The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-17

South, and has resided in the South for the
greater part of his life. If such an adventurer,
who has devoted so much of his life to explora-
tions of the new world, belonging to the Uni
ted States, can be said to have any other home
than the whole country, that home has been in
Washington, south of Mason and Dixon's line.
What nonsense, then, to be talking about the
sectionalism of our ticket No-John G. FIRE.
mont is a Southern man, w. L. Dayton, a
Northern man, and their only sectionalism is
the belief, that Freedom is National.
JUDGE CRAWFORD AND HIS SENTENCE.
We print On our fourth pags brief report OF
the trial of Mr.. Brooks for assault and battery,
with the sentence of the Judge. The court
room was crowded. Senator Butler and other
prominent gentlemen, friends of the defendant,
were present, sustaining him by their sympa-
thy. The evidence for the prosecution having
been submitted, Mr.. Brooks addressed the
Court, defending and justifying the assault.
AS all the facts of the case were admitted,
nothing was left to the jury, and the whole
responsibility of doing justice devolved on the
Judge, who, without one word on the merits or
dement's of the case, without an intimation of
dissent from the assumption of Mr.. Brooks
that a sufficient justification for the violation
of law might be found in the outraged sensi
bilities of a gentleman, without single ex-
preston of opinion implying that, in the judg.
ment of the Court, the majesty of the law and
the privilege of the Senate had been outraged,
or freedom of debate called in question, or the
obligations of humanity and chivalry violated
by murderous and unexpected attack on an
unarmed, unwary man, simply sentenced Mr..
5 Brooks to pay a fine of three hundred dollars
. We hope the Tribune and other papers ad-
dicted to railing against the People of Wash.
ingtsn, will remember that Judge Crawford is
from the free State of Pennsylvania, and holds
his seat by Presidential appointment, not pop
:ular election. We say this to relieve innocent
People of all responsibility for the monstrous
decision in this case. The Judge would seem
to consider the law of outraged sensibilities -
"higher" than the law he is sworn to admins.
ter; not that he refuses to administer the lower
law, but his administration is in subordination
to the "higher" and chivalric law. The SEN
.tence we regard as an encouragement to vio-
lence.
: Perhaps, after all, the world is mad, and
Judge Crawford the only sane man extant.
Sovereign States had deemed the assault so
extraordinary as to merit special notices there
had been legislative resolves condemning it
as an atrocty; public meetings, at which staid,
conscientious citizens, of high position, had
spoken of it in terms of whitening Reproduction.
There had been public demonstrations in 9TH
ar quarters applauding the act, as, although a
violation of law, completely justified by the
great provocation. There had been report
~ the Senate, affirming it to be breach of its
privileges, with a complaint to the House OF
Representatives, inasmuch as the offender was
q member of that body. An act thus recog-
Missed by Public Opinion in all quarters, and by
official action, as one of extraordinary import
ance is passed over by Judge Crawford with
out word of comment, and punished by him,
as if it were mere ordinary street rencontre.
Why, Mr.. Brooks himself must feel humbled
ST the idea, that an act deemed by his friends
so daring a violation of law, as to require the
most extraordinary exertions to extenuate it,
should be considered by Judge Crawford
utterly insignificant.
Even the discreet National IntelHgencer,
with . reverence for Judges amounting almost
"a, superstition, is constrained to utter its pro-
test against the judgment of the Court, and in
the following paragraph doubtless expresses
Tire opinion of the great mass of our citizens
of which it has so long been the exponent:
"Touching the judgment of the Court, we
are bound to say, that it has certainly fallen
short of the public anticipation-not the antici.
patton, still less the wish, of partizans or zeal
ots, but of the calm and judicious-men who
se capable of respecting the wounded sensi.
blities of high-spirited gentleman, not less
than public decorum, and the dignity and i'm
n.hnity of the Senator and the Senate house."
:GEoRGE LAW is out in a strong letter against
Fillmore and Buchanan, and in favor of FIRE.
mont. He regards the question whether the
CO antry shall be ruled by the slave oligarchy or
net, as the great question of the canvass. Blu
crAnan and Fillmore, he says, stand alike,
beth being committed body and soul to the
olsxarchy. Besides, both are rather ancient
ara obsolete; neither is identified with any
graat measure for the development of the power
ana resources of the country neither possesses
trf.e American spirit. But, Fremont is in the
pine of manhood, genuine representative of
AEaerican energy and spirit, has made his mark
on our history, has done great deal to open Q
new empire to American enterprise, and is COM
m.ted against the rule of the slave oligarchy.
Tte, the Republican Convention did not act
quite so wisely as it might have done, in reject
ing overtures for an arrangement with the
American party, but he is not to be swerved
from his course by that consideration. Fremont
,s the best representative Of his principles and
feelings, while Fillmore and Buchanan repre-,
sert nothing but their masters, the slave olgar.
chg he shall therefore support him.
che letter is strong, manly one. The fol.
loving is specimen of its quality:
In reply, beg to state to you that deeply
regret no more perfect union has been effected
by hose whose duty it was to have accomplished
shA, objeot-to unite the whole elements of op-
position to the present corrupt Administration.
welded as it is by the extreme slave olgarchy
of She South. For the last three years, this
sane oligarchy has used the entire power and
patronage of the General Government to crush |
out ell independent action and honest repre-, |
senfation on the part of the North to purchase |
up Northern men who were willing to misrep- |
resent their constituents from personal motives
and for promises of favor from the present cor.
rupt Administration.
Eli good men who have the love of their