Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-14
with sufficient hardihood to be secure
against punishment.
sc So our DEGREES,
Dead to infection, to themselves are dead;
Aud liberty plucks justice by the nose"

So long as this condition Of things exists,
it will be useless to expect cessation of
those crimes of violence which have been
SO frequent of late. 1t is serious thing
to say, but it is unhappily the truth, that
murder is less likely to be adequately
punished in California than forgery OF
enlightenment. Nor is it the least dam
gerous symptom that there seems to exist.
even among the most intelligent and law
abiding, sort of weak sentimentality
which shrinks from the application of
capital penalties, and which appears inca
pable of comprehending in one view the
interests of society and the situation of the
criminal The circumstance that sympa-
thy so commonly goes rather with the
murderer than with the victim is In itself
an evidence of Generalization, and the
difficulty of obtaining proper admins.
tration of the law after few months have
elapsed is equally suggestive of public
indifference which when rightly viewed is
nothing less than a sign of diminishing
capacity for self-government. The axiom
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"
is in fact perpetually and universally true.
This eternal vigilance is demanded not
only as regards the preservation of free
institutions, but as regards the advances
from barbarism which mankind has made.
Society must be resolute, clear-sighted,
prompt, and vigilant in the maintenance
of its conventions and ordinances, or it
will fall a prey tot its own tendencies toward
disorganization. Above all it is necessary
that the sanctity of human life should be
preserved, for upon that rests all real
civilization. A community which wor-
ships wealth, which rewards intellectual
force, which admires power of all kinds,
vet which does not hold human life sacred,
or avenge its destruction swiftly and
sternly, is no better than a society of rob-
bers and assassins, bound together by ties
of common plumber and self-interest, but
incapable of real progress or elevation.
Prompt justice is the first requisite of ad-
vancing civilization. Chicanery and jul
dicial failure are the signs and symbols Of
social rottenness and decay. There is,
however, but one means of reforming the
abuses now complained of, and that is
through regeneration of public opinion.
1t is possible for the people to insist upon
the more speedy trials of murder cases,
and to discourage the shameful procrasti-
nation which has been suffered to grow
into custom in these cases. If there is a
general reluctance to apply capital penal
ties it would be wise to amend the law,
though at present the jury is empowered
to fix the sentence. But anything is
preferable to the insidious and sneaking
devices through which the laws are made
to defeat themselves, and pretense of
fair dealing is made to cover the most out
rageous Combinations of crime. The
press may do much to stimulate sentiment
on this subject, and to create feeling un-
favorable to the postponement of murder
trials, and we think it ought to interest it
self in this question. Those who deplore
the prevalence OF crimes of violence, how
ever, will do well to realize that the general
tendency to forget even the worst offenses
after few days have passed, is great
incentive to the maneuvers which so fire.
quently battle justice and bring the laws
into contumely.