The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-08
GOVERNOR HOFFMAN AND REAL.

Wv EnNOn HUT L MAN AND kEAI.
From the n. ], FOTLd.
Of the unfortunate man who on Friday
suffered the last extremity Of the law in this
city it is as needless as it would he repulsiye
to speak harshly now. But of a letter pub
lished In his name, and called his 'last
appeal, y it is needful that some certain words
of truth be briefly and sharply spoken. This
letter, with which Real himself had doubtless
no more to do than with the building of the
gallows upon which he persisted, was pro-
fessedly a final and solemn recitation of the
reasons by which Real believed the Execu-
tive of the State to have been induced to
refuse to commute his sentence. This it pro-
fessed to be; and if it had been what it pro-
fessed to be it would have been a melancholy
and indecent exhibition. But it was not
what it professed to be. 1t was. in fact. a
bitter and malignant attack upon the per-
sonal and political character of Governor
Hoffman. 1t charged upon the Governor the
incredible cruelty and baseness of sacrificing
a fellow-creatures life and violating his Off
cial oath to punish alleged political derelic-
tions against his own ambition.
Had such an assault as this upon the name
and fame of a public man been made in the
heat of a political conflict upon the stump. it
would have been Justly regarded as an abom-
Unable abuse of the freedom of speech. What
shall be said of it when the lips of a diving
man are used by it's author to utter it on the
very brink of his grave: 1t cannot be pleaded
that this thing was done with even the faint
est hope of saving Reals life at the eleventh
hour. 1t was simply a violation of all that is
most sacred in death for the qualification of
allthatis meanestin life. 1t is pleasant, though
we should be ashamed to call it surprising. to
see that this outrage callsforth, even from the
most uncompromising opponents of Governor
Hoffman and of fha napnnorotio ,Norf, x,o.1,
of just and indignant rebuke. The E0enina
Post utters, we are sure, the sentiments of
all honorable and law-abiding radicals when,
to use its own language, it expresses, Sin the
cause of honesty and honorable political dis
cussion, what every a r-minded man mustfeel.
detestation for such an attempt to convert
the just execution of an assassin into a politi-
cal weapon against the officers who have vim
Dictated, the law in his case."
This journal did not hesitate, while the
case of Real was under final consideration by
Governor Hoffman, to urge sundry reasons
which, as it seemed to us, might properly
move the Executive not to remit, but to
modify the punishment of that criminal. We
did this because it seemed to us tina there
still fingered in his case some faint doubts as
to the real measure of his guilt, and because
it was obviously fair and humane, if such
doubts there were, that he should receive the
beneht OF them. But the duty of weighing
these reasons rested, in the last resort, with
Governor Hoffman, as upon him was imposed
by his high office the inexpressibly painful
and trying responsibility of acting when
those reasons had been fully weighed. His
decision was gravely, patiently, and Loyalty
made; and, once made, it was carried out
with a courage and steadfastness by which,
once more to quote the well-merited tribute
of the Eceaing Post, the Governor has
learned the thanks of every law-respecting
citizen of New York, irrespective of parties"