The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-27

IC the Ln0ugnIIul tn0 HOSI UOeIntNi
phase Of the unhappy tragedy al Anderson
is the FINAL one. Accustomed as We are to
the cruel and harbarou5 code of self-defense,
which justifiesA man IL numbering his fel-
low, Corxin'slfoal escape from any severe
penalty would not have been surprise.
but his discharge from even the ordinary
,formslities attending thesact of murder must
inevitably tend to loosen still further the
restraints that hold men within bounds. To
the fair minded reader who as followed the
course of the testimony aE published, two
facts have been made pretty plain. Fisst,
that Mr. Stilwen was not in the possession
of his proper faculties, and seco nd, that a. y
danger to Corwin's lie had passed. when tie
two shots were Cred. If, then, man ia jus
tilted in slaughtering his antagonist when
that antagonist has been disarmed, Mr.. Cor
win has that justification. L is a justi-
ficatiOn, however, which the laws
of wax do not recognize, and II may
be suspected that our civilization
hardly keeps pace with its opportunities,
when the rigorous laws of var are more gen.
tie than those of peace. The formal citation
of Mr.. Corwin and the tedious detail of tes-
timOny were entirely unnecessary to bring
about the eEd reached yesterday. What the
people who lament the bloody talden-
cy of the times wasted, was ex-
haustive trail OF the case in a COM
petent court, which shoulG impress
upon men the sanctity of Efe and the GRIM
inaIty of granddaughter. To those who be-
Heve that human life shouiA be kodged in
ILL Dc hat 10
wise, the decision OF the justice will be re-
ceived with grievous forebo6sng. Such a
prostitution of the functions Of justice, must
be regarded rather as the outcome of imbe-
cility than absolute sympathy with lawIess-
ness. The unfortunate creature who bur-
lesqued the forms Of Judicial place, is per-
haps rather 20 be pitied than execrated
for falling to lift Himself above tho
prejudiees of conventionalism and the
glamour of the advocates artful plea.
Men have been moved from righteous
ness in more trying emergencies than this
by the compelling periods OF an advocates
eloquence. Even less accomplished sd-
vocate than Gen. Harrison could have made
an effective plea in this case. gIe had that
one strong argument to silence dissent
mans house ia his castle, who enters in !
hostility, enters at his peril. 1t is the func-
ton OF justice to listen to arguments un-
moved and look to the law prescribed and |
the Law understood. No plea. be it ever so
touching. could obliterate the fact that a
murder had been done-that one man in |
weakness and insanity, had his poor req1-
nant OF life crushed out by neighbor-no
al -
gels, could obiiterate that. Looking at il Ia |
the light of that higher law. which should
be enforced against the narrow require-
ments of the code, the medium of the
murder should have been sent to the
higher court, that the general principle of
self defense might be better illustrated and
defined As the case discloses, there is an
alarming laxity in the construction of the
law-Corwin would probably emerge from
the more rigorous formula of a further trial
clear, bnt we should have the benefit of a
clear Interpretation Of vague and mis-