The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-13
A Plea for Justice.

a E16d 1OI
We ask the American Press to abandon course
that seems be very fashionable, and come back to
the time when the newspaper was as just in its reia
tons with offenders against the law as the magistrate
upon the bench It has been a rule OF newspaper
ethics 10 England and America during the present gen.
Grafton that no journalist should ever stand between
the accused and his country by printing opinions as to
his Guilt or innocence All such comments were re-
served until the jury had announced the verdict Then,
as nublic censors editors might comment upon the
evidence and express any judgment they formed
This is right If the press professed to decide the
guilt or innocence Of every citizen, and use its ire
mendous power to bias public opinion, law would be-
come imperative, and its machinery powerless-the
Jury would be a farce and its judgments the mere ex-
preston of partisanship and prejudice.
Among the new notions that seem to be current IS
this-that when a is arrested for crime anu
about to be tried the duty of the newspaper IS 10 60
and look at him. and tell how much OF the Villain tnere
is in his face and insist upon his execution Inc case
Of Mrs Surratt is an example of newspaper judgment
run wild. We quote this as hrst example because
she was pronounced guilty of the crime alleged and Is
secnrely hanged Yet she had not been in prison four
DAYS before the details of her alleged crime and her
presumed connection with it were scattered over the
country and her immediate execution demanded. This
before the military commission came into being. She
was a "wolf" "hag,"a ''tigress, "Lady Macbeth"
ssBorga "who reveled in blood and assassination
Jenkins cot after her with his pen and in due time
her "stony," "villainousn "blood-thirsty face" was
familiar to the readers of the sensation newspapers.
Even now that she is dead, Jenkins with blasphemous
irony calls her "The Mary of the Scaffold." About
the same time there murder Boston.
brother and sister were slain amid circumstances OF
dreadful barbarity Arrests were made. Among 9th
ers Young man named Stewart recruit in the army,
was imprisoned Two or three had been taken on
suspicion and discharged. Public opinion was hungry
and eager and must have somebody to hang. Stewart
was pounced upon. Such "villain" had never been
seen in Massachusetts, His face wassthe embodiment
of murder and lust He looked crime and must GER
tainly be hanged In few days, however, it was
found that Stewart was innocent and he discharged
In Indiana he would have been tied up to tree Tor
in Indiana see to what excuses such reading smu-
lates. A man named Miller, "a paroed rebel prls-
oner" was arrested last Thursday the charge OF
attacking and robbing a man named Gregory near
Terre Haute Indiana. This was certainly very bad,
but Miller should have had trial. and if convicted,
punished What was done? 'The people turned out
and caught Miller, had him identified by Gregory and
then hung HIM to tree. Faint hopes are entertained
of Gregory's recovery" In this case Miller was
hanged while Gregory may recover! What the law |
would have called assault with intent to kill and rob
berry, these angry people punished with death. Wedo
not like to use harsh words but it is difficult to see in
what respect the action of this mob differs from |
murder.
Still another case is that of Capt. Henry Wertz of
He is imprisoned on the charge of
cruelty to our soldiers About this man. of course
have no defense to make. 1t is very certain that
soldiers in southern military prisons were treated with
degree OF inhumanity and barbarity that finds no
parallel in modern civilization and suggests the tor
ures inflicted by Cinnamon and savage Indians upon
heir victims. We desire to see the author Of these
'rimes submitted to an exemplary punishment. If
Japt Wertz is that man. upon his head let the con-
lemnation fall. BuG this very yearning for even
handed justice makes only the anxious that he
should be tried fairly. 1t is not the duty of news
papers to try him, nor allow anonymous writers to
arraign him in detail His counsel ask for suspension
If public opinion, and this simple request should be
granted. In the eye of the law he is a person and
entitled to every privilege accorded to charged
With heinous crimes If newspapers vii open their
columns, and allow anonymous. aSsaat naoG people,
We shall have Georgia Planters ~,
eady to print calumnies about tn Of
men. One of our journals, spd# Jenalf of
his anonymous accuser calls the pS ertz, "the
Savage"-the ''inhuihaA 8fetoh'- the
captain the Observation-Disclosures crimes
o beyond tthe widest exaggeratons of the cruetes
f Jefferson Davis"-and who il "the most blood
1irsty monster which this or any other age be- pro-
uced." How do we know all this? Before what
ourt has the person. Wertz, been tried? Where is the
whence? Who is this Georgia Planter" Has he
cen examined and cross examined? Is his character
God? Is he man who is proper to stand up and :
ronounce another man "savage?" Let the person,
Vertz, be tried and if guilty let him suffer But let
stop the business Of hanging people first and trying
lem afterward Above ALL let those of us who are
journalists cease to make degrading of our power
We not spies, partsans nor prosecuting attor
eys, mob rufians to aongthe streets and cry
DEATH to every poor wretch in manaces. Our pro-
ssion represents Justice, and justice let there be-
ough the heavens should fall
New York Tribune.