Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-05
that he was divinely inspired to acquit sickles

that 1 he was divinely inspired to acquit sicklss
when the jury retired, one of them Withdrew
into corner and ON his knees asked divine pnjd-
,;eg ane;elgot up entered into conversation. again
mind fully made up in favor Of acouittal. ;,
But enough. We turn from the disgracefu,
incidents OF the verdict to brief consideration
OF the doctrine which it ineulcates, and the
consequences which are likely to follow from
Its adoption in practice, In the special CORES
pondence OF the New York Times we are fur
nished with an explanation of the principles
which governed the jury in their finding, pur-
porting to come from themselves /" After the
trial, says correspondent Of that paper
:. had the pleasure OF meeting ten of the eea-
tlemen who composed the jury and am specfally
instructed by them To state, and they wish II dis
.ncuy understood, that they gave their verdict on
the principle that, In the absence of any ADEQUATE
punishment by law for adultery the man who vi
ofatcs the honor and desoIats-s the home OF his
does SO at the peril of his life; and il le
iails Dy the outraged husbands hands lac deserves
his doom. This principle, they informed me
Ihey agreed upon unanimously six days since
ihey have made 1t from this hour principle of
American law.n
Here, then, 1t appears that in acquitting
Sickles, the Jury do not pretend to have been
guided in their verdict by the instruction of
the court, by the evidence in the cause. or by
the law OF the land. They were engaged in
setting new principle - Their action in the
case was not Judicial, but legislative, and the
principle which they have settled is this ::
that henceforward adultery is a capital offence;
tne quit OF the offender to be ascertaned and
the punishment to be inflicted by the party az
grieyed. How far the principle" is to extend
Is not stated. Is it to be confined to members
OF Congress exclusively, or are all husbands
throughout the land to be invested with this
power OF life and death, for the protection of
their honor! Is every man who may be
cursed with prostitute for q wife to be at lib
erty to shoot at sight, or in his own time and at
his own place, any one who may have partici-
pated IN her folly and her sin? Is the ss prin-
clpie, morever, to be confined in Its applica-
tlon to one sex, or does it extend to both
Are wives to have the same rights with their
husbands, and be authorized to kill the de-
stroyers Of their domestic peace? And, finally,
what provisions, if any, is to be made for those
who have no natural guardian to wield in their
behalf, the weapons of death-the widowed and
the fatheriess-the exposed, and oflines sorely
tempted daughters Of poverty and toll? Is il
only the virtue Of married women that is weak
and requires the protection of Derringers and
revolyers, or are We to have a public assassin,
almed ~ the public expense, to avenge the
wrongs OF the poor and the friendless, which
must otherwise 60 unavenged Gin the absence
OF any adequate punishment by law" These
are some OF the questions which the jury in the
Slckles case have omitted to answer If indeed
they ever stopped to consider, but which are
none the less obviously suggested by the most
cursOry and partial consider alton Of the detes-
table doctrine which they have sought to make
"a principle Of American law"
lFrom the Baltimore Patriot April 27l
The performance which has been going on In
the City Hall at Washington, for the past three
weeks, was yesterday brought to u conclusion
a ar6a anf Of NNAI
was received with rapturous applause, and no
doubt, but for the tedious length to which the
joke had gone, it would be eneOred with the
same enthusiasm. 1t is a very mortifying fact
for US to reflect upon. but il seems To be a yery
certain one, that We may now take ii for grant
ed there are those things for which jury will
not convict: In the Northern States for aiding
and abetting attempt to rescue a fugitive
from the officers of the United States: in the
southern states for engaging in the piracy of
the slave trade; and throughout the land for
eoolly shooting down n man In vengeance of a
wrong, even in n case where il was a mere sac
nhce to appearances, and justified by neither
the extent Of the injury, any sense of real
dishonor
Where an outrage, as high as any that
can be imagined, is committed against a
home Of purity and virtuous associations, in
v"ivlng In ruin one whose previous conduct
and disposition proves that All utter peryersion
heart,
clean and upright. mOdesty implanted by
nature and strengthened by education, must
have been corrupted by insidious wles aid a
long train OF assiduOus artifices; when all this
ls done, and against a man whose own life was
blameless in this regard, the public are some
times willing to forget. for a moment what is
due to the demands Of law and the order and
safety of society, at seeing ruin overtake the
corrnpter without punishment to the vindica-
tor OF his own wrong. Even in such case the
law Is dishOnOred, and a reward, or the induce
ment of impunity, is offered to the shedder of
blood in his own cause. How much greater
the injury, then, where the jury refuses to find
the fact, which Is undisputed, in q case where
q shameful act indeed was done, but not
against sn unwilling participant, or TO the
dlshOnOr of a stainless defender, The publie
outside OF Washington, has long ago made its
own conclusion as to the outraged honor of the
perpetrstOr of the killing, and the confding
purity and betrayed virtue of the party in
whose honor il was perpetrated.
1t was expected, however that the prosecu-
tion for such u crime, committed on Sunday.
In broad day In public -, aare of the capital
OF nation bOssting itself to be something ip
its respect for law and public order, and the
venerable forms OF justice, would be conducted
In such manner as to leave no doubt in the
public mind of the sincere desire of the author
tiles to yindicate the public justice. 1t was
not to be looked for that that sort Of public
opinion which is manufactured in the drinking
saloons and barber-shops of Washington. and
which, being the bought opinion of The hang
ers-On in such places, is retsiled and magnifed
by the telegraph wires as the sentiment Of the
community, would control the verdict of Jury
which, by the law of its selection, seemed to
promise better things
We have no disposition to accuse the attor-
ney for the Government Of any neglect or de-
reelection of duty, or inability to perform it.
With him was associated gentleman of we'll
known ability and high standing who was
there at the request of the friends of the de.
ceased to defend, as far As might be necessary.
his memory from undue reproach; bat his ac-
ton was Of course limited by his own position.
as well as by the control Of the Government Of
feer. We may somewhat account for the SEEM
ing tenderness and extreme deIicacy of the
prosecution on remembering the fact that the
accused was a fast friend of the highest officer
Of the nation, had been returned to the next
Congress "f the United States. in which such
friends will be found to be rather scarce. and
in which it might be hoped, provided always
the said House shall not purge itself, such few,
and Of that kind, might be Of indispensable ne
cessity.
Ii is not the FIRST case Of murder tried in
Washington where a useful alherent If tho