The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-18
The Acquittal Of Jewell.

The Northern press are quite unanimous
in condemning the acquittal of Jewell. The
Baltimore Sun says:
But when men, under sense of terrible
injuries to those they love, and because the
laws afford no adequate remedy, and be-
cause they will not remit the redress of
their private wrongs to the Supreme Judge,
who has declared, vengeance is mine |
will repay" constitute themselves Judge,
jury and executioner, the act is to be repro
bated by all civilized and Christian men as
alike destructive of social order and the
first principles of morality.
We are not discussing in this connection
the case of Jewell. While in its general
features that resembles many that have
happened before in this country, the cir
cumstances Of the killing were so exception.
ally barbarous that it was not unreasonable
to suppose that the verdict itself would
have been an exception to the general rule
of acquittals in such cases. Still, it would
seem from this result that public opinion
justifes putting the accused of seduction
to death like rat in trap-putting ball
under water-the victim being equally de-
fenseless in both cases.
IF Jewell had waited till Clark had been
released from Jail, and then proceeded to
"execute" him, the story would have been
the old one of summary vengeance openly
and fearlessly taken. But the code of
personal retribution seems to have adj
vanced pretty far when it not only assumes
to infict capital punishment, but to give
the condemned man no better chance than
the law accords to criminals under the
death sentence-virtually putting handouts
on him, and taking precautions that he
shall have no opportunity of escaping the
decision of the court.
We solemnly protest against this assump-
ton by private individuals of the right to
take life, either in cases of adultery or Sc
duction, deliberately after the fact.
The Washin Chronicle says:
The murder was deliberate, premeditated,
attended by circumstances of peculiar afro
city and cowardiee. No matter. Public
sentiment where the crime was committed
assented to the selection of Fewell as the
avenger of his sisters wrongs. He felt per-
fectly assured all the time of an acquittal.
So state all who have had communication
with him. He counted the cost before
hand.
Had he regarded his own conviction of
the crime of murder as even among the
possibilities, the crime never would have
been committed, and jury of American
citizens would have been spared the dis
grace of acquitting murderer. The absurd
pleas behind which they screened them
selves that they might violate the plainest
evidence and disregard unquestioned facts,
add to the shamelessness of the transaction.
Having determined to acquit the criminal
it was the essence of folly and stupidity to
invent or accept excuses for the verdict.
The cunning of counsel could supply
them with the current pleas to an unlimited
extent, and it was to be expected that hav-
ing undertaken the defense of case for
which there was no legitimate defense, they
would resort to the illegitimate. This was
just what the jury wanted, and they ac-
cepted the chaff as eagerly as if it had been
golden grain.
Such trials and veYdicts are the veriest
mockery of justice and the opprobium OF
our courts. The court and juries should
abdicate in such cases, surrender their
functions, and hand over the culprit to q
town meeting, composed of the riff-raff OF
society. 1t is too bad to subject the people
to the expense of protracted trial, and the
criminal TO the inconvenience of the courts
slow movements.
When wicked, inexcusable thing is to
be done let it be done quickly, without in
vesting it with the forms of law and q
legal acquittal. The grand jury should do
as coroner's jury has just done in
Georgia, where murder was committed in
the presence of several witnesses, refuse to
recognize the existence of the criminal and
let him go scot free.
Lieutenant CoInnel A therton A Ste.