The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-08-07
Prom the Cincinnati Gazette

Inc AfqhtfcF ctils our AttShtiON 10 the
statement made in the Baltimore Republican,
that elstsn of the Jurors who acquitted HsR-
BERT. were Know NothingS and claims that on
this account. the Know Nothing organization
should be held responsible for his acquittal If
there WAS anything improper in it. We suppose
the Repati-an's statements upon political
matters are 10 BE- taken with many grains
OF allowance as the Eagui,sr's, and We there
fore shall not admit that there were 50 MANY
Know Nothings upon the jury. But. if
there were why We're thev put there bv
Democratic L. S. Marshall. and WHY were
some of them kept there. BY Democratic
Judge, after they had declared upon oath that
that they had formed an opinion upon the
merits Of the case
Now, II seems 10 US that the marshal. If he
had wished 10 perform his duty faithfully,
would not have chosen almost the entire jury
from an organization whose chief basis is q
bitter hostility TO foreigners. and who might
therefore. be supposed To look upon the muir
der OF an lrishman as matter of little con-
sequence. But. there is another reason why
he should have been particularly cautious in
the selection Of the jury. Not only was
kearing an lrishman but Herbert was charg-
ei by the Border Rutfian Democratic journals
with being Know Nothing. Now. admit
tiag that the Republican told the truth when
it said that el Ven Of the jury We're Know
Nothings. and that the organs Of the alminis-
tratlon were correct in charging Herbert with
being Know Nothing. IL seems 10 Us that
upon their own showing very bad case is
made out against the Democra .c party. which
first showed It's anxiety TO screen him from
punishment by voting down unanimously
proposition TO investigate He berJ's conduct.
and then through officers over whom lis
l., -. Il Il
jury SO that verdict OF acquittsl become al
most an absolute certainty Ifit had no, been
determined that Herbert should not be pun.
ished. why was the jury box filled with men
who are supposed to look upon the killing OF
an 1rishrnan small affair But this was
not enough: the judge refused to excuse these
Know Nothing jurors. although several Of
them acknow y.d that they had formed an
opinion made all his decisions lean to the
prisoners side, and finally deli, cred such "a
charge that the jury might have given in their
verdict without leaving the box!
Whatever may be thought Of the conduct
Of the jurors, the Know Nothing organization
can not with fairness. be held responsible for
the acqui,al of Herbert. although eleven of the
Jurors may have belonged TO il. The blame
must rest upon the power which induced
the Democratic Marshal TO the place them in
vie jury boA ana TIE DSlDbcfdt1f Juu re 10
keep them there, when they acknowled ge
themselves to be unqualified, That power
was the Democratic party which was induced
TO tramplei upon Law and justice. to screen a
murderer whose character was known 10 be
Of the worst, merely because he voted with
the Slavery propagandlsts in the House of
Representatives. who ust now need all the
votes they eau get and who are always ready
10 defend one of their number, whether right
or wrong. The spirit which actuatcd them
has been boldly and strongly expressed by the
Charleston Stand4ra one of the lcs,iing Bu-
chansu papers in South Carolina. 1t demand.
that Herbert should not be punished for
the triing offence Of killing poor Irish
waiter, because he was mental, and had no
right to reaen. any iniignity which a slave
holding gentleman who had not quite
recovered from the previous nights debauch.
might choose to offer him. In making this
plea for Herbert it used this remarkable Ian
gusye.
Any provocation that may have been Civ
N for the assault upon him by the body Of
waters, was at the most a provocation Of
words, and such provocation as servant
should not have the right TO resent; and if
White men accept the offices OF menials it
should be expected that they viii do 50 with
apprehension Of their relation to society,
and the disposition quietly to encounter both
the responsibilities with the liabilities it i'm
poses