, 1859-04-08
The Great Victory In St. Louis.


tFsom the St. Louis Democrat, April .thl
The official returns make the victory Of Mon
day even more complete than we were inclined
10 believe on the first showing. The Nationals
have not elected an officer in the CITY on either
the general or ward tickets. The majority
against them On the Mayornlty is TwES1l-S1SE
HUNDRED AND ELEVEN. The whole votc polcd is
ty-eight, which is only few hundred oyer the
spurious vote Of the city in August last, not
withstanding that the natural increase of voters
from coming Of aye, from residence, and from
naturalization, must hare been at least fifteen
hundred in the interim. The Free Democrats
but one-thc Fif,h-and there the race went
against them by only forty-nine votes. The
American party, Us We stated in advance, has
not been ia the race. Its members have shown
more devotion than Judgment in sticking to
their ticket. We concur in the opinion that us
an organization it will now pass out of politics
in Missouri, as it has done in every State and
city in the nation except one.
Those who are but superfcially acquainted
with the bearing and scope Of the questions ut
issue, may suppose that local considerations
governed the result. Without undertaking the
influence Of these causes, md recognizing tue
individual and collective strength and confessed
superiority Of our ticket, yet the propitions
event can be attributed only 10 the salutary priu-
ciplcs which the Free Democracy enunciate.-
Mayor Filley was elected last year us an eman-
cipationist was Comptroller uoyt-and 80
we're Messrs. Gottschalk and Papin. We
sought neither new men nor new principles in
this election, We could not escape the re-
sponsibi!ity of the Free Labor issue if VIC
would and VIC would not if we could. Without
the inspiration Of this cause. the thousands
who voted our ticket were only purposclcss
and unreliable majority. With it they urc
Il great living force, whose destiny it is to
achieve a revolution in Missouri, which history
will continue to celebrate when the names IF
Presidents und parties are forgotten. How
trivial is any mere partisan triumph compared
with this? >enscIcss watchwords, faetious
combinations, personal fullowings, and the na-
chinery Of purity may carry elections sometimes,
but the durability Of any organization depends
upon some great truth which inpaEts 10 the
body, Of which it is tie great life-principlc
portion of its own unclanging nature. Small
cause for rejoicing in the present, or for hope in
the future, would the Free democracy find in
the eyent Of Monday, if their aspirations did
not reach to the regeneration Of Missouri.
The moral Of this election should moi be lost
ON the parties who constitute the opposition to
National Democracy. Mutual federation is the
lesson it teaches -toleration Of the American"
by the forcign-born citizen, and Of the foreign
born citizen by the Amercan-of the conserva-
tive by the radical, and Of the radical by the
cunscrvativc-unti[ the party who have no pur-
pose but the extension aud perpetuation Of sla-
very are driven from power. The issue Of the
election on Monday diScloses the secret Of sue
cess in the State and Nation. Americans CON-
bincd with Free Democrats, native and foreign
born. to rebuke corruption, rc-assert princi-
pie and consolidate party. What has been
done here can be done on wider arena.
Sickle's Defense.
The Washington correspondent of the n y.
Tribmt gives the following as the theory Of
the defense fur numbering Key:
have nowhere seen precise statement Of
the grounds upon which the defense is techni-
cally placed, or Of the points upon which the
great fight in the ca,e will BE- made. The homi-
fensc, but will, Of course, b. readily proven by
the prosecution, which will then rest.
The evidence OF Keys cri,ninality with Mrs
Sickles will thcrcupon be offered by the defense
not, however, as justification, but as show
ing the state of mind in which the deed was
done which sent Key SO suddenly to his account
1t will be commended that Mr.. Sickles wus in 4
state Of frenzy, bordering upon insanity; not,
indeed, to such an extent as to absolvc him from
moral accountability, but sufficiently to make
the killing manslaughter in the first, second or
third degree. Upon this ground tic admissi-
bility Of the testimony on this point will be
pressed. When it is once in it will be made to
bcar upon the question Of guilt or Innocence in
the Judgment Of the twelve men who are to de-
eide, will be more direct. Practically it will be
used rs justification, though introduced as
matter in mitigation Of the ohvnse charged.
Having dealt with the adultery and perhaps,
net n tue Pr prosecution upon incidental questions
The District Attorney will, Of course, be per-
p1itted to introduce evidence upon the point
raised on behalf Of the prisoner, evidence bear.
ing upon the question Of the dead mans crimi-
na!ltyy and the effect produced upon the killers
mind By the discovery Of the facts and by the
appearance Of the adulterer near his house.
But further than this he will not 20. vi hout
u long and tough struggle with bis opponents
What bearing" they will ask, "has Mr
Sckles's conduct in early youth. or in
latter days, his general moral character,
even his procliyity to vice of the very species
the indulgence Of which by Mr. Key he pun
ished so spcedi] grant that they can be proven
what have they 10 do with the state oii mind
in which the accused comn,ittedthe crime charg-
ed: They are no part Of the res yestin. You
have no right TO raise new issue under the
pretcncc OF introducing rebutting testimony. We
have not tell it necessary to prove good char
acter; yon have no right to attempt to prove
bud one, when such proof has no bearing upon
the fucs Of killing
IT, however, the evidence touching these
points is admittcd-to give which II Is under
stood TINT large number Of witnesses from
New York are to be in attcndancc-thc defcnsc
processes to be ready 10 meet and overcome it,
Sir. Sickles and his friends, however, feel SAN
guine Of success in the exclusion Of this species
Of ftestimony.
This, understand from those intimately con.
nccted with the defense is to be the theory Of the
trlnl held by that side. In this view, it would
appear TINT the course which things take, if not
the result Of the trial, must depend upon the
rulings Of the Judge upon matters of evidence
tiud that not few Of the statements made
BY the numerous correspondents Of all descrip-
from New York and Washington, made upon
what they call good authority are as basetess
US the story that Mr.. Buchanan risited Mr.
Sicklcs III jail; us unlike the truth as some Of
the illustrations with which some OF the flash
weekIies hare dcluded their readers. Others
are predieated upon III " it, or may" or a
possibly"