The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-05-06
MAY 6, 1859.
Sickle1 ACuuittal.

inc publlc were not surprised to learn
that the Jury in tho Sickles case yesterday,
after brief deliberation, rendered IA verdict
of Not Guilty, and that MIR. Scklos was
theroupon liberated, amid tho enthusiastic
plaudits of his assembled friends and SYM
pathzers.
We regard this as a most mstak on and
mischevous verdict--a sanction to the sub
stitution of violence and vengeance for reli.
ance on the regular and orderly rodro,s of
grievances through the fundamentally Of
law. II is u verdict which carries this couu-
try long stride backward toward the age
whom Might was Right, and all wrongs we're
rodressod 5y the red baud or not at all.
Doubtless, Mr.. Sckes-no mattor what
could be said to his prCjudice--had been
grievously wrongoG by Key. That wrong
was a palliaton Of not an excuse for, the
homicide which followed. II would havo
justified the Jury in returning verdict of
Mansaughtor, or Of Murder in the second
dugree, with u recommendation to mercy;
it did not and cannot justify verdict OF
acquittal.
On what ground could Mr.. Sckles' deed
be excused On that Of Insanity! PreS
postcrOus His counsel did not venture to
call his intimate friend and confidential nd-
wiser ButterwOTtb, who counseled with him
during the greater part of tho day on which
| tho homicide was com mmitted--from whose
! side no rose to arm himself for his deed Of
/ blood. The deliberate and circumstantal
| statement of Butterworth utterly prVcudss
tho idea Of Insanity on tho part OF Sickles.
/ Never was man in trouble more collected
and thoughtful than was Sickles during the
morning which intorYenod between the
night of his wifn's confession and the after
noon on which ho shot her paramnur. Thai
. the counsel for dUtonsc cav and realized this,
is evident from their declining TO put But
terWorthSn tho stand.
The case, thon, stands simply here Mr..
Key and Mrs Sckes were guilty OF adulie-
ry; Mr.. Sickles was informed and assured
OF the fact and eighteen hours thereafter.
no shot the unurmcd adultcrer again aud
again, b. fling oil his attempts to olude the
deadly aim, aud persisiug in swapping pis-
tolls at tho head Of tho offender, US he lay
} dying in tho street. And Washington
Jury say This was right
We say it was not that. culpablo as Kew
J was, Sicklus did wrong in killing him--that
ho ought not to have instituted himself an
avongCr to tho death of the violated sancti-
ties of tho marriage covenant. We make
no account herein OF the alleged antecedents
Of Sckes, 50 far us his private life is con.
cerned-an inquiry into which was proper
ly ignored by tho Court. But wo have no
right to forget that Sickles WAS n law maker,
and in that capacity under special obga-
, tons to abido by and set an example of
respect for tho requirements of law. Nor
can We forget that ho had previously been
mombcr successfully of the Assembly aud
Senate of our State. in neither Of which was
his voice ever raised in advocacy o! severer
penalties for adultery. We have abundant
=, reason for our belief that tho laws against
- adultery as they stand were deemed by him
. quito penal enough until ho learned that
tho crimo had been committed to his own
especial prejudice, which seems to have
n thrown now light on tho subject to bis
4 mind. Thereupon be killed Key, purpose.
n ly, deliberately, on calculation; declaring
hours aiterward, that they two could no
= lonCor live on tho same plauet. v eeks
, later, his friond and counsel, John Graham,
:, went into Court with string of Scripture
. citations, coIlatod to prove that such homi-
,is eide was rot merely justihahlc. but laudabe
Aud tho Jury would socm to have sustained
d the plea
- Tho moral of this whole transaction is
Messrs. libCrlines be careful not So much
Ia what you do, as to whose prejudice you do
it. Select your victims carefully from
among those who have no fathars, brothers
or husbands who can wiold II club or aim q
r. pistul-prey upon the orphan, tho dctouse-
~ IeSe, Ihu io"'y,ur you sin NJ tue RISK OF your
lives. But choose prudently, and thcro are
a for you neither legal nor illegal terrorG--
t, there is fear Mother of tho prison nor of the
Df buIet-thoro is, in short, perfect impunity.
N We protest against such lcgslatos, such
Of jurisprudoncc. If adultery be u crime-as
:. 1t clearly is--lot it % denounced and pun
n ishcd as a crimo-punished legally, regular.
Iy IT, iutlexibly. Let the seducor ola poor,
trend!rss orphan bo punished just as surely
n and severely as if tho partner OF his guilt
tn were the wife or daughter of a Member OF
* Congress No other course can possibly
% exert IL good moral influence.
s. We dcporo especially tho act of Mr.. Sick
N les, because it plainly tends 10 confirm and
u strengthen prevalent Southern nisappre.
I'd honsiOn with regard to Northern repug-
ht nance to dueiug. 1t is quite currently bo.
ar !ieycd at tho South that Northern mon gen.
T. orally decline challenges not so much from
dislike to take life as from dread OF lot'
ne ing il. The circumstances and manner oi
1g Sckles' killing of Koy are calculated tc
Ir. strengthen that mistaken prosumption.-
w But enough. ~ y. Tribune, .4prit 27th.