, 1870-04-27

yesterday, That 3fr. Grahann, of counsel for
Mr.. McFarland. indignantly denies tho
truth Of telegram to this paper: last week,
TINT be Ind made an apology to the District
Attorney for the atrocious attacks, made in
the course of the trial, upon Mrs Lucia G.
Calhoun (now Mra. Runkle). We are
bound, therefore, at least till further nd
vised, to accept the truth Of this statement,
and to believe, not ouly that The counsel
for the defence deliberately made the at
tack in question. but that, after due reflec-
tion, they do not regret it. In fact, We have
not the slightest doubt that our correspond
ent VIA uisled, for we believe that neither
Graham nor Spencer ever made m apology,
hut that they are quite incspahle of making
ono under the circumstances. The chA1ac-
ies of she assault upon Indy ~ho was not
on trial, who WIS nut even called as wit
ness in person, but whose private let
tiers. stolen from trunk, we're simply
sent in rs evidence, presupposes such an
utter want Of decency, such an utter lisre-
gard Of priyate rights, such gross ignorance
Of the amenities Of the profession, and thc
ordinary manners of oven The coarscst men
who pass themselves OF for gentlemen, As
to preclude the notion that persons guilty
Of such brutalities could conceive how base
they were, and that they ought to be Asoned
for. People outhds of Now York have
long ago ceasod TO be surprised at anything
That transpires in New York court. And
people in New York who know what sort Of
thing s'shy.ter is-the chosen coun-
sellor and friend, it should be explained, OF
pimps and thieres-could not bs in the
least surprised at any course OF conduct
which the notorious heads Of that class
should adopt. Tho wonder would be, not
| that they carried with them into higher
court the method and the manners which
long experience as the counsel Of pickpock-
eta md prostitutes had taught them, hut
that they could understand that such
method and such manners were out of
place anywhere else, aud thst they
could conceive Of the existence
Of any other class of society than that to
which they were accustomed and out Of
which they made living. To suppose
either Of them capable Of an apology Is to
suppose them capable of conceiving what it
is that constitutes lady or q gentleman.
Ne accept, therefore, Graham'e denial, he
cause wo behave the previous conduct OF
counsel Was correctly reported because
that conduct was perfectly characteristic,
aud because, being characteristic. they
wero incapable OF anything elss, or Of uu'
erstanding the offence Of which they wert
uilty in the eyes OF reputable and deceu
people.
OF the trial itself we have stndiousl1
fotborne, and still forsear. to speak, pos
sessed with the old-fashioned notion tbs
it ia impossible to form eorrec
Indictment Of a case till ono la
heard all the evidence. On tho par
of the prosecution, no evidence whateve
! has as yet been addnced, except to the bar
fact Of the killing OF Richardson; and wha.
: If any, reasonable or palliating provocatio
there could have been for that killing, it
impossible to decide till the prosecution ar
allowed to put in their testimony in answe
to that of the defence. But Tho Court hav
permitted Mra. Calhoun 10 te put upon trss
. ns we'll % Mcfarland, and that trial VIC ma
, conaidcr AZ concluded. II is the caso c
, Graham and Spencer t.. Calhoun the GRIN
charged ia having advised Mrs. MeFa1.a,'
,, TO leave her husband; the testimony n.
ds,ced is the prisnte letters which 3IcFa
lind stole from his wifs's trunk after the
!, seraraticn. One. of these letters prov
: couclnsively that Alrs, Calhoun did give
:, her friend the advice charged, but on VII
. state of facts is not yet made manifest, al
cannot be Till the prosecution in the II
Fnrsand case shall put their witness
upon the stand. The rest Of the leste
:, have nothing whateror to do with the rel
:, tions Of Mcfarland md his wife. Th
:. weFs written with the perfect a1aadoa OF
- wassn persAuA1 affection Of one woman Il
~ another, and TINT woman apparently in
!, desperate struggle with poverty and t1oubl
- They reveal with entire simplicity, unco
sciousness, and unreservedness, the inn
~ personal and prirase life Of the writer, Il,
y caunot, Justly o, chAtitably. be Judged, q
~ cept We keep constantly in mind tho fa
thst they are the letters Of waIm cnth
, kiasic nature to very dear friend Of b
- own sex. whom she believed fully wort
~ OF her lore and sympathy. and for her ey
. and heart n1onc. OF tho hundreds
thousands Of persons to whom they ha
:, been thus revealed, there Is not probal
- one in thousand y ho-if he or she b
h. ever been capable Of an atfectionats Gu
tion-docs not remember TINT, some time
,s other. he or she has so writte
H. in the saercaness Of private Life
- friendship, words which, like these, mig
Il be capable Of being tortured, and travestis
rs and ridiculed, and wrenehed from their II
- relations, and made to take On color VIII
=; never belonged to them And yet, with
~, this, and with all the ruf8anly efforts Il
~ have been made to givs to the letten
ha meaning aud a purpose that in nowise
longs 10 them, we do not doubt that
=. vardict Of the jurJ-whieh hars is
n pubic-is already, in tho Case Of Grab
~. and Spcncez Is. Calhoun, heartily in fa'
-: of the defendant The enthusiasm and
- wa1mth arc read With the consciouzp
a, that they were intended for ono eyo nlo
h. and the vcuAnly Affection and the unsell
NV purpose, md tho strong viii and deter
~ nation Ars seen through al IS revelatis
= cf private LIE sud character in The vi
:, and daughter, aud friend, Of which
von11n need be ashamed. Thus much
,a think we may say Of The tzial within tho tr
-. That tho letter. should neTes have b
- produced in court, We think must be
a, universal Judgment, since they establ
-, nothing relevant to the ease; but has
- boeu produced, it il only charitable
decent to rone1nber how strictly pr,
~. they vere in their nature, how peculiar
circumstances we're undAr which they y
written, and that to leave out Of tho con
-. erstion those elements Of the case il
~ ~ u,aks oneself sort Of razsietps erin