The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-16
The w Washington Tragedy.

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We have, contrary to our usual custom, in
regard to crime, occupied our space on our first
side quite largely with the Sickles and Key
tragedy because it is out of the course of COM
mon murders, which point no moral beyond
the ever recurring evidence that man, STEPPED
in vice and Ignorance, is brutal and regardless
of his fellow beings life and happiness, and
because this melancholy tragedy exhibits a
phase and a defect of our social condition; and
is forcible assurance that
"Truth is strange-stranger than fiction"
No tale of fiction could equal the sadness of its
details.
We think that Daniel E. Sickles was fully
justified in killing P. B. Key, notwithstanding
under ordinary circumstances such killing
would be murder. We have no doubt Sickles
formed the design of killing before he left his
own house, and when he first saw Key waving
his handkerchief opposite as a signal for Grim
inal intercourse with his wife. But society, in
its conventional wisdom visits all its contempt
in affairs of this kind, not upon the sedhcer Of
a wife's honor, but upos the wronged husband,
and the erring woman. Society. in what we
call the dark yet chivalric ages, allowed wrong
ed woman to call upon a knight to avenge
her wrong and hishonori in the lists. AS COM
merce progressed, the rules of chivalry, the
wager of battle, and all those means of redress
were voted barbaric, and where woman's honor
vas wounded society in place of the chances of
death to her wronger-in the sordid spirit of
mercantile ~dealing-gave the father, husband
or injured woman, a compensation IN money;
and added intelligence has not changed the
rule. But there are wrongs untold wealth
will not compensate, and for which the laws
refuse redress. This case between Sickles and
Key is one of these; and in such cases, as our
laws refuse redress. This case between Sickles
and Key is one of these; and in such cases, as
Our laws arc constituted we know w rapnadu RI
check the vicious and depraved but the salts
faction of taking the wrong-doer's blood
Where society permits a great social evil to ex-
list without a remedy, individuals are morally,
though not legally, RENTED to a condition
analogous to savage life, for the remedy, and
in this case the natural impulse of wrong has
brought a marked and deadly revenge. But
we shall not be surprised to find our verdict
on the character and justification of that
revenge ratified by the public, and th9 court
whom Sickles is held to answer.
Blu some say Sickles is not a man of pure
morals, in matters of this kind. This may be
true, but his love for and confidence, in his /
wife implies that this could not be true to the
extent intimated, if at all. But even If it were
rue it would in no way justify Keys system
ltically designed criminal act. Wrong gives
10 sanction to the commission of wrong; and
lever can justify or palliate it. Lord Erskine
avs "tempests scourge into activity the lazy
dement's which but for them would s%taenate
nto pes.ilence." And this Social outbreak and !,
I~iolation of law, may have the effect to per-
uade society and Legislators that unbridled
icentiousness ought to have a higher STAN "
ard by which to measure woman's purity than =
acre pecuniary recompense. c
1t may be said our teaching is contrary to )
'hristian morals. True, but Christian morality
l this matter is not found in the laws, and we :
act outside of Christian rule to reach
2tural justice.-View the matter in any way
C may, we cannot but think that Sickles was P
%ghtfuliy the slayer of Key. That Key was =
man of high intelligence renders only more SC
1Ious his act towards his trusting friend, and vi
e fear, if newspaper report is to be credited, &c
to his difficulty with Col. May, he has been Sc
betrayer and a bad man through life, and has e q
et a fitting end.-AEAcn County Democrat. K