The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-19
Ths 8ntlaad gaily GIobe
TUESDAY, JUNE 10, 1877.
THE QUESTION OF "MoRAL ENERGY


THE QUESTION OF "MoRAL ENERGY"
We are reminded every day or two, by
these who are endeavoring to make point
against the presidents policy, that it is
about time that we realized that "the ques-
" ton is not one of crime, but OF the pun
4" ishment of crime )" that Mississippi,
Louisiana and other southern states are on
trial before the civilized world, for no
matter how excellent the statute law
against crime may be, yet if there is not
moral energy enough behind the law to in
sure its enforcement, "then the crime OF
the assassin becomes the crime of the
community"
This 10 a very specious doctrine, and is,
to a certain extent, sound. 1t is true that
where criminals are unrestrained and crime
is unpublished, there must be lack OF
moral energy either in officials or the COM
munity; but it is equally true that the pre-
valence of crime in community shows
that the community is more or less de-
PRAYED; but we should hardly care to 60 to
the extent of saying that the prevalence of
crime or the want of moral energy enough
to enforce the statute law made the crime
that of the community. But il the claim
is made as against the south it is equally
good as against the north. 1t is hardly fair,
however, to judge any community, either
north or south, by this rule.
To illustrate this unfairness, let US re-
call some of the events of the past two
weeks. One Mrs. Emma Young has been
In the Caledonia county Jail for the muir
der of her two children at Newark, some
time last winter. Our readers will readily
recall the horrid details, and we need not,
therefore, repeat them. Her case was
brought before the grand jury, last week,
and they refused to find an indictment
against her on the ground that she was in
sane at the time, although perfectly sane
now. 1t is undoubtedly true, as the Gale
DOMAIN says, that she "was wrought up to
ga great frenzy at the prospect of being
separated from her children"-and 30 il
10 huC, 10 ~ uObS tuab SFSAJ
derer is wrought up to great frenzy" al
the time of the commission of the crime
The case seems to show the same kind o.
"emotional insanity" as that which wrought
up Sickles when he shot Key, McFar
land when he murdered Richardson
and Cole when he killed Hiscock
Each and all "weIe wrought up to {
.'frenzy" at the moment of the commiss
sion of the crime, although they recoveret
speedily enough when there was no furthe
need Of frenzy-or, as the jury in the Col
case put it, were perfectly sane one secon'
before and one second after the murder
but there was doubt about the sanity q
the second when the fatal shot was fired
and, receiving the benefit of the doubt
were acquitted. 1t was was reserved, how
ever, for Vermont to establish the precs
dent of discharging a murderess withou
trial and turning her loose on the commu
nifty on this flimsy pretext. AT the sam
time, Hayden is in the Vermont state pr
son, privileged character, sane enough
murder his wife, sane enough to plan fc
its commission, and sane enough at a
times except when there is reasonab
prospect of his being placed on trial. Tn
is another Vermont invention of way Il
showing the existence of moral enerO
enough to enforce the law.
While this grand jury, at st. Johnsbur.
were celebrating and preparing to tut
this murderess loose, the governor of We
mont, also, at St. Johnsbury, was prepa
ing for another jail delivery. One Charl
Harrington was convicted in December
the crime of rape, and was rardoned
the governor June 0, alter less than 8
months imprisonment, less term than
accorded for the crime of selling intoxics
ing liquors, and much less than is often q
corded in this county for the crime of b
ing intoxicated or of breaking the peace |!
It Is true that il is said in defense of I
governors course that the judges, the PR
ecuting attorney and nine of the jurc
recommended his pardon, " believing b
"to have been wrongfully convicted, a
"that he had already been sufficien,
punished for the offense he has commit
against the code of morality"
II the first part of this statement Is tn
why did these judges, this states attorns
and these nine jurors consent to his CT
viction or punishment at ALP
II the second part of the statement Il
correct one, we regret the state of NOR
which regards the crime of rape 90 light
only as a simple "odense against the CO
"of morality" for which less term OF
prisonment than that for selling intoxi
ting liquors is a sufficient punishment; ,
We fear that, If such 10 the code Of MOI
in LAmoille and Caledonia counties, i'm
grafton will be encouraged from the mel