The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-02

wsoNEsoay MORNING ........~aAsoH :. ISL
The wa,hsngtou tragedy.

" kbNttV&t @NsANt Mt VI Anvil tN'ss
The WeshfnEton Tragedy,
II has been announced that Mr.. Smith oBrier,
The Irish na,riot, visits this eonsry, 10 the i"n'
gaare Of New York paper, on "a trip OF plea
sure aud Instruction" He announced In his adj
dres. to his friends at New York, that he should
hasten ia washin1,on. In order 20 lock In upon
Congress, before its Adjournment, and then pre-
coed South. IL is 70 be hoped that Mr.. Smith
oBrien arrived in Washington Ia time to witness
the edifyspg exhibition on Sunday last. He has
hehe,a good many strange sights in his time;
he has been almost on the s,eps Of the scafsold
himself. and has seen wild beasts and wilder men
in Ausais bat ne venture to say, he never, In the
climax of an Irish insurreesion, nor in the thick
est ianglss Of the British convict isand, heheid
snch a startling tragedy as that which occurred
on the principal avenue of the civilized capital OF
the United States Of America on Sunday last
Whom the present Belgian Minister arrived IN
Oh. United States, and was broakfss-ing for the
arst time at the principal hotel in Washington, he
was interrupted In the midst of his quiet erjoy-
mentby a pistol shot. and looked mp in amaze.
meut TO behsld one of the servants lying weiter-
ING in his blood. and member Of Congress
st.ndins over him with The pistol whose fatal
discharge had Iust sen. an immortal seul suddenly
70 tho bar Of the srea. Jndge. This WAS no Won
darfn, spectacle to progressive American but the
old f,sy Belgian ~as quite as.ounded. and, shrug.
cling his shoulders. exclaimed, ''If they do such
things at breakfast, what may we expect at dins
nerr" Aud If they do such things on Sunday,
may O. Brien exclaim. what may we expect on the
other days Of the week.
The victim of this terrific tragedy is the United
States District Attorney. a high digui;ary of the
Law, the public prosecutor of crime in the city CT
Washing .on man who should have been al ex-
emplar of jns.ice virtue and honor Tho perpe.
traitor Of the crime Is a member of Congress from
the richest city In the Union, the Secretary of Mr.
BuchanAn when he was Minister at London, and
re elected to tho next Congress as mark Of the
undirninished favor OF his constituents. 1t ia men
of such ofioia, responsibility who are the actors
in this tragic scene, and whose names will now
be handed through Christendom as the represent
atives of American life and morals.
The crime which melted Mr.. Sickes to this deed
is one for which the laws provide no punishment
aud redress for which the injured party generally
takes In his own hands. TO kill man for the Sc"
duction of female innocence is one of those OF
fences which American juries generally, 10 ac'
cordance with public sentiment, have treated
Ienenty. 1t does not appear. in the present case
that the man killed was the sedrcer; probably
this wss one of many disgracefuI intrigueS WhicA
have given Washington, during the sessions OF Con
gress, a Partisan reputation, and in which hoth
parties were equally guilty. Moreover, while 500
ciety acquits man who svenges such unspeakaoie
mi by blood, it must be somewhat important
10 the satisfaction of bis conscience that his oWn
robes should be unstained; his own life imnacu-
late; and that the retrbusion he ipiicts Tor ms
wrongs be unattended By any circumstances whlch
degrade il to the level Of assassination. "oSno"
nothing of the perpe.rator of this deed. Bus inc
New York DAILY Ne'"S says: "Ihc known antSce-
dents Of Mr.. Sickes in private life seem TO leave
him little justification for SO terrible an act as he
has been guilty off,
There 10 something, too, that gives rise 10 uh-
favorable su.picions, in the evidence OF Butter
worth, the other New York friend of Sickles,
who WAS in conversation with Key at the time
of the killing. He was asked, on the examination
At the Coroner's inquest, If he was aware ol an
ja,ended collision, and be refused to answer! -
According to Sickies' statement, be killed Key
upon sudden outbnrst of rage, on seeing the de
s,royer Of his peace for the first time after tue
disclosure of his dishonor. II so, how could But
terworth be aware Of an intended ''coiiiaion, as
it is called, for that he was aware of il, is fair
pose that Key did not .'interd" the Collision"
or 10 other words he did not intend to be shot or
to shoot, or he would have provided himself with
some more formidable weapon than al opera glass.
The Philadelphia North American, in an article
upon this melancholy case says: Common men
make fools or koaves of themselves by their III
sane passion for loose women. But that any pub
lie mau, any one elevated by long life to Off ces
of responsibility, q conspicuous posion, should
render himself liable 10 nuch death for deed
40 dsgracefuI. is really startling. Alas. for the
morals Of the nation, when murder hauDts the
thoughts of its representatives, and crime, even
baser nds shelter under the robes Of the law -
Yes alas! for there is surer standard of the
moral progress decay of q nation, than the
character of it's public Ten. But there is Ing
startling in T.: nothing lathe conduct of the rep
ressntatives at Washington could startle tho conn
try, except integrity virtue and dlHiutereseduess
When a man arises among them who will cot
plumber the treasury, who keeps his hands from
picking and stealing, who even guards the public
chest from thieves and robbers, ne eycites aston
ishmen;, an1, amorg the outsiders, Polarization :
the term Honest" IL pref1xed to his name and
he is looked upon by the nation as a Lot in sodoD
at every place which be visits large crowds colleC
t. gaze upon the prodigy, old revolutionary Dol
diers hobbe for tn their crutches TO behold mar
of primitive yirtues,and philosophers put forth
learned theories aud specula.ions TO eccOun: FOL
pure water being found in polluted fountaio,-
"Common men make fools or knaves OF themselvei
BY their insane passion for loose women" That tfai
Of common humanity is possibly not 60 uncommon
among public men our contemporary suppOses
Common men" in America and England, and
probably, in most other countries, are not hal
such "fo,ls or knsves' IS the lettered herds who
not only share the common nature, but have IN
common temptations and opportunities of crime
The moral character of men ia not affected by
their rank, station or talents. How many of the
common people CT Europe have the uncommon
"knaves" among the arstocracy made ''tools" of?
As to talents, Bacon WAS at once "the wisest" and
"the meanest of mankind" Some of tho most
brilliant wits of England were as unrestraned ia
their RIGHTEOUSNESS as the moss brutal tenants OF
S.. Giles. What human passion or infrmity has
genius been exempt tromg In the beautiful
speech made by Sir Archibald Alison at tho late
Burns festival in G,asgow-"Teli me not, he ex-
claimed, "teli me not in eZtenusion of the flllies
Of Burns that he was a son of genius, and that
genius is peculiarly susceptible TO such weasn ess-
es. No. In my opinion, the greater the gifts the
higher the responsibility to the GiYer. But he was
son Of Adam. aud let him that is without sin
among you, cast the first stone at him.
The Ladies' Fair.
We desire to call especial attention to the re-
h.LI ~