The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-15
SIR SIMPLY "TECHNICAL -

The case of "Lord Gordon Gordon, as
he ostentatiously styles himself, has al
ready occupied more space in the news
papers of the country, than the Importance
of the individual concerned would, per-
haps. warrant. He may be, for all we
know, and, probably, is-for the evidence
tends so to show-an imposter, a swindler
and scoundrel He undoubtedly deserves
Imprisonment and the same punishment
that ought to, and would he meted out to
any other swindler and criminal of the
same stamp, if he is guilty of the swindl-
ing charged against him. and we believe
that he is, he is doubly deserving of the con-
tempt and detestation of all decent persons.
for he has added ingratitude basest of
all sins-to his crimes. Confined in prison,
or about TO I've consigned thereto, an ac-
quaintance, who seems to have had con
fidence either IN his ipgor-nce or yhepof.
stepped forward, furnished bail Tor his ap- /
pearance, and allowed him, once more. to !
go at will Since that time, we learn ot
no more swindlng operations or crimes on
his part, but the next that that we hear of
him is his flight into Canada, in order. as
it is claimed, to escape punishment for his
misdeeds and cludc his bail. We have made
the statement upon the authority of his bit
terest opponents, and are willing 10 admit
that il is all true. and, even. to go further
and say. for the sake of the argument. that
lac is the blackest of villains, the most har-
dencd of criminals. the foulest blot upon
society, shame and disgrace to the age
and civilization. and. in addition To all
this. has added thereto the base sin of in
gratitude Taking him under either of
both descriptions, he made his way into
Manitoba whittier ncited probably, by
the offer of large peCuniary rewards, lac
was followed by two or more detectives
from Minnesota. arrested ON foreign soil.
the attempt made to forcibly ahduct him,
and bring him secretly and against his will.
into the United States. here obc imprison-
ed. and, ultimately, tried and punished.
These Minnesota officers. if they were
officers at all, had no authority whatever To
arrest this miserable swindler in Manitoba
or in any other than one state in the United
States or the world. They were simply
''kdnappcrS" or "abductors," yet the
Springfield RepuJlcoh says, in its issue of
Tuesday, that ''if any offense at all was
4" committed it was of a technical nature,
rather than an overt and heinous breach
- of the peace and so it would be regarded
3" anywhere. where the judicial authority
- did not completely lose its wits with
. every little breeze of popular emotion.
1t is then according to this authority only
a ''technical' offense. and not "heinOus
breach of the peace" TO kidnap and cndea-
vor, forciby, to abduct an individual, with
out authority of law. 1t did not always
think so. IL thought--and we all agreed
with it-that something more than ''tech-
nical' breach of decency was committed
when the editor of New England news
paper was detained in custody over night,
in New York city, in strict conformity to
law, and ''by authority of law at the in
stance of the notorious Jim Fisk. 1t
thought then. and we thought. it to be Il
"heinous" and gross outrage upon the
liberty of the person and freedom of the
press, although ii was brought about in
compliance with the letter of the law.
What would it have thought, what should
we all have thought, if this gross outrage
on the rights of citizen"-as Frederic
Hudson justly calls it-had been perpetrat
ed without any color or shade of legal au
thority? Would it have been regarded
anywhere an offense, ''if any offense al
all was committed of ''techncal ma
ture," rather than 'heinous breach of the
peacc?' Yet wherein rests the distinction
save that the former would have been
grOsser 'outrage on the rights of citizen
than the latter. Character, reputation
standing, influence and wealth are no NOR,
regarded by the law, in them dealing will
personal rights, than their absence. If
instead of "Lord Gordon Gordon" th
swindler and imposter, Alexander Ramsey
the Senator in Congress from Minnesota
had been kidnapped and the attempt ha,
, been made to abduct him, il would hav
made all the difference in the world
What tremendous sensation would hav
: been produced in both hemisphercs Ye
the one is entitled to the same-no more o
no s-protection as the other.
a If the attempt had been made to kidna
and abduct Senator Ramsey, however, til
c tables would have been turned, and Cana
a dians would have been operating in tn
c United States If, in such an event-as
: this-the bafiled kidnappers and abductor
h had been arrested and brought before on
c of our courts for trial, how long thin
5 you, would the people, the press or the at
/ minstration have tolerated the presence @
c a British minister or consul, who shoul
y issue or publish such cards as have emf
n mated from James w. Taylor, our consul
# Woe be to the party or administration thu
, should attempt to palliate, in the least, an
l. such consular acts. Is anyone FOOLS
e enough to believe that bail would be S
2 fixed that the kidnappers could leave Il
" country anu csVHlc 'i"l h"Vi" ""ii nav
If been accepted of the st. Albans raiders
Ie they had been secured, yet they only ski,
'e mapped" money, and abducted hors
le and other property. John c. Fremont hi
st been condemned to specified punishmel
m by the courts of France, but is at large
er the United States. Supposing some Frenc
p man should come over here, quietly "a
le rest" Fremont and just as they were reaC
r to place him on board of fast saiiI
s. steamer, prepared for the purpose, thu
s. should in turn, be arrested, wherein won
De be the difference between the two case
or Would any newspaper say that "if any c
ht ''fense at all was committed, it was of
he Ntechnicol nature rather than an overt nj