The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-03-03
Retribution.

count OF great tragedy enacted in its streets in
which the Hon. Daniel Sickles and Phillip Bar
ton Key we're the principal actors. The public
no doubt are already familiar with the facts of
the cause and it is unnecessary that we should
repeat them all in detail Suffice it to say, that
for year past, an intimacy has been existing
between Mr.. Key and the wife of Mr.. Sickles,
which resulted in the deepest criminalty on their
part. Mr.. Key procured house in another
part of the city, where he was in the habit of
meeting Mrs. Sickles for the purpose of illicit
intercourse Mr. Sickles having procured the
most convincing proofs of Keys criminalty, both
from persons who have previously watched his
movements as well as from his wifes free and
full confession, as also from seeing Key on the
fatal afternoon, wave handkerchief in front OF
his (Sickles) house as telegraphic signal to Mrs
SicSies for another meeting; armed himself, went
out and encountered Mr.. Key in the street, and
shot him three times, which resulted in almost
instant death These are the prominent points
of the tragedy, md the question that arises is,
was Mr.. Sicklcs jrsstifable in taking the course
that he did!
That Key had injured and agrgieved him to
the greatest possible extent, of course no one
will deny. Had he merely in cold blood muir
dered the wife of his bosom, his crime would
have been small in the eyes of Mr.. Sickles com
pared with the one of which he was guilty. The
killing of the body is something that is terrible
and horrible to contemplate but the pollution
and moral faint of the soul as well as the body
the degradation of the spirit-the distinction
of virtue is something far more horrible and
terrible to fond, confding, and devoted hus-
band. BY its means, his own peace and happi-
ress is destroyed forever and he is compelled to
carry with him, as it were ever purest living
corpse blackened with pollution and guilt. The
wife was joined to him so that they twain were
Int one flesh. It is as if one half of his own
body was dead polluted fostering thing, which
he was compelled to drag with him. and which
was ever present with its sickenng sight, to
destroy every vestge of his peace and happiness
Such picture and such thoughts, must have
revolved in the brain of Mr. Sickles; and none
can know how intense thoughts must have been
unless unfortunately they may have been placed
under similar circumstances, and not until then
would we be prepared to fully sympathize with
man placed in such position. If there is
any one act that would at its first revealing in
ell its blackened enormity and hideousness, mo-
mentarily set aside calm and deliberate judy
Inent, dethrone reason, and set loose uncontroll-
cd, fendiSh revenge or retribution it must be
something similar to the one we are contempla-
ting. And until the law would hang the ser
pent, who would creep into family in the dis
guise of friend for the purpose of destroying it,
and hang too with meaning certainly re may
expect men to forget their obligations to law and
order, and to that society in which they live, and
take the law in their own hands, and become
their own avenger.
But there is another side to this question.
While we deeply sympathize with Mr.. Sickles,
while we despise the traitor, and say that he
received fate which he richly merited, yet be-
fore we approve of his act we should look at it
calmly in the light of rea sons. We should not
forget that we are members of society, and are
living under government that acknowledges
law and order to be among its cardinal princi-
Piles, and that the law (Which is the perfection
of reason) furnishes redress for all wrongs, and
that it is not the policy of the law of the land
to let every man take the law in his own hands,
and to become his own avenger The moment
we depart from this settled policy of the law,
Just so far have we receeded toward q state of
nature and Of course anarchy. In becoming
members of society we all give up some of our
natural rights for the good of society in general,
and leave the law to redress our injuries. If in
the case we have been considering, man may
take the law in his own hands, and meet ont
what punishment he pleases, why may not any
OF us Kill all persons that may have been guilty
of murder, treason, or any crime punishable with
death without waiting for the sanction of Judge
and jury or in fact why may we not kill any one
who has been guilty of any. crime, if we believe
that the law does not provide sufficient remedy
and that the criminal deserves death. WHY
may we not arm ourselves with our revolyers
and rifles, go ont and hunt criminals as the
sportsman hunts for his game, and boast on our
return OF the number that we have "bagged p"
1n answer we wonld simply say that to do so,
"ouid oesubyersive of all law and all government,
aDu unui we are prepared to throw down the
barriers OF all law and order and revert to state
OF ANARCHY and reign Of terror, we would not be