New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-06-07
PHJLOSOPW-HONOR.

Hardly lm INC Dioo' VI Iho o'"" WV S"''
from Onondaga ceased flow when the apos-
Ties of the Gospel of Vengeance seized the
appaling tragedy of hi taking of, and sought
IN wrest il 10 the support of their tOttering
fabric. Said Mr.. Martin l. Townsend OF Troy
i'm the Convention:
am one of those that eltve In the enforcement OF
the laws and for myself nomgWnSh senslty wiz pao pc
vent me- or ever prevented me, IRON desiring 10 sec
those who commit the largest crimes meet with the pun
shment which is their just die since TINS horfa "a
has come 10 INV ears this mTnhg, have fancied To my
self the Gradual fading lie horror OF crime IN tue
public mind aud that pelals tins man. II conVlcle11
would through he philosopher ana PhuanuFop'S.S V ~.
,coId I've pl9ced in situation where instead OF being
considered an assassin, he might bo esteemed nero
The Albaay ArguS gi'es a rather freer rem
to the same impulse, saying:
1.-TWO Influences arc at vor for the Generalization OF
socety-of which the recent tragedy ~ nut one OF tn
nnitfndinons Illustrations The phlantlropists have
proclaimed Capital Punishment IS apolsh.G g0y"h,
and stay The yeowcoyerd leIatu.o ~, ~, dt u of
,rkich loose DirpoS conhlbd-enfoces ine ~
Free Love and claims at the same time the Widest m
tude for personal vengeance The ame OF passions fee
rom tbe consraut OF LAWS fed on both sides Lust
enters with unabashed front ITO the Family circle WHIT
Murder assumes to guard the ntacS' Ncpo d ,hcy
bring 50 many aud such blody retributOns Dut so ~
fully and capliciousy and rklessy AWARDED as 70 us
honor law and place the iceis Of passion ABOVE It's "
dates aud those Of religion I'D OF moraIty'
The slayer Cole, it will be seen from his
statements, is also on IL side of religion and
"mo,ality.n Standing Ger the yet warm body
of his victim, he cXrlined his deed as fol-
lows
when found that he Ia estranged the love OF my
wife, and deiiled her person ana when saw her u.,l
broken tedness. and Inhome dcsolated feit ul.
tracied. and IL Soadt Obliged N kH her destroyer
No philosophy or phanthrophy in his breast,
you see any more tln in that of the Hon.
NJ. |. Townsend. On the contrary. he was
impcllcd to steal Jpn and STAY an unarmed
man wholly UNCONSCIOUS of his intent by a
sentiment of honor. In letter written from
prison to his wife, the day after the tragedy,
he il reported by The i,gHs as telling her that
fIe mplored his wife tOcman calm under the eIcihng
circumstances of the hat lac conscious OF hay
Inc done nothing more andpnly that which Just un
der the circumstances thu he had been impclled TO the
al BY the Insults and ouaEcs offered 10 her. anu ~
Ken e. Of r shame cast pOEis OH I,Or and that frOm
a conviction that the maer would end ~ his jusfiEcd-
ion hc begged OF her Ia Der ny with forludc underline
trying circumstances Of thar positions
Here Philosophy rOnicsScs itself utterly
perplcxed and dumbfcndcd. That wife may
dishonor herself 10y nchastity, we can easily
comprehend but no dishonor her husband.
He is no party to hecrime; he docs not con
sent to it lac is not cen aware oi IT how then,
can the evil doingS GA villain and his female
victim injuriousiy aitt her husbands honor
He might rs well aCunt himself dishonorcd
by any burglary 0 forgery committed by
strangers thousandmilcs away. Philosophy,
it is clear, no more lompted the killing of l..
H. Hiscock than Pinnthropy itself.
That deed. on thether hand. udS prompted
by the cye-for-eyc Iinciple of the ante-Chrst
ian code. lie has,olluted my wife; hc has
" dsbonorcd me "a law proiiers no adequate
redress; | am bond to Kill him. reasoned
| Cole SO said, 80 one; and now We predict
! that tho very sentiment that seeks To iather
his crime on PhilesohI and Philanthropy will
shield him from all punishment. Gen. Sickles
and Mary Harris sre sevcrily acquitted 10y
Washington juries MT from any rcpuguancc TO
executions, but bcaue those jurics Sympathizcd
with the homicide, md justified them. So it
will be with Col, lie will escape the halter,
not because hsjudges are philosophers or
philantliropists. ht because they would have
done, under his revocation very much as he
did And then he upholdcrs of the Galows
will charge his quittal rs well as his crime
10 the score of Tilanthropy.