The Portland daily press., 1873-08-04
The WaIworth Affair.

1t is announced that the friends of the
young parricide, Walworth, are preparing to
ask Gov, Dix to pardon him. 1t seems hard
ly possible that they should be SO indiscreet
as to ask such thing of the Executive be-
fore the doors Of the prison are harlly closed
upon the culprit, yet it is in entire keep
ing with the conduct of the young man and
his friends throughout the whole time of his
imprisonment and trial. His personal friends,
some of the ablest lawyers of New York and
many of the leading journals Of the country,
have not only palliated the offence of the
young murderer but have attempted to make
the killing OF father chvarous deed and
the punishment of it a species of persecution.
There is hardly person of moderate intel
llgence who is not acquainted with the Cir
Gums ances. The history of the case is per-
fectly familiar. A half-crazed, wol thless hus-
band wrote threatening letters to his divorced
wife. He had done so for years. These let
tiers had fallen into the hands of the son.
Provoked by the insult, and not by any fear
that the threats would be carried into effect,
he deliberately arms himself, goes by rail two
hundred miles, summons his father to his
room, and after plotting over the crime more
than forty-eight hours, commits it. Crime,
we say, and so say all who regard murder as
crime; but not so with this young man. 1t
was for that purpose he came to New York,
and having accomplished it he goes coolly and
gives himself up to the officers of justice,
telling the particulars of the affair truthfully,
pNnaptinu pnf nulu 70 ba i'm E,ad IN
but to receive something of worship as a
hero He is tried, and during all his trial his
counsel and friends acted on the principle
that the young man was not guilty. The
jury, as juries always will when death is the
penalty for murder in the first degree, con-
suited their hearts rather than their judg-
ments and the law and found him guilty of
murder in the second degree, of which i'm
pilsonment for life is the penalty. During
the trial letters were read from good men and
even distinguished divines extoling the mo-
tives OF this young murderer, so that one
who knew nothing of the circumstances
might have mistaken those epistles as recon-
mendations of a pious and devoted young
man to some missionary appointment.
When he was transferred from the prison
IN New York 70 Sing Sing, sympathizing
friends filled the carriage with boquets and he
was pad as much attention as if he had done
some ennobling deed.
Arriving at the prison he was made to
wear the garments, but is given the light EN-
ployment of clerk and permitted to enjoy
privileges that prisoners of a less aristocratic
order would never think of. Now, before the
doors are closed upon him, the friends of this
first class murderer are asking for his pardon.
They would not call for executive clemency
1t there was such a thing as executive justifi-
cation, or, better, executive appreciation.
Doubtless good men and great men will sign
this petition asking for executive clemency.
Letters will be given in which the rare virtues
OF the young man will be so extolled that one
Will wonder he had not died before he became
Old enough to murder his father, as Mark
Twain declares all of the good boys do
If there is such thing as justice in New
7 ork, it will be outraged if this young mur-
derer is pardoned at all, or at least before he
has shown genuine contrition for his great
crime. The moment he leaves Sing Sing it
will be burlesqne upon justice and an out
rage upon the individual to retain any pris-
oner. More than that; every pardon of so
conspicuous murderer has tendency to
destroy the natural sacredness which sur
rounds human life and will ere long cheaper
1t to such an extent that murders will be COM
nittedson the slightest pretext and become as
common as street brawls now are. Still
worse will it be if any leniency towards this
young reprobate (for such he is by all human
and divine laws) on account of the social posi-
ton or reputation of his friends, shall lead the
millions who are now watching the issue in
this case, to conclude that there is not even
handed justice for all men-that one class can
murder with impunity and that another do
il at the peril of the gallows.