New Orleans Republican., 1873-06-04
ASSASSINATION.

As a means of righting wrong, vindi-
eating character OF securing political re-
form, assassination is the resort OF cow
ard, fool or a madman. As general
thing, the assassination OF private lndl-
viduals has been instigated by disaP-
pointed passion of an amatory nature OF
by some pecuniary quarrel, while those OF
public individuals have been the offspring
of religious or political fanaticism or NOR
bid ambition. The history OF assassina-
tions, dealing with mankind IN us "ols'
aspect, from the beginning OF au'nen'lc
history to the present day, would be re-
voting, humiliating, but most instructive
work. Its tendency would be TO sno"
that in eyery case on record the resort to
.bis means of obtaining revenge
(often miscalled redress), or OF
changing dynasty, has been not
only crime, but a blunder. Inc
honorable men" who plunged their
daggers into the defenseless body OF
Caesar to protect the liberties of Rome, by
that very act only placed her under the
bloody tyranny of the second triumvlrate.
They struck to preserve the republc;
their blow opened the way for the empire
1t did more-it established such prece-
dent that, during the period of Romes
decline, assassination, as a method OF
getting rid of unpopular or troublesome
emperors, was so common as to take rank
among the ordinary causes Of death. Nor
has the influence of that deed altogether
ceased even yet, for have not, in our own
day. the words that announced the death
of Cesar been used as motto to justify
the taking off of as good ard noble q
rnIer as ever nation was blest with to
make room for one of the meanest! In
the rush of instances which this
thought, the impotency of assassination
to afford relief from political griev-
ances, brings to mind, the assassination
of Henry Ill, of France, stands out prom
iuently. His death was brought about
through the influence Of the Catholic
party, because he was thought too favor
able to the Protestants. True he had
been implicated in the massacre OF St.
Bartholomew, but his subsequent course
showed that it was weakness Of character
not fanatacism nor policy which had then
Influenced him. But what was gained to
Catholic fanatacism by the murder? The
dagger of Clement but made room on the
throne for Henry ". a Protestant to the
core of his heart, and who made use OF the
power he had obtained by his personal
abandonment of Professionalism, to grant by
the Edict of Nantes such liberty to Protes'
tants as they had never before enjoyed II
Catholic country. Another assassina-
ton in French history here comes to mind,
as illustrative of the futility of murder as
a political agent-the killing of the In
famous Murat by .he devoted Charlotte
Corday. Vain sacrifice of heroic life te
destroy base one!
In semi i-barbarous countries, Like Rus
sia and Turkey, the priv ilege OF assas'
sination, when the tyranny Of the mon
arch has become intolerable, is reckoned
by some historians as the only limit tc
the absolute nature Of their power; and
in some portions of Southern Europe
this dastardly method of avenging inju'
ries is an acknowledged institution-the
vendetta.
In this country there has always been
expressed, and in general, we believe,
felt, a deep horror of this cowardly
method of Furnishing real or supposed
wrongs; and even among the most un-
scrupulous, where blood is demanded as
the only detersive for injured honor, Gus
tom requires that quarrel shall be first
picked, "a difficulty" brought about as
a plea, or at least notice given that the
doomed individual may expect to be shot
whenever and wherever he may be met.
This picking quarrel, or formal notifca-
ton of an intention to kill at sight,
though it does not come up to the Chris
tan doctrine in regard to injuries, is sup
posed to invest manslaughter with de-
gree of fairness which saves the "honor'
of the homicide and gives him legal
chance to escape. No, We Americans are
not prone to assassination, to our credit
be it said at least, We have not been so.
Recent occurrences in our midst, as the
attack on Governor Kellogg, and its i'm
piled justification in the columns of the
Herald, and the attempt since made upon
one of the editors of that paper, might
lead the prejudiced or the hasty to fear
that a tendency in that direction was
making its appearance, but the generally
expressed horror of the majority of our
citizens at these enormities and the re-
cent radical change of the Herald itself,
give assurance that prompt punishment
awaits the guilty individuals, in case of
their crime being brought home to them,
and that, under no circumstances, will
assassination be held excusable in this
community, or those concerned in 1t be
let escape condign punishment.
Is 1T A "TRICK?"