New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-25

cur, III UnereDY we SnOulu iOSo uNo ul'uueOS Va
our time. Yet here is citizen, with young
family, with large business interests, with
place and a use in the world, who risks his
own neck, and destroys his own peace OF
mind and that of all his friends, endangers
his fortune and his liberty, for tho gratlfica-
ton of shooting the writer of an Item
which nobody could have read through with
out feeling o sense of wonder at tho venom
GUS imbecility of the author: The prudent
men, who never make mistakes, would have
plenty of ways to show how unnecessary TINS
was, and what they would have done. They
would have smiled at it. They would have
reasoned with the fellow. They would have
cOwhided him. They would have taken SUCK
and broken some of Ills bones. They certainty
would not have done him the honor to shoot
him and be hanged for it.
Mr.. Lands can think all these things over
at his Leisure now at the Bridgeton jail. But
it IS to be questioned if he can yet see clearly
what he ought to have done. Ii we try 10
put ourselves in his place moment we can
see what perDexing place it is. lie Is
sensitive man, married to lady more than
sensitive. They have been subject for several
years to these incessant attacks. They could
not despise them as they ought. 1t IS too
much to ask any woman. to dcspise newspaper
attacks upon her. There is something 80
monstrous in the act OF dragging lady, who
shuns publicity INTO the light OF day and then
throwing mud at her, that it Is no wonder
it should turn brain, now and then,
when persisted in. There is no effective
law of libel in New-Jersey. You may ridicule
Ill; OH
wife forever if you do not accuse them oil
crimes. There remains the cudgel. But this
is an uncertain resort as well as brutal. Mr.
Lands says he is crippled in one arm. IL that
is so, the editor would have declined to be
cudgeled and would have broken his head and
made him ridiculous in earnest. AT last, alter
years of this, comes a moment OF frenzy.
maddened man is no more than wild animal
He makes one last appeal to his tormentor.
and then shoots him.
This act is, of course, homicide. We make no
plea in arrest of the verdict which would call
this murder in the first degree. Insanity
should not be considered always bar to pun
ishment. There have been too many mock
cries of justice under this plea. Ii men lose
their minds on prOYoCauon and commit muir
der, they are dangerous to society and should
be dealt with as the law orders. But 1t Is not
hard to understand that a sensitive man might
be driven so far out of his wits by repeated
insults to his family as to resolve to destroy
himself and his assailant together. There is pos
itively no resort for man persistently ridiculed
and lied about by newspaper adversaries without
self-respect, except silent contempt or violence.
AS long as 1t relates to himself the first course
may be taken. But when the vitriol begins to
be thrown in the face Of his wife and daughters,
it is difficult for the coolest man to keep his
head 1t is because of this consideration that
everybody now hopes for Mr.. Carruth's speedy
recovery. In that case we hope MIR. Lands
will be heavily fined for his assault.