Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-10-29
tFrom the Maehias Republican,
A Man in the pursuit Of Jus
tice,

t1cS.
Ever since mankind associated in ciyi
society, the spectacle, has pr scented itself o
the offender seeking to avoid the Just penal,'
OF bis offence, the criminal escaping from TIL
clutches OF justice, the culprit lodging th,
constable, the ielon screening himself from
the sight Of the eatch-pole. FwgaGfy, t
use one Of the late Col Benton's favorit
expressions, has been rightly considered The
invariablc badge and token of villainy, 81
much so. that it is profoundly asserted even
that the wicked flee when no man pursueth.
truth which, though revealed in the prim
er in which the FIRST rudiments of ethics wert
taught US, lay for some years hidden to our
apprehensl III, on account Of an ln1axbls
Impression that something was affirmed of 8
hlgtious insect, and that the wicIpdness oil
the flea wis the predominant moral idea Of
the passage
"tnSitives from Justice is a category
found in the constitution. almC st as import
ant as ''fusitives from labor" The law
prcsumes that offenders against the law will
rue away. Cicero gave no more effective
representation Of the guilt OF Catalina than
IN these words '0biit, erceSSt. erdsu erupH.
Gaols are built, and shackles fabricated with
the idea of restraining the rropet sity of
criminals to us; their legs, to absquatulate,
to rdmuSe. Our very literature recognize
tins law OF human nature, when it authori
zes us to say of Il det,tultins cashier of bank
or fraudulent president of railroad, who
has taken passage in Il Cunlrd steamer for
Liverpool, that he has run aarqy.
We do not easily accommodate ourselves
to any great changes in the laws of human
society, and we confess that we find ourself
not little troubled with phenomenon that
occurred during the last week, which seems
to indicate breaking up Of the moral order
OF the world. 1t WIS no less spectacle than
a criminal n purs'at Of the oDicers Of 1ustice,
an infatuated lprit counting the martyr
dom ct punishment
Among the rcvcrses which bofel the demo-
cratic party at the late election, the dispass
tomato public have failed u give them the
glory OF having carried the grand jury.
The grand jury, with commendable zeal
for justice. Immediately went to work to
tinker the dilapidatcd morals of society -.
We are glad to report. as result of their
lab rs, the fact that one arrant criminal, a
d'taincr Of the motives Of democratic orators,
VS. arrested in his unprotected career, by
An Indictment duly found for li5el. We
mean OF coarse, the editor of the Ellsworth
.AmcTscoa.
llcrcupon cnsCcd the anomaly We lave
spoken Ut. Mr., Sawyer was simply indicted
in the most inoh'-nsiye, quiet way, of an
offcnse against the criminal laws of the
State, and this accusation was spread upon
the public records. Perhaps nothing was
intended but to administer to him a whole
some rebuke, to put into the hands of his
enemies weapon wherewith to discipline
and correct him. The State did not wish.
perhaps did not intend, to try him. 1t was
only in IL Pickw,ck,aa sense that he must be
considered a criminal But no sooner was
the indictment made public than SAWYER
appeared. not only in town but in the very
eurtGi of the court. talking in the most
preposterous way. about a trial. WHY did
not SaNver run away to Texas, or some
where else? Were there no islands in
Frenchman' s BAY where he could haye hid
den himself from the officers?
Oar visilant and brave county attorney
took the starch ont of him in no tim. lie
told him to his face that he was an interior
or. tina. he came here without any nrecent
and with no nronar officer ~ introdnce him
The PROS ,cutiinr attorney intimatcd that he
did not believe the mans name was Sn,rvcr
and that he was only irving to make little
cheap capital out oil the fact Of being indicted.
IL said that he had indicted Nj, SAWYER.
and when he got ready to try him, he would
send Ger him. We fully believe that this
would have satisfied SAWYER and nut an end
To his innartinent interference with the
criminal business of this county. had not the
court ahsurdlv suggested that the eonstitu
ton said snaethin, about persons accused
Of crime being entitled to a speedy trial. and
that if Mr.. SAWYER demanded trial the case
could not be discontinued unless the nrosecn-
ting officer could give some rood reason for
DELAY. Orr birb spirited Comfy attorney
doubtless had any quantity Of reas ms bnt
like Falst fl he refused to give reason ..upon
eo,npu}s;,n" SAWYER t,of ADVANTAGE of tho
insnu,t;,p of tho Gonrt +, renow b;s I,,JI,,-
ing of the Nate Of aiaiae. -
Asa p,-tis,n AMI A, nlitor o,r GaoI;ncs
wers with S,wvc-. hat AZ a citizen and :
ma.i<trat. we could not stand by and see the
81 ri Jus D,rigo Stata abus,l and brow bna-
ten by a sh,ppcr-saanper of, country editor
And when the County Attorney natheticallv
incurred of the Court Has not The oorern.
mcat =, tAt. D. and the stony. hearted ;udge
so..m,i to ;oin with the refractory SAWYER +,
crnshin~ and ornrcssinc the STATE Of Maine
we were rcldv to respond YES The oorern
meut has r;,5t, and IF the Court rafi,sas tc
vindi,.,t, .Se,, Ia, tho a3;r,art General
and if mod h, n n,as, If p,i,;ti,-n,an hr
call Il in Wc w lar o,r c,,,ntrr rirht n,
wronc and If the STATE ch,osas To lind 3ndict
mcnts and hanr tbam un t, drv and 10 con
i due, its criminal rroc,edinrs unon Piekwick
/ ian principles. We saw. who has , bette,
right Who would care to live in n state
ali of who's, soverc;rntv had bocn felonious