Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-10
ruE PRESS UPON THE sICKLEs AC.
QUITTAL -

The y. L. fourier states the two pleas of
Justification and insanity setup by the defence,
and says it is impossible to believe that Mr
Sskles was insane; and it adds,
lit Il quite safe to believe that the jury in
their own bosoms actually justified the killing:
bai how they managed with a whole conscience,
to make the law so justify it, it is more than
We can we'll Imagine. No law was produced
On the trial, and We do not believe there is any
law extant, which could do it without moro or
les strsining. We are among those who be-
Eeye that the majesty Of the law is best yipdi-
sated oy adherIng closely TO its letter, and
that II is the province of the Executive, not 50
tbsJ jury, to relieve from punishment those who
hsve made themselves amenable to the strict
law and yet are absolved by equity As this
ease now stands it will be a dangerous prece-
dent. II ID great encouragement to the prac-
ticc. already too prevalent of taking the law
into ones own hands. 1t will give an impuIse
To a tendency which, if unchecked, must issue
nt last in absolute and universal iawlessness.
Yet We believe that the Jury acted from sense
Of right We are certain, at least, that they
were governed by the warmest, if not the
highest impulses Of their nature
rs for Mr.. Siekles himself we doubt whether
the Incidents of the trial have raised him in the
public estimation. To pillory-ss he has been
Instrumental In doing-the woman be once
loved, whatever her faults, was an act that
does not besPcak the highest order of sensi-
bllIty Not many years ago there was an En-
gIsh soldier who struck his superior officer
without any apparent cause. He was court
martialed, and, being man Of excellent char
scter, he was interrOgated for the reason of his
extraordinary conduct. This reason be would
nor dlyulged; he acknowledged his act of ipsub
ordination, but had nothing further to say. He
was sentenced and shot. The poor soldier
proved himself ready to suffer any thing. even
death itself to shield the honor of his wife and
children. The American member of Congress,
en- the other hand, does not hesitate 10 eSpose
DIS vile, day after day, and week after week
to the contempt and lOathing Of the world, in
Order 10 add chance or two to what was al
ready moral certainty, that his life would not
be brought into any real danger Who does NOT
see that the humble soldier was immeasurably
tne superior IN point of true nobility Had Mr.
cickics at the outset plead guilty to the indict.
neh.' ana ieit ms late to the prerogative of the
President, he would have saved all the huge
pyramid OF scandal raised by this trial over his
family name; he would have been spared the
WORK OF lniletlng upon her, whom he once
called by the sacred name Of wife. a public TO-
n0mlDy such rs DO other woman in this land
however guilty, has ever been subjected to,
ARd Of deliberately, in the face of the worId
casting his innocent child into an abvss Of
shaIne In comparison with the horrors of which
the fires OF MolOch were tenderness itself Mr..
eiekles needed nothing of this His life was
TOO precious to be risked. He pleaded not
guilty, and he has got clear. But clear of
What,
From the ". Y. Commercial
Ihe demands of justice, and very nearly the
requirement. Ot the law, would probably have
bsea met had the jury seauitted Mr.. SickJes
on me ground that, under the circumstances
ihe signal given in the public street at noon.
dAy was as great a provOcatiOn as TO have
ysusht the sedueer in FagTaNtc deiictO would
have been.
From the New York Postr
The verdict in the murder trial Just closed
% washington will disappOint some persons
Who PrOiesSed to look for Disagreement of the
jury, but the anticipation was that no conyie
e"h could De obtained. The nature of the Of |
LsGse was perfectly well understood, cool and
USLOeIate hCmlcide In view of n certain provo |
ssuon-and the law Of the case was as clear as |
h'ohday, So much so that skilful counsel rather
'asal 10 eYade than to question it; but behind
O0'a tne isct and the law stood popular feel |
ing Vhlch We will not attempt to eharacterize.
anu Snien II was supposed would supersede the
m"fe rigorous demands of the law Mr. SickIes
wa acquitted neither by the ingenuity os his
4i'"eates nor the remarkable laxity of the |
Iry'eSuung ofhcers, but by sentiment which
t"K the law IN its own hands and declared the |
assassination Of an adulterer iustifbale
we are left In no doubt upon this point. ipas- |
bGch As the jury, after the Adjournment, re- |
paired TO one Of the hotels to ninyle their con |
sratnlatlohs with those of the defending coun |
sci ana OF the mob, and to declare in the most |
SAP"Si, terms the grounds Of their decision |
UAe OF them desired Brady to proclaim il i'm |
New York that the citizens of Westminster |
% arc NOT behind those Of any other part of the |
country IN devotion to the family ALTAR An
utnsr S oi them, who is described we should saw |
justly, as the ''wag and mimic" of the tribunal |
% e'.t .nat he would not for himself have been |
shusned with DerFinger or revolver. but |
would have brought a howitzsr In bear ON the |
seioeer." "A third, who had beguiled the weary |
hVurs IN which the jury were together by pef-
lofIaaDees on the violin, heightened the gen |
srai Joy with which their peculiar discharge of |
their legal function was hailed, by additional |
strains from that duleet instrument A fourth 4
more deyoutly inclined, thanked God that his
me pad been spared to participate in so great |
and brilliant a verdict |
ihey dld not pretend to be guided by apy |
principles OF law, but they took il on them
,ehes 70 establish new principle, which they
nPe 70 see adopted henceforth as n peculiar \
element OF American jurisprudence.
Il, Inc only approach to legal justification of |
.ne murder, apart from Mr.. Graham's plea
'h"t nlcktes was insane-which he immediately
ITndered nugatOry by the enthusiasm with |
Nhlch ne demonstrated that Sickles was rather |
InePlIed man lnsane-inspired to execute the |
DiNine Nlll by his profound study of the He
prev Seripture-was introduced by Mr. Brady,
IA arguing that the Derringer pistol belonged |
% Mr.. hey, and that the homicide might have
D-eA The result of an armed encounter between
the parties. =
4hls was ingenious, though not ingenious,
i0I We oeiieye II Is pretty well known to every
OOty tnat the Derringer belonged to distin-
Sui'hed official Of this city, who lent il q few
DAYS before tho murder wss committed, to the |
accused. AS the jury, however, assert that
uney had made up their minds to an acquittaI.
s!A days ago, that is, before the rebntting eyi-
IeuSe was all put in, and before the points of /
i"N we're expOunded by the counsel on either |
sue sue or by the Court, we doubt whether Mr.. |
DlAly droit stratagem had any effect upon the /
sue, II was a foregone conclusion, without |
rs eioquence, and So far as legal forms and |
ttedents are concerned, the Court would |
% na's saved the community the exhibition Of |
bIcd deal Of solemn farce, if it had dispensed |
&c trial.
,-Uhe N the extraordinary demonstrations which |
81 W. the Verdict-the daneing Of Mr. Stan |
- - Deiore the court, 9 like Darid before the |
IN. The shouts Of the crowd for {" a speech" !
IN Sickles-the offer to unharness the horses /
a arrao -