Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

THE COMMUNICATING since the extra
ordinary acquittal of Daniel f. Sickles has SO
shocked the American public mind as his recent
proclamation that the woman codcernede In HIS
murder of Philip Barton Key is quite worthy to
be his wife, involved in the reestablishment of
his marital relations with her The difference Is
simply. that his aequittal under the circumstances
shocked thoughtful persons who value the due en-
forcement of the laws asthe palladium Of Amer
lean liberties while his proclamation above re-
ferred to has shocked those of weak minds, sickly
sentiments, or diseased principles, who for the
most part were those who shouted over his ac-
quittal as yindication Of justice, Tin their opin-
Joni lnthus shocking them, Sickles has opened
the eyes OF those among them in this latitude, to
tne fact that the Star correct I'm its estimate of
his (Sickles; morale and character, from the mo-
ment of the homicide to the close Of. the trial.
In condonng her offence, Sickles prociaims
that he was himself the author of her revolving
confession; or that woman such as she describes
herself to be, therein lis not unfit to he his wife,
| that he shot Philip Barton Key unarmed and an
| aware of his approach with any such intent, for
an offence which he does not regard as sufficient
| cause for more than temporary arrangement be-
tween the woman and himself, she being as much
a principal in the affair the victim whose life
he took in SO cowardly manner.
L ",
correct man, in such matters, than Philip Barton
| Key was, until an evil hour brought him in close
contact with the Sickles pair we never knew
| Among all the friends of his youth and manhood
here, he was proverbial fer his heightened ideas
of right and wrong in such matters, before his as
ISOLATION with them. We are aware that the par
tizans of the man who killed him created differ
ent impression, for the time being, on the public
| mind. Not single point of proof to justify their
misrepresentation Of the original character Of Key,
did they adduce, however; and we rejoice that in
thus showing himself in his true colors, Sickles
has opened the eyes Of the dupes Of his late melo
dramatic programme, as to enable them to
realize the fact that the aspersons showered upon
Key for his fSickles's) benefit Is baseess as
his own claims TO honor to be wounded in an
affair of the Sort in which Key fell victim to MS
original victim; for any young girl who becomes
the wife of a man who, after extorting from her
and publishing such confession as that which all
the world read and revolted at not long since,
takes her again to his arms, and thus proclaims
her fit wife for him, is, indeed victim almost
as much to be pitied as the man who was muir
dered by and through his unfortunate association
with the twain
AS mortifying as the history of the trial has been
to considerate and justice loving people of this
District, as inficting stain upon the history of
IT'S Jurisprudence never to be wiped out, this de-
AoHenent Of condonement under the eircunstan-
ces, will do some good, we trust in teaching Dis
| ulct OF Columbia juries their duty between law
| and justice on one side and vulgar bastaid pub
| lie opinion manufactured for the moment by the
atrical appliances to cheat law and Justice on the
other Long will this public CONFINEMENT keep
alivet the Publcs memory of the jury in the siekles
case we trust to the end of forever lettering jury
men here who have character to lose, from ven
turing in the face of their oaths to administer the
law as ftexists, from returning verdict according
to what they think the law should be, rather than
according to what they know /: to be, If lit to enter
the jury-box. zee .s.I.... -.