family,
to his friends, and to scourge from pub
lie sight the rascality and corruption
that had appropriated our young State
to its own purposes. But e'er week
had elapsed, the telegraph again vibrates
with the sad intelligence of his death,
and the important announcement that
MS assassin was in the hands of a vigi-
lance committee and would be summarIly
dealt with.
We are not the advocate or the apol-
ogist of Lynch law. We sho uld rather
see men render their influence and ser
vice to sustain the laws, by devoting an
occasional day in the capacity of jurors,
than forming vigilance committees, and
taking even the blAckest # criminals
from the hands of the law. We are not
yet prepared to make so dangerous and
improper use IF the press, as to rec
ommend the application Of the fearful
code. There is no assassination so ma
lignant, no crime so bold, but the law
properly and fearlessly administered,
will reach it. The proper administra-
tion depends upon the people. Who
amongst US is prepared to set aside the
guarantees of the constitution under
which we live; Are we prepared to
admit by taking the law into our own
hands, that our system of government
has failed, and that the ballot-box is no
longer the bulwark Of our freedom ?
1t is true that in the present case the
assumption by the psople of the most
solemn responsibilities, although it can
not be justified, is extenuated by Sc
ries of wrongs, expressions and spolia
tions, unparalleled in the history of So
ciety in the U. S. Outrages the most
gross have been unblushingly perpetra-
ted in open daylight, and in the face Of
the constituted authorities. San Fran
cisco has been the scene OF a thousand
homicides, and of but two convictions
by due process of law Professional
gamblers and hardened villains have shot
down respectable men with impunity,
and the courts have failed to convict,
either through their own corruption or
ineficiency. The talents of ex-Con-
grsSsmen, Iured by the money of prosti-
tates, has been exerted in defence of
assassins, gamblers and thieves. No
one, however disreputable his character
could be convicted if he had money with
which to defend himself. This state of
things has forced upon the people of
San Francisco the necessity Of action
Either the courts were corrupt to the
core, or the city was filed with organ
lied bands of villains, whose false oaths
turned aside the course of Justice and
permitted the assassin to parade the
public thoroughfares with impunity.
The gambler Cora shoots down General
Richardson, IN the broad light of day. in
the public street, and the courts fail to
convict. Enboldened by such failure,
Casey, former inmate of the Sing Sing
States Prison, assassinates Mr.. King,
who occupies prominent and enviable
position in public estima ton. The
people fsel-they hAoao-from long ex-
perience, that the courts fail to meet out
the punishment prescribed by law, aud
they organize, and mete out justice in
an unlawful manner. The people OF
San Francisco, in their sovereign capac-
ity, have stripped the mask of sanctity
from its corrupt ard Intfs cive judici-
arv,and have held it up to tie scorn and
contempt of the world They have in-
formed the organized bands Of assassins
who have fastened themselves upon their
city that, although they may have their
associates interspcrsed through every
ramification of COVE, ament, and although
they may bribe all the lawyers of the
State to espouse their unGoly cause,
there is a "power behind the throne,
greater than the throne ITSELF" that de-
clares in terms not to be misunderstood,
that the moral sense of community is no
longer to be shocked--that ''Whoso
shcddeth mans blood, by man shall his
blood be she'd" The history of San
Francisco furnishes much in extcnuation
of this uprising of her people Let us
hope that it may have the effect 10 ren.
der our courts more efficient. to Danish
rascals and assassins from our State and