The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-08-21
Ys.~s.. Us,s Law ss.ssss..


One week ago the people n ~. Paul were
excited by an upprovoked snsult committed
upon citizen BY one Of Q gang Of outlaw.
and desperadoes inssting the dty. The pub
lie prints hut echoed The universal desire u
the citiDns. whss they demandsi u. the laws
should BE- enforced; lawiess charscters ARRESTED
and punished, and ,hc dcns Of inamy, where
they found Q refuge. broken up. -..s...
The ruiian, whose misconduct 10 part pro
voked this state 81 ieelipg, was arrested by the
Sheriff, assisted by a posse Of citizens, and
placed in jAil. under heavy bonds, TO await his
trial and conviction. As The. commission Of
tle offence was n0 denied, oos mitigating cir.
cumstaness urged 10 pslIiAie IL. his consictioa
was reduced TO certainty. Hut il appear
thu reasonable expectations Of the public have
been disappointed, and the rascal has bsen al
lowed 10 run at large, upon the payment Of .
paltry sum of money TO the irrson whom h
assailed.
This may bc oil well enough, and strictly le
gal, bat il strikes IN that the occurrence will
grate harshy on the minds Of thoe Of oar eth
zens who sto0l ready 10 mid the authorities Il
the bitter end, and who reasonably enough, ex
pectod that M example would he made Of thu
offender. We do not mistake effect, wbcn W,
ASSERT that ISagmsoiIs tor he Is the man VI
refer to) imprisonment 10 the Penitentiary foI
a couple Of years. would have had more efsecl
in driving od. or reducing 10 decency. th'
AwIsss characters congregated in ~. Paul
thsn dozen housc-burnings. mob-, or feeble
attempts at initiating California Vigilance
Committees.
This IsaKRsoiA was discharged from jaiI OF
Sunday night, II Is said. and by order Of ths
Sheriff The officers Of the city police charg'
that the Sheriff was aware At the time Of In
oEssolL's discharge, that warrants were IL
their hands, for bis arrest for the offence ofrspe
taEt snej. beng S"a1 Of ,'s proceedings 10
Ing on for IS1ERsmLs release, watched ID,
jail IN order 10 arrest him N soon "a he VA
discharged. and only .lesisted upon the Sberii
promising that be would not be RELEASED beioss
Monday morning On Monday morning st
the appointed hour, the bird ba,l hown--t thu
avoiding trial for one Of the highest odencei
known to tbs law. by the payment Of icw hun
dr~l dollars TO q citizen whom he had basel,
and cowardly assaulted Our statement 4
based upon reports made by the police 10 th'
acting Mayor.
/ We must confess we don't like the new syn
TEN Of criminal Jurisprudence which Is being
enforced In st Paul. Acting upon II, . maj
may commit MI assault, robbery. or arson
and yet save himself from the dissgrceable con
sequences Of jury trial, II he has plenty Of
money, or importunate friends. Neither Is the
the condition . just OF proper ," upon which
the prisoner was released. u wa ITO leave
town" we believe. or. in othr words. only
cease TO afilict us by his misconduct. and re-
move the theatre of his actions 10 another con-
munity. Is this right Ia Il just Would Il
not have been Tar better TO have allowed the
offender TO have taken his trial, and il guilty.
OF which there Is no donbt expiated his Of.
fence in the cells Of the I'ententiary. We ere
willing to allow every consideration for private
wrongs but The majesty Of the law should b.
INDICATED at every risk, and In this case the
conviction must orce itself upon oil, that il
has been shamefally d,yradel