The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1865-08-23
Miseellanv ut 9ews.
A Plea for Justice.

| IA 1lcd IOI JuStlCS,
We ask the American press to abandon
a course that seems to be very fashion
able, and come back to the time when
the newspaper was as just in its relations
with offenders against the law as the
magistrate upon the bench. 1t has been
a rule of newspaper ethics in England
and America, during the present genera
tion. that no journalist should ever stand
between the accused and his country, by
printing opinions as to his guilt or inno-
cence. All such comments were reserved
until the jury had announced the verdict
Then, as public censors, editors might
comment upon the evidence and express
any judgment they formed. This is
right. II the press professed to decide
the guilt or innocence of every citizen,
and used its tremendous power to bias
public opinion, law would become mop,
erative. and Its machinery powerless--
the jury would be farce and its judg
ments the mere expression Of partisanship
and prejudice.
Among the new notions that seem to
be current is this-that when q man is
arrest d for crime and about to be tried,
the duty of the newspaper is to so and
look at him, and tell how much of the
villain there is in his face, and insist upon
his execution. The case of Mrs. Surratt
is an example of newspaper judgment run
wild. We quote this as first example,
because she was pronounced guilty Of
the crime alleged, and is securely 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, a "hag," a
"tgress," a " Lady Macbeth" a " Bor-
gia," who reveled in blood and assassna.
ton. jenkins got after her with his pen,
and in due time her d" stony" "villain-
ous," bloodthrsty face" was familiar
to the readers of the sensation newspa-
pers. Even now that she is dead, Jen-
kins with blasphemous irony calls her
/" The Mary of the ScaHold." About the
same time there was murder near Bos
ton. A brother and sister were slain
amid circumstances of dreadful barbarity.
Arrests were made. Among others a
young man named Stewart, arecruit in
the army, was imprisoned. Two or three
had been taken on suspicion and dis
charged. Public opinion was hungry
and eager, and must have somebody to-
hang. Stewart was pounced upon. Such
a " villain" had never been seen in Mas
sachusetts His face was the embodi
ment of murder and lust. He looked
crime and must certainly be hanged. In
few days, however, it was found that
Stewart was innocent, and he was dis
charged. In Indiana be would have
been tied up to tree, for in Indiana we
see what excesses such reading stimulates
A man named Miller, "a paroled rebel
prisoner" was arrested, on 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 convict
ed, punishment. 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 call
ed assault with intent to kill, and rob-
berry, these angry people punished with
death. We do not like to use harsh
words, but it is difficult to see in what
the action of this mob differs from
&E#
Still another case is that of Capt.
Henry Wertz OF Andersonville. Heis
imprisoned on the charge Of cruelty to
,ur soldiers. About this man we of
course have no defense to make. - 1t is
,arv eartain that our soldiers in Southern