Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-18
THE WASHINGTON MURDER.

"Vicc is monster of such hidcous nicn
| As to be hated needs but to be seen ;
But viewed more often, with familiar face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace"
In former days, when the community were
startled by some bloody deed of individual
violence, it was common to lay before the
public brief stat emcnt of the more obvious
facts of the case, and then to leave it, till the
courts Of justice had done their solemn
work. Even them it was rare that the num-
berless details as to act, speech, and circum-
stance, necessarily brought before a court of
justice, were spread before the public eye
Still more, if the crime was one which from
| its origin attendant circumstances una
voidably brought into all discussions con-
corning it the consideration of other guilty
acts,-those especially which tho pure and
chaste mind insiinctively rccoils from dis
coursng about, or even dwelling upon in
thought-still more, we say, was it felt to be
the duty of all lovers of good morals to con-
fine its presentation to the eyes of the public
within the narrowcst limits possible
y different practice has come into use in
our day,-onc which we think is exciting
deplorable effect on the public morals. Tha
crime has greatly increased in our country o.
late that not only deeds of violence, but those
Of shame, once rarely known in our land,
are now Of very common occurrence, we think
no one can deny. No doubt there are more
causes than one for all this but we have not
a doubt that the practice now so common in
many newspapers in the land of spreading out
in copious detail these cnormities and their
circumstances, and repeating them again and
again under every change of aspec', is one
of the most, if not the most fruitful cause Of
all. Some of these papers indulge in
this practice, quite regardless of con-
sequences. They believe they shall
sell their papers all the better, and they
care for nothing more. Others have adopt
ed theory that the extreme of publicity, so
far as crimes generally are concerned, is the
surest means to prevent their recurrence
theory which bctrays, as we think, great
obliquity of understandings far as that
of the constitution of the human mind and
of the history of society. Moreover, the evil
does not stop with the corruption of the
public morals; but by filling the community
with discussions, it tends directly to defeat
the ends OF justice in instances without num-
Der
About fortnight since, in Washingt on
a man saw passing along the public square
an acquaintance who, as he had found out
within the previous two days, ESQ the report
is), had been guilty Of great crime against
God, and great wrong towards himself
one of the greatest which one man can do to
another. Armed with loaded pistols he left
his home in open day. on q Sabbath morn
ing, crossed the street, encountered his ac-
quaintance, and with brief word of reproach
but without giving him an opportunity for
reply, escape or defence, with three successive
discharges from his pistols, shot him dead on
the spot. A mutual friend of the two, who
according to his own account, had just been
conversing with the murderer concerning
the wrong he had suffered from the murdered
ma, and who had used to the former Ian
guage which could not be understood as
meaning less than that he ought to seek the
life of the latter, stood close by and saw the
first shot fred-saw the scuffle which fol-
lowed it,-saw the second shot fired-heard
the wounded man, now sinking and helpless,
beg for his life-saw the third shot fred-did
not interfere by act or word, but when the
deed was completed took the assassin's arm
and walked away with him.
In ordinary cases and in a wholesome com
munity the immediate arrest and confne-
ment of BOTH and their subsequent trial for
murder, one as principal and the other as an
accessory, would be the natural and proper
consequence. But sound morality and a re-
gard for law are quite out of order at Wash
7 ington. The chief actor is a member of
Congress, notorious political manager and
man high in the counsels of the President
OF the United States, and his associate is also
public officer Of like utilization The
, i'"''NiNN '"'' "'S' was SoNeiHiicHl
officer. There is also a story Of infamous scan
dial connected with the transaction, and the
city journals which deal in such things can
not afford to let it pass of like an ordinary
murder. Day after day and week after
week therefore, their heavy columns are fill
, ed with trivial details, and with discussions
; about the degree Of justification which
sickles had for shooting Key, and the excus-
ableness OF Bitterworth for not interfering ,
not few coming very near to quite excusing
Sickles, and some doing it outright-all, too.
upon no other information about what he
alleged as the reason for his atrocious act,
. but what comes directly from him or from
his associate, Butterworth
1t is specially noticeable, as showing how
low an estimate the public have for the
, state of morals and the condition of the
courts OF justice in the District of Columbia,
that the prevailing opinion is, that while
the essential facts of the murder will not be
; disputed, yet no jury can be found in Wash
ington who will convict Slckles.
So far as we have noticed, the country pr, rs
; generally pursues amore wholesome course