The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-10

such painful and distressing features as that of
the execution of the unfortunate culprit, DON
nelly. A taste for the melo dramatic is
not amongst the dominant fault of the
American character, and the circun. stances
of that curious exhibition are happily an excep-
ton to the general style and manner of such
scenes. When our countrymen have to pay the
penalty of the law for their misdeeds, they
usually meet their deaths like men. The final
act of the drama is not with them an elaborate
effort to impose on the sympathies or to insult
the understandings of the spectators. Still less
are they prone, as general thing, to cast
upon others the odium of the crimes for which
they have to suffer. Leaving out of question
the religious view which impresses men with
the serious moral responsibility that they
incur by venturing before their Maker
with falsehood in their mouths, our
criminals have generally sense of
manliness which prevents them from
committing useless meanness merely because
it is snowy. They have not as yet learned to
die like stage heroes, like the English, nor like
classical models like the French. Perhapsthe
reason is that there is something in the national
character antagonistic to humbug and that we
have not as yet arrived at the aesthetics of crime
1t is in view of the wide departure from these
characteristics which Donnelly's conduct at the
last moment presents, that we feel ourselves
compelled to offer some structures upon it. For
the sake of his respectable friends-for the sake
of one still nearer and dearer to him-we would
gladly have been spared the necessity of making
any further allusiOn to the circumstances of his
unhappy end. We could have passed over in
silence the efforts made by him to
cast doubts on the justice Of his con-
viction; we could have excused the
vanity and weakness which seem to have
dictated all the Preparations for his last dread
act of expiration; but we must confess that we
cannot regard either with pity or pardon the
persistent villany with which, in his last
words to the assembled multitude, he endeavor-
ed to saddle his crime upon another. We can
conceive nothing more mean, more cowardly or
more wicked in the conduct of dying man.
The utter uselessness of such a declaration only
adds to the contempt with which bis previous
melo-dramatic exhibitions inspire us. We might
have believed in his tears but for the evident
view to effect with which they were shed.
Crowned by this act Of useless vindictiveness,
not shadow Of doubt can remain in any ones
mind of the justice of his sentence.
Holding such sentiments, the public will
readily understand why we did not give effect
to the object of Donnelly's speech by publishing
the name Of the party whom he chargedlwith
this murder. However strong the interest which
our readers may feel in what transpires on such
occasions, we hold it to be no part.of. our duty
to crafty it at the expense Of an.innocent man.
When the public good demands any. act of per-
sonal risk on our part we never shrink from in
CURING it; but in this case no possible benefit
could have accrued from making our columns
&c medium OF terrible denunciation like this.
Had there been the slightest foundation for the
charge Donnelly would not have reserved IL for
moment when he knew that it would be utterly
impossible for the accused party to contradict
it. His lawyers would have made use of it on
his trial, either directly in the way of evidence
or indirectly by insinuations calculated to re-
lieve his Character from portion Of the weight
of suspicion that rested upon it. That nothing
Of this sort was done is proof that the accuse
ton was made merely to complete the effect of
the scene that the culprit had prepared to
excite the sympathies Of the spectators
and to leave behind him an impression
favorable to his memory. How signally
this bold design. failed may be seen from the
account that we have published of the scene.
Instead Of sorrow and compassion, the only
feelings that he succeeded in awakening in the
breasts of his hearers were those Of astonsh-
ment and horror at the extent and audacity of
his wickedness.
1t is to be regretted, for the sake of public
policy, as well rs for that of individual charac-
ter, that the caution which we felt it necessary
TO maintain ia this case was not observed by the
press generally. The Times and the Srn to
pander to the taste Of q few, thought fit to
give specific effect to Donnellys charges by
publishing the name of the individual whom
he has, at the last moment, accused. The party
thus injured will of course hold to severe &C
count all who have contributed to damage his
reputation on the strength of q dying murder
er's declarations. Few persons will say that he
is not fully justified in 50 doing, for more UNI
necessary or cruel act of defamation was never
committed by newspaper.
If it be unjustihabe for the press to give cir
culation to statements Of this kind-which we
hold it to bet becomes question whether il
be not the duty of the Legislature to cut of the
opportunities for making them at stage of the
laws proceedings when no possible good can
result from them. The fullest latitude should
be given TO an accused party on his trial TO
prove his innocence; but once scntenceis passed,
his mouth should be sealed in regard to Others.
We can conceive no advantage that can be
gained by permitting criminal like Donnelly
to hold forth in aspeech of couple of hours,
to an assembled crowd, in order that he may