The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-05-04

master, and move quickly. Let meeting be
called at once.
CLERICAL CRMINAIs.-The conviction Of the
Rev. Jacob Harden, Of which we published the
exclusive announcement yesterday, will be re-
gsrded generally with sstisfaction. Few per-
sops, We imagine, who have carefully watched
the evidence, can entertain the slightest doubt
of the prisoners guilt The circumstances an
tecedent to the crime all tended to establish
long generalization on his part. His conduct a.
ter the death of his victim pointed in an equally
clear manner to the conclusion at which the
jury have arrived. The defence of suicide set
up by his counsel, but which no reasonable
presumption was brought to support, was as
damnatory Of the prisoner as the deed for
which he was put on trial Assuming that n.y.
potbesis to be true. he was as much murderer
as in the other case he was determined to
get rid of his unfortunate wife at all hazards,
and it was his misfortune and not bis fault, that
the poor woman was not driven to spare him
the risk Of the act which he will have to expi-
ate on the galiows.
1t is fortunate thing that the panel that
tried this case was not composed Of such men
as make up our New York juries. If it had
been 1t Is certain that influences would have
been brought to bear on 1t that would have
prevented q conviction. Crime In New York
goes UNPUBLISHED unless when the deceased il
poor and friendless. It was Of the highest i'm
portance that In the present instance there
should be no failure of justice, for the profess
sion of the prisoner impaired to bis crime
double enormity. But there was also this con-
sideration to render an impartial verdict In bis
case desirable. or late the press has been
teeming with accounts Of clerical deprsvity
and licentiousness, the like Of which has not
been read Of since the time OF Parsons, Traiiln-
Der and Adams. The danger Of such examples
in community whose religious faith has be-
come unsettled by the theories of spirituslist
and other new light philosophers Is selfevi-
dent If those whose conduct should be
guide and . beacon exhibit in their actions
leaning towards the devil, instead of towards
God, what is to be expected from the multi
tude who follow their teachingss
The chains that drag people down to the
neither world are stronger than the silken cord
that conducts to heaven, and the example of
one viciously disposed priest is sufficient to
counterfeit that of host Of apostolically mind
ed dispensers Of Gospel truths. 1t is, therefore,
Of the utmost Importance topublic morals that
when crime Is brought home to clergymen
there should be no shrinking on the part Of
juries and judges from awarding them the full
r,rysh-nnut ~ hoSr doIyrcunr~sac
The CAUSE OF THE SMASH UP AT CHARLES.
roS.-H Is q curious fact that the men who
caused the smash up of the democratic Con-
vention at Charleston are the very same who
smashed the democratic party In 1s4S Rich
mond, Cagger, Cassidy & Co., with their BaffAlo
platform, and Van Buren, for standard bearer,
then defeated General Cass and elected Gene
ral Taylor. Through the weakness, the folly
and the treachery Of the Virginia and other
sAsga aslsgsa As4s as2G6se 1ssS xs5s
In place Of Wood and his associates, who
ought to have been put upon an equality; and
having obtained foothold there, they were
enabled, by working with the Douglas men, to
smash up the Convention and divide me party
iRorBfots TINES pon THE BLACK Rrruprf.
cASs.-The black republicans, who have been
In state Of high glee over the circumstance
that their Convention would have, apparently,
the opportunity 10 survey the whole field Of
candidates before selecting one for itself, are
good deal dispirited BY the news from
Charleston, to the effect that neither section Of
the old democratic party viii make any nominA-
ton ct present This circumstance changes the
order Of battle altogether, and makes sad work
with the republican slate. Instead of seeing
the enemy's hand, they have first TO show their
own, and 10 take the onus, always . disagree.
able, but now very dangerous alternative, Of
opening the fight themselves. So the leaders
being, to use q vulgar but very sug-
gestive expression, all In the suds,
things look very squally for Chicago.
We should not be ct all surprised II that
excitable, not TO say tumultuous city, witnessed,
week after next, - much pickering and quar-
relliDg and bad blood among the republicans
as was displayed by the democracy at Charles
ton.
The country will be the gamer by all these
quarrels among the politicians. tn smash up
In the democratic party Il the very best thing
that could happen to II, and II the Chicago Con-
vention and that Of the Unionists at Baltimore
should 60 TO The dogs, everybody except the
spoilfmen would be delighted. The time for
these political conventicles has gone BY. For
ten years the independent press Of the country,
following the course Of the leading journals of
this metropolis, has pointed out the real OBJ
jects Of the National Convention, 20 called
and by these means the rottenness of the party
machinery has been exposed, 20 that, sooner or
later, the republican party win tumble 70
pieces after the fashion Of the democracy. And
the aooner this hannens the haffer Roth mar.