The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-04-12

meht 90 forth ON his mansion armed repro
scented to be by The learned counse. tor .ne osesoo
feature the winch might appeal us Bu. tnete W no
such here. Mr. Key was N the neehoorhood Oh
Mr. Sick les mansion following the bent 81 ms own I'M
ppus and wicked incinaops The ferocits Of this
attack ms represented the part o the p'osscu'oa-eae
very character which they have tired " mpar
20 ia shows most completely what the state VI mind
shch prompted hm the commission of the act. THIS
is speasiog fact. Mr.. Sckles encounters Mr. Key with
out any exIHolatous whatever he meets nlm as casu-
ally housn be mad met The verest stranger and the
very ierocy with which the witnesses say he went AZ
Mr. Kew and slew him, is Indicative OF the rresistl
bic impusts which drove him on, and against
which impossible 10 oppose any resistance There IT,,
therefore, nothing like elaboration In the case The Zero
city Of assault portrayed in the testimony, the
very fact, above all Others winch would rely show
the frepz,d mind OF the who the author Of the
AZ have already said, grief despair, ami revenge,
and al these feelings excited oy sucn provocaton, not
appealing TO any particular one but exciting al these ee
ments Of the mind IN the strife and for
cy Under these circumstances Wilt jury say That ea
son txeted any SWAY amid such battls Of passions
when was impossible that the Of hIe mind could lis
ten TO the audience OF reason or conscence He referred
the Court TO the case Of Major Robert 0Snsey, H. State
Trials and the Queen against Fisher in Illustration OF the
prestnt case There was no cooling tme there would be
cooling within the compass OF life time: often ~
remnfcence shall recall the wrong of his wife his excite
mept will blaze up with all its fury He referred 10 the
in English trials where father slew another for
committing sodomy hs SOMA crime 30 horrible 10 lis
character be named among Christians; the lad,
fourteen fifteen years OF yielded himself 10 the
unhsowed lust OF the father hearing OF The crime,
hunted him out and pursued hun for whole night, ADD
say there such feelings OF purity in this case as
those which attach to weS II was Of the essence OF hu
man nature 70 love with tenderness which does
not Identity itself with any other passion This forms Inc
most enthusiastic the most maddening passion which
clusters around invests her with her claims 10
protection. The more the offence Is contemplated the
more matdens Although the father deliberately Slew
the who perpetrated the horrible crme and although
the Judge charged the jury that they must convict him
muroer Yet the jury in the face OF the law convicted
him only of the crime of manslaugnter parallel might
be drawn between In the first the father,
after spending all ght pursuing the offender executed
venre In this the anuerous conduct Of Mr. Key
thrust itself upon Mr. Sckles as he passed him; in
moment theuan exploded and because the wronged hus
band summary slew him he is arragned here a
nal Mr. Sckes unlike the father referred TO- had no tins
to manifest such indications Of mental unsoundness
those which attach themselves 10 offences Of this Kind he
could not call in witnesses To the crazness under
which he committed the act; but under such a
Of mind as these circumstance would naturally
produce, Mr.. Sickles committed the act for which
is sought to deprive him of existence:
Now, gentlemen very brief narrative OF this case, and
shall submit it TO you, FAR as tho opening concerned,
Let ask who the parties 10 ths ransactonp AS
have said before, shall speak unknd word OF Mr.
