The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-01-13
The Case Of Young Ke.chu,,.

The cnse OF Young Kctchuns.
There is said to be very great
pressure upon the Governor of New
York for the pardon of young
Ketchum. Some of the most promi-
nent citizens of New York have gone
to Albany to urge the exercise of the
Executive mercy. 1t will be remem-
bered that the young man was in
dicted for forging gold checks and
embezzing the funds of the firm
with which he was connected. The
sums of money which he received
upon forged paper were enormous,
involving millions of dollars. Upon
one of several indictments found
against him, he has been sentenced
to the State prison for four years and
six months His friends are not con-
tent with this mild and lenient SEN
tence, and the highest social infu-
ences are at work to save him from
the judicial consequences Of his crime.
So far as these efforts are enlisted
by sympathy with his crushed and
heart-broken father, they are honor
able to the humanity of the, gentle
men who are taking such an active
interest in the case. But the Judge,
In passing sentence, spoke the simple
truth when he said that if he should
mitigate the punishment of Ketchum
because of personal sympathies, he
should feel that he was ga respecter
of persons, and that he was officially
declaring that men of influence and
station could offend against the laws
without fear Of punishment. The
same considerations forbid the exer-
else of Executive clemency to the
criminal. If Ketchum had been put
upon trial upon all the indictments
brought against him, the term of I'M
prisonment would have extended
through the greater part of his life.
The public are ready enough to be-
lieve that man of humble station,
who had committed such colossal
forgeries, would have been put upon
trial for each and all; and if Ketchum
is not to suffer the penalty of convic-
ton, even upon one single indict-
ment, it will go far to convince those
who arc disposed to pat the most
charitable construction upon the ad-
ministration OF criminal justice in
this country that the penalties of the
law are only intended for the restraint
and punishment of the poor and
friendless.
If the public interests and necessi-
ties ever demand that an offender
should be punished and made an
example of, it is in cases which give
such a shock to commercial credit and
:oNfdence. The wealthiest city of a
continent rceled for . time under the
staggering blow Of Ketchum's vast
and unparalleled forgerics Better
educated and better men than this
criminal have been executed in Great
Britain for frauds Infinitely inferior
in magnitude to those Of Ketchum.
And when the humal:izing spirit of
the age brought about the abolition,
i'll England, Of capital punishment
between ditferel.t classes Of offenders,
nor rendered less certain the penalty
winch waS substituted for that or
death. 1t must be admitted that, in
Great Dritain--the most aristocratic
of countries-social distinctions are
never permitted to interfere with the
administration of justice; but the peer
and the peasant are alike equal before
the aw.-Richno,ad Dispatch.
New ENGLAND SCHEMING AGAIN.
1t is stated in several Of our ex-
changes that New England has a
scheme to alter the Federal Constitu-
ton so that export duties may be
levied, the object being to secure
cotton ten or twenty cents per pound
cheaper than foreign nations can buy
it and pay the export duty to that, or
any amount that may be levied. The
New England States being in the
Union, they would, of course, receive
it, OF any other product of the soil
South OF West, free: that an export
duty may be levied upon. Succeed
ing in this, the South and West, as
consumers, would be forced to pay
such prices as the New England
manufacturers would demand for
their goods The only way to trump
this trick of the New England manu-
facturers, would be for the South and
West to manufacture, their supplies
at least, for themselves. BY the way,
has it ever entered the minds of the
Fenian Brotherhood that in New
England they have an enemy more to
be feared in the future than Old
England An enemy with all the
world and "the rest of mankind 2"
A ruthless, fornicating enemy. whom
~" laE:, human nor divine, has ever
yet restrained in her greed after gain