The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1879-11-21

from the roof. On his approach, Ken
nedy accused johnson Of slsndering
him 10 a mutual lady acquaintance,
which johnson protested was false
Kennedy replied that he would be
lieve the lady in preference to him,
AMI remarking, 81 think / will Kill
you any wayi" drew a pistol and shoI
johnson dead. This is the statement
Of a respectable and truthful lady,
who witnessed the deed from crack
in the house. A negro man who was
present somewhat mOdifies the state.
ment, but not very materially. Tho
state Of lawlessness and intimidation
then existing in Garrard, and which
for many years aiterward existed. or,
per haps from the worthlessness Of the
officers, prevented any legal notice Of
the deed until that state of affairs had
ended, and day Of general reckoning
came. In this general reckoning, Ken
nedy's case came up for investigation,
and in February last he was indicted
by the grand jury for murder. After
considerable delay, the warrant was
sent to the Sheriff Of Lincoln, who
Immediately went to serve it on Mr..
Kennedy, but he had sloped for the
West, where he remained for several
months and was a fugitive from jus
tice to last Saturday, when the ma
chine at Frankfort ground out his
pardon. Personally, it is a matter of
indifference to us whether Kennedy
is punished or parioned, and we do
not blame him or his friends for secu-
ring pardon, if possible; but it is the
principle Of the thing at which we
must look. 1t is true that many years
have gone by since the commission
of the deed, wife and family have
been added 10 partake Of the disgrace
and punishment that would follow the
conviction Of Mr.. Kennedy, but, are
these sufficient reasons for the Cover
nor of the great Commonwealth of
Kentucky to extend executive Glenn
ency to a man who. at the time Of
the pardon, was living outside of and
in defiance of the law? Had he sur
rendered to the authorities and shown
himself willing to abide the require
ments of the law, then, with the other
circumstances connected with his case,
a pardon may not have been out Of
place. But, we insist that in this, as
we'll as in many other instances, Black
burn has abused the power conferred
upon him by supplemented people,
who thought because he had faced the
Yellow Fever that that alone. gave
him ability for the performance of the
duties Of the Office of Governor. He
has shown himself weak and vascil.
lating individual, settling upon a rule
to-day to be knocked sky-high to.mor-
row. For instance, when the petition
Of Mr.. f. B. Kennedy, who was in
the hands Of the law, was presented to
him, he emphatically said that he
would, in no case, pardon before trial.
Yet when W. F. Kennedy, who was
outside Of the law, presented his petit.
ton, he goes back on his emphatic
rule, and exercises his clemency. But
we can expect nothing from a man
who was elected under such circum-
stances and who is governed not by
sense but by impulses and caprices.
HUoH McDERMoTT, editor of the
Jersey City Herald, and a wise pOliti-
clan, publishes an interview with Til
den, which he had with him a year
ago last Summer, in which Mr.. Tilden
said that he disapproved of the Elec-
toral Commission as utterly unconsti-
tutional, but that he was not consult.
ed even by Mr.. Hewitt in regard to
it, and could not interfere to oppose
it. He further said that he blamed
Bayard and Thurman for the passage
Of a bill that they knew to be uncon-
thereby defeating him and
putting Hayes in the White House.
Questioned as TO his reasons for not TAX
Ing the oath Of Office atNew York. ifhe
believed himself elected, he said that
perhaps he should have dOne so. but
civil war might have been the result,
rs Grant was ordering troops toWash-
ngton. He did not consider himself
10 blame, but the people should never
nave suffered it. The personal wrong
% him was Of little importance. but
he violence done our system of pub
&c government ought not to have
Deen tolerated. McDermott publish
Is this now because he says Mr.. Til.
len seems relegated 10 private life, and
I can do him no political or personal .
hurt.
GROSS frauds have been discovered
n the returns of Maine, and it is now
probable that II Of the 81 Senators
md So Of the 15l Representatives will
'e Democratic. The Republican can
lidate for Governor failed to get a
over all opponents, and, ac-
'ording TO the laws Of the State, the
lection Of that officer goes to the Leg
stature. Maine under Democratic