Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1860-03-10
THE VETO MESSAGE.

frlson during her natural lfe.''
Anna Blan;ky..Has convicted in ;hs n;s-
tnct Court Ct the Second judicial District :,
and Tor the county Of Ramsey. Of inurd,., in
| the first degree Sne had, in that ccurt 9
| tut lar and impartial trial. No extraordinary
effort VAS made 10 procure her conviction
Ter defence was conducted by two of the
, ab'e5t col!naelors and adyocates Ia the State
The pi>tliel Attorney appearing alone for the
prosecution. The jury, selected IN the manner
required By law, and accepted by The accused
alter iuii exc, Csc Of her privilege oC cbajlease
having aenteratce upon the evidence rendered
! their untnna0dS verdict, and each Of the
! twelve separately. in open ecur,. ana ,a.irr
the SANCTION II his Jath. declared .hal ut,r
f, tne evidence before nm he found the Dr;-oner
gu.ltt 0i INC crime c,e~ced III .aniudjcttne,., 49,
Sult. Vi tht deliberate murGer Of her bus
hano, Stan.siaos R,...sky, bv poison. On
that Lria' SO tricky acc0riigg lo law and III.
piaouce oi courts O jusCicl iu criln;na, csses
! were all the proceedings, even in matter, ot
mere form, that each and all The ol,;sc.icrs
taken by The counsei who defended her at the
trial, as well as those made sy the counsel
afterwards employed, were over-rrled bv die
, supreme Court, in full bench. no one II th..
Judges dissenting Thereaoou all ouestiors #
error haYiog been thus Decided. the jn.lgmeni
and sentence Of the Law was duly pronounced
4 certified copy Of the record Of the proceed
lnss IN the case, aud the minutes # all the
material testimony, taken by The presiding
Judge we're fled IN IBIS Office. as required ~
law.
II then became my duty 20 designate the
day upon which the sentence o. the law
should he executed; unless, indeed, it should
appear proper 70 exercise the powe, 10 pardon
or repriege, which the Constitution vests IN
the Executive. 10 my great regret there ap.
peared no occasion for the rnterposition Of tie
paFdonlns power ct that time The proceed
ings had al been regular and according %
iaW; and thc minutes Of the evidence left no
doubt IN my mind that under those proceed
lngs, just verdict had been rendered In
the discharge Of This most dlsagreeable bat
imperative duty, issued to the proper o!ii.
Ger the warrant required by law, appointing
the Esd day oI March next for the eXecntion
OF sentence. And until this day, neither the
Judge who presided at the traI nor any Juror
who convicted, nor any attorney engaged in
the cause, nor indeed any other persOu. has
hIed III thus ofiice any memorial Jr petition
Witn Or without reasons alleged. as king the
pardon or repr;eve Of the guilty woman
80 Jar the proceedings herein wee sd ~
conformity with law Ana 10 this case t.
began to be demonstrated that, at length. laws
for the protection OF human life could be lxe-
cuted IN Minnesota; that til greatest .eions
| could no longer escape Justice a, tie hands cf
our Courts; and thai the terrible spirit of
Lynch LaS had thereby received an eibcleu.
check
There comes TO yne nov this bin proposing
by a legislative act 10 change the penalty
whlch this unhappy woman has been senten-
ced TO undergo.
ihe pagdonlng power is vested by our CON
Sttnuon III the Executive of the State Ii
has III every community been ever felt that
Jfie danger 10 be feared, was tho too FREQUENT
nterpo -itlon OF thai power Hence in some
states the Governor can exercise this nrerog-
ative only by toe advice and consent OF The
Sena c. Indeed, III one branch Of he Con.
! fenton which framed our own Constitution it
, was proposed to give the Senate tins advisory
power not, surely, to coerce the executive
discretion, bat, on the contrary, to restrain It's
undue exercise
There Is no more important, no more "a
cred prerogatlve than this, in whomsoayer il
is vested.
On the other hand, is the awful yes,sons;
bility OF permitting the sacrifice Of human
lie, there being yet sufficient cause f1r nar
don and 90 the other, the no less awful sp-
prehension of endangering me safety oC so
ciety, promoting contempt for law and
encouraging the mob spirit bY i'll advised
interference with the regular course Of Jus.
uce.
1t seems 10 me plain that The pardoning
bower <nGiltT ho Il
cause shown, il may be some deftcs in the
proceedings, some doub; aboat IN. enilt Of
the convict some new evidence discovered
some mitigating circumstances, OF other rea.
sons, winch should oe exhibited to the pr0per
authority, and that interpos,ion Of hat
| authority asked. Mere individual sentiment
laI more mere sympathy, should not he s,ni-
ci"nt to prompt to'e8ecutive interference.
Tins responsibility, il the Legis!at;1rc have
or can assume the power TO gep,icve or ,,ar
don, is no less weighty upon each rnslnber Of
the Legislature, than If he alone sust deter
tnine the whole matter The greater nin!
Der concerned an making the determination
Wou.a doubtless lessen the feeling cf rcsr5 N.
sloi!ity, but nothing further, which ie ~ .cse-
! " the reason why tbe power is not vested n
Legislatures
1t VAL not he denied that every I.erls,aty
should act as consldeTateiv examine the cir.
cumstances Of each ease ~ ,,,sI,, .,G ,,;.,
as good reasons for soei,in. I. 80 g.
10 grant narioa corn,a,tat;,o az. ;''''
II he were h.raeolf The p<cc,,t,. a. a.
viduapv Ncr can H.. lnrn'ao .' '' ''''''.
sign ar act 81 mai ratnrs .y,onf tV'oi'{
consideration aud unoor eu,A circun stanrco
as would have induced hiin to ;ntornos. With.
shall t5srescr, =. t.,','' ,,;.s,., 49,
inapencn t, ,,,,1ot o@ '''' '~aSons which
any ,niereenos W. % Tue pFoprety Of
! in iho ra. }he execution o. tht ~"
... -'g o' Anna bianet}' oy toe Aeg's'a
, IRE or otheTwlse. alter have assigned nay
o1eclion 10 the blii as ah usurpshon at Exc
| n'ivo prerosatlVe py The Legislative hTalr'. o
! ihe Government.
IN determining tie constitutional question
/ ct the power Of the Legl satulc .2 eosonute cbe
/ sentence Of 6 convict, three enquiries are ne