Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-09

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cestors, as portrayed to us in the light Of
their own maxlms. are revealed to us IN liv
ing, actual men like unto ourselves. Thes.
principles owe their entire strength and
NAV say also. their veracity, to their hu
manity-not the modern, sickly sentiments
( humanity, but one that is God fearing and
man-loving.
And while thus they allow sufficient toll
GRAFTON Of the weakness of our common ma
ture, they form as it were at the same time
I the very pedestal upon which rests the sub
lime figure of public justice. Whenever
those principles are perverted, whenever
they are warped for the purpose Of shielding
a criminal, whether he be humble or power
! full, the blow is struck at both humanity and
justice. Society. gentlemen, has its human
cries, a. well a. the solitary prisoner; and II
they come up to US in the swell of uncount,
/ ed voices they are no less right. The jury
that sends its deiverance TO the offender,
whose stains are not washed off by the eyi,
dencc in the trial, is itself morally direlct to
the high obligations which humanity alone
imposes upon it. These practices, gentle
men, relating to the law Of murder, have
been proved by experience to be so evident
ly wise and just that in NJ civilized court
that ] have heard of has there ever been any
essential departure from them. Innovations,
even in their widest moments, gentlemen of
the jury, never yet have suggested the pro-
priety of allowing revenge, as either of justi-
iicaton Or even palliation Of the crime of
murder.
Human society could exist upon no such
basis, civilization itself would become an
imposition. The common law has the most
sacred regard for human rights; so sacred
that even the rankcst criminal who has as
sumcd unto himself the function of judge
jury. and execu.iOner, ia himself given by
that law the privileges Of fair and impair
tial trial 1t gives to-day to Daniel +. Sick
les. the prisoner at the bar not only what
he denied to his victim, an impartial jury,
and an upright Judge, but until he is proven
guilty, clothes him in the spotless robes Of
innocence.
How long the facts that may be proven in
the progress of this ease. how long the pre-
sumption "f innocence in his favor will con-
troll the facts of the ease, as they may be
given t. You in evidence. is for you to deter
mine. How soon, gentlemen, that presump-
ton will be supplantrd by another, terrible
To the prisoner. IL one which the law author
ICES and commands you to draw. In add-
ton to this second presumption, the proofs
in this case will show. further. an express
ed malice on the part of the prisoner at the
bar towards the deceased, il is for you 10 de-
eide.
You sit there, gentlemen, under the law of
the land. No prince or pOtentate ever easr-
cised higher function than that You are
called upon 10 PERFORM it is as solemn as
death: it is a. momentous rs life. Your
consciences have been purged by tho ordeal
OF the court, and you have solemnly sworn
you are competent 10 decide upon the guilt
or innocence of the prisoner at the bar.
You fit there, gentlemen, rs jurymen, and
not "a Legislators. Whether the law be wise
or fonlish-whether it iniiicts too severe or
too mild IL punishment, is no concern. You
are there to find the facts and not u amend
the law. You might as well annul the law
which empanels you, rs To attempt to alter
or set aside the law which defines or estab
fishes the crime Of murder; nor, gentlemen
of the jury, have you anything 70 do with !
the punishment which the law afhxes to that
crime.
The responsibility rests alone with the :
law-making power, and the propriety of its /
exercise and administration is question !
exclusively u the wise discretion ,
of the Executive, who can sheath the sword |
Of justice, or let it fall upon the guilty head.
Your duties and responsibilities, gentle
men of the jury, are solemn and momentous !
enough, without assuming others that do .
not belong to YOU You sit there to try the !,
issue between the prisoner at the bar and !
the prosecution of the United States, which !
alleges that the law has been violated.
The issue thus made up, YOU are sworn to |
try. The responsibilities that attach TO the |
Of that issue rest elsewhere
Nay, more. gentlemen of the jury, those con-
sequences themselves, independent even Of !
their responsibilities, are in the hands of the
law and in the keeping Of the wise, merciful,
and just God.
know not, gentlemen Of the jury what
will be the peculiar line of the defence in
this case; if ! did, it would hardly be proper
for me 10 allude to it at this time. If, how
ever. gentlemen. it be legal. and it be prov
ed to your satisfaction, let the prisoner 60
free. Let him 90 free as the winds Of hea-
ven.
~, nO"eNfI, OI lllc OlueT Iduu, IL ~ !
egal, if It receive not the sanction Of the
aw, or If, being legal, it be not proved, |
charge you gentlemen of the jury, by the
!uty that yon owe - yourselves, and to your
rod, and Ia your country, to smIte the ready
Iand of violence everywhere by your YER
iIct, and to proclaim to the four quarters of
he now listening world that there is virtue
get left in u jury, no matter how high the
position Or lofty the pretensions of the often
Ter.
The MARRYING WoyAN.-The New Or
cans Crescent says: The Marrying Wo-
nan is mated again. Last summer we men,
toned the circumstance of German widow
n the third district marrying her fifth hus-
,and. 4 month or two atterward we pub
ishcd that the lady was again made widow
" the death Of the fifth by yellow fever
We have now to record that she is again
wife, having taken her sixth lawful husband
n due form n few days ago. We forbear
epeating the Jokes to which this wedding
las given rise The people around look up
N the sixth husband ~ dead man sure be-
ore the summers over and say that the
Wedding should have been prevented by the
,olice. Some Of the lady's German friends
ay that she buried two husbands before leay-
NJ the old country. Ii this be true, the
resent husband is her eighth"
An UNAFFECTED FoRTuSE-Several years