Key; shall put the facts before you and leave them TO
speak TO you humanity always will speak uni Ter cir
cumstances like the present Mr.. Key was a man Of
about forty years Of age am nfor med he had been
married man, and at this very time he had the
ments of that sacred relation daily before him to
him OF the wckedness of his conduct he himself had
sumed the marriage and knew the solemny Of IT. he
could tell himself what would be his own feelings If his
well conceive TO himself how he would act If he had dis
covered the author Of that violation HIS profession, too
was such as should have impaired gravity to his
character. There occupations which do not
terfere with the rivoly Of human nature but there
is any profess this world shor, the pulpit which
can and ought TO sanctfy, If mag so speak, the
human mind, and communicate gravity TO il which is
not its natural vessmen II Is the prof ssOn which
belopg-it is the profession to which Mr. Key be-
lonsed. The very business Of profession is TO
study out the rights Of other men, and to have them
OBSERVED The first Of all the duties which cast upon
u.s. aud the last OF all that be excused from
the performance of the studying out OF the social
and the personal relations OF to and the duties
q at.t tbaaa valae Gr,t IA
principal husinefs Of profession and therefore law
yer, above all Others before every tribunal, whether
be erected in the arch Of heaven upon the face
earth, s entitled TO the least charitable consideration
What, too, was his positionS He the prosecuting
officer Of this District He was selected to conserve the
cause Of public morality and public decency. It was his
business TO that your homes protected against
seducers adueres and every other species of criminal
and yet he wrapped himself in the garb of hypocrisy,
INTO this court and hunted down. with almost
paraeled success the mere worms that crawl
face OF the earth, while the full grown man of
crime, ouch he himself was, was permit
ted TO stalk through your community, not only
not punished, but not even en-. admonshsd for it,
word here that is not strictly true? Who the
with whom be committed this adulteryS Young enough
not; but reasoning from her years, and from know
ledge of the mental structure Of woman is not too much
,hat age envroned her. that she susceptible TO fiat.
tery that she was susceptible to the attentions Of men,
and looked them as go many offerings cast upon the
shrine Of her beauty At her period Of life the marriage
vow had not impressed Itself with all its gravity upon
mind; she did not experience fully the meaning of the
terms by which she had surrendered herself body and
SOUL TO the Ownership and control Of Der husband If there
| ever a case In which man tempted by
! ran, he should have initiated the example Of Joseph
olefi bis garment in the hands OF Pohphars wife, This
was case above all others in which man, he fell
under the dominion OF his lust should have left behind
bin some proof which by the mendacy of the
might be tortured into evidence of his guilt Who was
the husband 10 this case He is no. quite Of the
age with Mr. Key; he accredited TO your city
member OF the councils of the naon he came from the
great commercial metropolis OF our continent that city
upon which every part Of this Union looks with prde and
which, however Objectionable Some OF its features may be-
nevertheless every American heart will concede is the
fret city Of Union; he here ia the sphere of duty
and by way OF showing Mr. Key and you the ndence
he placed the protection which guaranteed 70 nrn
by the laws Of your District in bringing within lie precincts
his wife and his child, he threw them and himself upon
you and the laws Of this Dctrict for protection Now
what the relations of Mr.. Key Mr.. ScklesY We
shall show you what those relations SO far
sincere friendship So far Mr Key was con
oerDed they those of protested friendship
that reproacbed me- then could have borne IL neither
II be that hated me that did magnify himself against
me; then would have bid myself from him; but it
thoua man mine equal my guide and my acquaintance;
we took sweet counsel together and walked into the
house of God in company" The wrong of stranger may
becomes intolerable. We will show YOU gentlemen, ON
the part Of this Defence that Mr. ckcs had nterceded 20
have Mr. Key appointed to very position which his p
vate life has dsgraced; that all the influence which he
could WELD TO him the elevated position of pro-
secuior at the bar OF this thrown into the SCALE
ambition. We will show you that Mr. Sckes had sent
BIN private clients; and will show you that
zion when Mr. Sckes had occasion himself, in conse
quence OF difference relating 10 the hiring OF his house,
TO employ professional services he secured those Of this
Hr. Key as his counsel in opposition to the valua-
bic services of the learned senior counsel for this
prosecution. SO that there were not only friendly
but professional relations between them which
sinks any man TO the lowest depths Of basencss who
would think Of compromising his acquaintances
under such circumstances Mr.. Key pretended that he
was 10 bad health pretended because, although
had q In he NJ dtu
which awaited him here, nevertheless he had strength
enough carry out his designs in reference TO the
his neghbor. Had he expended in this Court same
ply oxerton which be expended in the prosecution
his adultery he would have been physically he was
mentally adequate 10 the discharge Of every duty which
devolved upon him. But while he had not strength
enough 10 meet the exgences Of his duty here he
had that strength which was necessary W sustain his
20 Of vrty elsewhere. He became visiter at
house Of Mr. Sckles The acquaintance dates far back
believe, six years since. Mr.. Sckles is in
public life he compelled 10 trust TO the purity of his
wife be compelled often and for considerable intervals
10 be away from his family mansion, and 10 leave his
wife 10 the guardianship and protection OF her chas
a.