Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-04-04
Compromising FeIOnles.


The press has for long time been de
ploring and crying out against the escape
from just penalties of some who are known
to be most obnoxious to law and justice, and
all right, human and divine. And this not
because it delights in blood. This cry
shows that it is keenly felt, that the primary
rights of society are violated by such es-
capes, and the guards of our houses and
homes and life itself swept away by them.
What then is the cause of this cheating of
the penitentiary and prison and gallows of
their due ? Is it defect in our laws Nay,
the statutes that appoint penalties for high
crimes have not of late been essentially
changed. Nor has there died out from
among our people that native sense of in
dignation at wrong and violence, and that
call for justice that ever characterizes an
intelligent and Christian nation. DO we
value life less, and have we become careless
of the means of self-defence and preserva-
ton ? Nay, this can hardly be. Instinct
prompts us, as it does the lower animals, to
guard first our life. This very cry to which
have alluded is itself proof that we have
not become insensible to our danger. Yet
high-handed crime goes UNPUBLISHED.
Not few believe that there is a kind of
compounding of felony and completely with
crime on the part of those that are set to de-
fend criminals-or those charged with crime
"a completely which makes them pdrticeps
criminis. And this is the more dangerous
because it is hidden under the pretense and
the forms of law-the very law which they
are set to execute and honor. Several of our
exchanges have come lately loaded with
complaints in this direction. We take an
extract from the staid Christian Inieiligencer,
because it utters sentiments to which we so
heartily respond. The extract was origin
ally from the Brooklyn Union and Argus, on
Completely with Crime" endorsed by the
inteiigencer. "What is an accompice 2" it
asks. "Will some leading light of the law
tell us ? Here is Sheeny Mike, known to be
the most expert burglar and cracksman of
the time, with half dozen villanies traced
home to him. Yet this scoundrel retains a
New York law firm, VIGOROUSLY known as
his counsel" and while he keeps busy with
his craft his attorneys ply all the shifts and
technicalities of the law that this 'smartest
store burglar in the United States be not
disturbed or broken up in his business. He
has been connected with nearly all the jew
elry, silk and lace robberies in New York,
Philadelphia and Boston for the past ten
years, but has been fortunate in his lawyers.
Once they helped him to buy his way out.
Twice they have saved him by techni.
cality, and on Saturday they made daring
move to take him ont of the keeping of a
requisition of the Governor of Massachu-
sets. Now, what is an accomplice? and
may not the time come when it shall be unsafe
for lawyers thus brazenly to harness them
selves to make scoundres safe and pros
porous? Every man has the right to his
defence in law But does defence mean a
shelter that shall be bomb-proof against all
penalty so long as the client can steal enough
to pay heavy lawyers fees ?"
The Christian Union speaks no less plainly
and pointedly on completely with crime, UNI
der the pretense of defence of the one who
is known to be criminal