The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-07-01
whn, Consulate. M.u,.r,

The case Of Lally and other homicides.
who have lately been tried in New York
and Brooklyn, md also many other cas~ IN
various quarters Of the country, In which to
clear the guilty the law mas outraged, have
received, as they maniits,ly invited, general
md severe newspaper comments. For
years, il has been almost impossible to con.
Wet great maleiactor in any Of the large
Eastern cities aud the wrctchcd condition
of society in Boston nnd New York, as. too,
IN those Southern cities. Baltimore, Wash.
ington, Louisville. and New Orleans, Is the
inevitable result.
Ono Of the best articles that have appear.
cd on this subject We 6nd in the National
Inieil,genou. After asserting that reform
is needed in the administration OF criminal
laws in this country, the writer says
For many years, pretty close attendance
upon aud attention 10 the course Of affairs In
our Criminal Court has forced the unwel.
come conviction that the ends oi the law
have ben frequently defeated through its
lord,s, IND that the public sense has been
ngain and again outraged. aWl justice de-
leutcd OF i,s dues, by means aud contrivan
ces often ss impudently palpable to the
common vision as offensive " the rightly
constituted mind. One Of the most fruitful
sources of these .es,ilts We have noted ~ b.
the continuance OF certain vet Of persons
as petit jurors, with short intervals, for
series oi years until the faces Of these men
have become daguerreotyped upon the
thought as Of no occupation, trade or pro-
fespion so much IN Of the jury business" "
Now, whilst we are prepared 10 admi that
with jury duty, ~ with everything ese,
practice and experience bclit Tor the proper
discharge Of II, yet II Is unfortunately but
too evident that experience has iis teinptn-
ton, n well IA its advantages, and that before
temptation an experienced journeyman's In
togrity sometimes lalls. But tho continuance
Of certain sterrcotypcd set Of men on the
jury panel, though IL s the basis, Is only
part OF ths mischief. Men, known 10 be
clear.beadel, Just minded, true, pure, resoIuts
and firm, have little or no chance 10 BE- called
upon b. try cascs Of importance they are
incontinently swept aside by the abused
right Of challenging" and such men mr..
wipnowed out oi bong panel as are pr,sum
ei TO be, compared with the rejected ones,
weak in heart or intellect, inGrm oI purpose.
or perhaps the victims Of grossly erroneous
views Of the true objects oi law. ol the
rights Of society. and the proper scope OF
their own duiies. anil thus are III subjects
for the 1imscy aod aippaut appeals and
alse logic Of advocates whose only object Is
IN the cleararcc Of client nt any rate. So
mach of habit has IL become TO purge n
jury as much as possible oi the best men on
panel aud 10 retain The worst, that those
jnrymen who lay Themselves specially out
ior the b,isiness u trm, find il necessary
u stand fair with the criminal advocate as
good for acqui',ing." II ls seldom mat
ter Of any difficulty to predict who will or
will not be challenged !" and IL is general.
Iy a matter oi certainty that the wheat has
been rejected, and the chat retained"