Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-08
w. ID. WALLACH.
The PRESS UPON THE MADISON PLAt e
TRAGEDY
[From the Columbia south Carolinian.l

TFrom the Columbia South Carolinian.l
The WASHINGTON TEAGEDY.-We publish in
another column. from the Washington corre!-
pondenee of the New York Times a full sc-
count Of the shooting Of Mr.. Key by Mr. Sickles
The account, with the exception of that portion
Of it which relates to Mr.. Butterworth being in
Mr.. Sickles's house. and going out for the pur-
pose of engaging hey in conversation, until
SiekleS could UyeTtske him, is substantially in
accordance with Others. As far as we can
judge, public sentiment fully sustains Mr..
Sickles. This is natural. We would pity that
public sentiment which is so lost to the sane
tity Of the family relation as to denounce rs IN
infamous murder that which, terrible though
ii be, was but proper punishment for so helm
GUS an offence. The man stands as the head of
his family; he Is iis protector and governor;
snd upon him, the head Of the household
government rests the vindieation OF such in
fanny and disgrace may be brought upon it
by conduct such as that of which Mr. Key has
bccn guilty. When public sentiment ccnsures
the infection OF this most terrible penalty upon
an offence which strikes at the family. and thus
tends TO demolish the basis Of society, then we
may despair Of either private or public purity.
Ii augurS we'll for the public sentiment of our
country that, with a few exceptions even though
il be the shedding Of blood, This act meets with
full approval, and with generosity which, we
hope, will ever characterize the American peo-
Ile. Instead Of being the object of denunca-
ton, Mr. Siekles receives the most cordial SYM
pathy.
From g Fair Play'' in the New York Post.l
Taking Mr.. ButterwOrth's own statement of
his conduct on Sunday last to be in every re-
spect tTue-aEd suppose it isl think the
character Of man Of honor" even in its
worldly sense, Is the very last to which he
can lay claim. -..
Let me not be misunderstood don't mean
the Code Of Honor in amongst Texas rang
e. and Mississippi overseerS ] mean the oil
ume-hOnored code which we brought with us
hefe from Europe, and which has regulated
the dealings Of gentlemen with one another for
fourteen hundred years The very essence and
basis of that Code was fair play, and loyalty,
equalty in all things. Its whole spirit breathes
2Corn of advantages of any sort over an oppo-
nent- There was nothing it taught and teaches
more imperiously than the baSeness Of armed
assault upon an unarmed man Of refusing his
life to an opponent who crayed il: of assisting
at a combat IN which the weapons had not been
measured. the word fairly given, and lots drawn
Tor The ground No pTOCOcatI0H tcaS or is
aaGeT a., allowed to palliate in the smallest
degree the smallest advantage taken Of an enc
my. Whether the insult be a blow in the face
or the seduction Of one S WIFE the lie direct or
the underhand SANDER, any man who appeals
TO that Code must obey its laws to the letter
must give his adversary warning, must have
witnesses to see that his own wish at the com
meneement Of the fight is in all outward re-
spects equal to his enemy's. And let Us add,
mat any man who processes to be guided by its
rules, as Mr.. ButteTYorth apparently does
must not look on and allow his friend to re-
dress his wrongs IN n way in which he ought
rot to redress them himself There is no civ
IlZed country in the world in which second
IN an unfair duel would not be held in even
greater adherence than the victorious princi-
pal.
What has Mr.. Butterworth done! He has
seen his friend Siekles asSail his friend Kew
without warning, without deadly weapons; ne
has seen hey, wounded and disabled, lean help
les-iy against tree and crave for Iife-a PRAYER
which only a Camanche ever fuses even in
the hottest fight; he has seen Sickles advance
on him while in this condition, snap a cap at
MN, deliberately re-cOck his pistol and then
shoot him through the body. Did he move hand
OF loot to prevent this atroeious butcheryl Did
ne utter word Of remOnstrance! Did he call
on Sicllles not to stain himself with n deeper
staIn than his wife's conduct had imprinted on
him by staying wounded man! Did hc. when
the slaughter was finished. tell him that though
hs wrongs were no doubt great, he had not
acted as man of honor; that be had struck
ieion blow; and that, though his own conscience
might acguit him, he (Buttcrworth) to whom
h"y had done no wrong. must say that key had
been fouily slain Not bit of it. He took
inc murderers arm very cordially and walked
away from the scene, leaving his victim palpi-
tating in the thrUeS Of death
from the Philadelphia DeSpatchl
We may as well premise what we shall have
10 say IN reference to the murder of Philp Bar
ION hey by Daniel L. Sickles member of Con-
sreSS-~ hlch fatal event took place Mt W Washinq-
TON On sunday last-by a broad and fuII decI8-
ration that consider that the word SedUr
mn, as applied to lapse from virtue by
married woman, l. improper. There may have
neen instances where young and artless girls.
10 the'r pure and trusting confidence, have been
heartiessly seduced and betrayed; but in nine
cases out Of ten what are called SadHefious are
caused by the ill-gOverned passions and adyan-
eeS Of the women. 1t is convenient after the
Shame has been made public for the guilty
one to aiiege that she was seduced; but in too
many Of such cases, improper invitations, and
Ill con5eaied Pruiriency have caused her fall.
Ia regard TO the circumstances ATTENDING N.
tragedy. they show malice and deliberation.
which ere the necessary accompaniments of
murder IN the first degree. With three pistols
ready l"eded, having destructive power sufF-
cIent to Kill five men. Sicklcs followed Butter
worth. whose part iii this bloody business
seemed to be to run down the game The fatal
net followed close upon the meeting Of the
heraii of Death and the victim Scarcely had
EHtterworth passed a few words with Key. ere
SiNieS had IN the mos: summary manner dis
patched hts foe. All these circumstances com
hine a. acts IN most reckless and most appal-
ling tragedy
The dreadful result is represented by the
murderer a. necessary for the yindication Of
hls hcRor. What honor csn there be in the
breast Of mar who steals upon his unsuspect-
lnS Toe. and shoots him down with no greater
warning ihan can be spoken during the time
necessary to cock and fire a pistol Isacow-
Sri'y attHek upon an unarmed man houorabke1
wherein does such conduct differ from that Of
ihe bravo. win" hides until he can with the Mt
ia2si safety stab hts enemy in the dark
GFrOm the Baltimore American
Q - far as the evidence goes, the only differ.
enee between this latest tragedy and the muir
daT Of RiS1On, i in the superior education and
~tftion cf the actors, and the more aggravated
cacnce Uf the victim. Rigdon had stained
the honor Of n brother-in- arms and therefore
EIs death was decreed by the wretched erini-
n7i; who will in few days eNpiste their crime
upon the Sdllows. COrrie watched while Cropps
murdered. Ina Washington, Mr.. Butterworth
vrtchri while SiekicS slaughteTcd his victim
II CJrrie AMI Crops hal moved in a higher
'r. II . probable that n challenge would
hsTe been sent. and Rigdon murdered in
Ia1 .e gentlemsnike way