Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-06-16
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP
The Murder Of James King, Of William. :

Inc murder OF James King, OF William
The reader will find in the Star to-day fur
ther particulars of this event and the occur
rences in San Francisco growing out of it,
which are full Of interest, particularly to citi.
zens OF the District of Columbia, wherein Mr..
X. was well known and universally respected
and esteemed. The action Of the people of
San Francisco in the case evinces that though
persons without character and Of desperate
purposes have in too many instances man
aged by demagogism, perjury, fraud and
conspiracy to obtain position as public men,
and in business and society among them, they
stood ready to abate such nuiJancss when they
became absolutely unbearable, by q resort to
the first law of nature-to the right of self
protection. The country contains no more
incorporating opponent Of mob law than
ourself; for we are among those who, were We
forced to choose between the two would pre-
fer to live under the despotism of a single
ruler, than to exist ut the mercy of a mob;
the difference being practically, that between
the condition Of personal safety and private
rights in France at this time, the Government
of Louis Napoleon being that of his will alone,
and their condition after the revolution of
1898, when it was but necessary for the most
worthless, brutal and degraded person to
point an unfounded accusation against the
purcst and most useful citizen, to insure the
summary hanging of the latter on the near
est lamp post by Infatuated sans cnIottes.
Nevertheless, through shameful abuses of
our system Of government, for the consumma-
ton Of which the unsettled condition of new
American communities affords too many op-
portunities, as experience teaches, (more es-
pecislly where 50 many thousands of worth
less persons have been attracted by the temp
tation Of the gold washings and mines) so
many Of those chosen to be punishers of crime
and conservators Of the public peace prove
confederates Of and sympathizers with crimi-
mails, as that the law in such cases is power
less, and justice but mockery-the jury trial
being little more than an institution to aid
the escape of the worst enemies Of society
Throughout the country the former action of
the San Francisco Vigilance Committee was
applauded. 1t put down classes of villains
who lived and rioted in violation Of all law,
human and divine, and for a time made hu.
man life safe there, and compelled those en-
trusted with the administration of the law to
discharge their duty with some show of inaex-
Utility. The development in the case of the
affairs Of Adams Co., made through the ex.
ertlons, moral courage and proper public
spirit Of James King, of William, proved that
while the Vigilance Committee had in a great
mt oufo 10
with IMMUNITY, it had not touched the equally
grave moral sore on the body of society there
that Of Wholesale fraud on the part of persons
holding high places in the estim alton of at
least portions Of the community, bankers,
trustees, treasurers, administrators, &c, who
had managed to get into their hands property
Of others to very large amount He had
been for year or so engaged in stripping them
OF their masks, and had succeeded in rescuing
from their clutches, by the force of his expo.
ures, much property, and in inducing public
opinion to estimate them, individually, at their
true value.
His murder had doubtless been long resolved
upon, and his murderer was also DOUBTLESS.
promised immunity for his crime by those Mr..
King had exposed. And but for the uprising
OF the people, their promises would have been
made good. They saved Cora because King
had sought to secure bis punishment, by dis
agreement Of jury, and would have saved
Casey In the same way had his case gone to
their MOCK courts OF justice. But the cup of
society's grievances there was oyeraovinp.
and the sudden reformation Of the Vigilance
Committee and its subsequent yindication Of
justice upon the bodies of Casey and Cora
were legitimate consequences. The names of
notorious DULLES, rowdies, criminals and fugi.
hVe' from justice on this side, who figure as
guards OF the Jail out Of which Casey and
Cora were taken by the force of z, 500 armed
cltIens with stakes in the we'll being Of So
eie'y' show the manner Of men to whom, as
euOofoinates, the conservation Of the peace
anu the execution Of the law still continue to
DC connded In that quarter, and assuredlv ius.
NY VIZ VI 'ne community in the case
Col. ]. Fremont Col. Frsnon, :,
ply to a committee Of the Massachusetts a.
CATION to the North American boilers Know
Nothing Convention, pledged himself to carrv
out the leading political objects of the Know
Nothing party, and offered to accept Know
Nothing nomination alone, for the Presidency,
II the Republicans fail to nominate him. He
therefore stands before the country, by his
amla'iors, Know Nothing Abolitionist, and
an Abolition Know Nothing; for his main eff
fort Tor months pas. has been to secure the
Abolition or Republican party nomination.
Col Benton pronounces him moon struck. ,,
according to the newspapers, and predicts that
In November the people will sweep him and
those whose unpatriotic and reasonable politi.
cal purposes he practically offers To carry out,
Cd the stage If American noIitic.. mn, .