Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1880-07-30
TIE RECENT OuzRAGE.

excitement, it becomes our province and
duty to counsel moderation and strict obedi-
ence 10 law to impress upon the minds of
the public that we live in a state of society
where men have yielded up their natural
rights of self-redress and they have therefore
no longer a right to avenge their own
wrongs, that where the law affords redress
no man has right to redress himself To
the best of our humble ability we have en-
deavored to meet such obligation ,ohere the
lao affords a0eqIate redress.
When some heartless demon, at the hour
ofmidnight, applies the torch and thereby
consigns to the flames his sleeping and inno-
cent victims, terrible, revolving and sicken-
ing as it is to every sense of humanity, we
ask for him a calm, patient, considerable and
impartial trial. When the murderer has
driven his poinard into the heart of defence
less age from sordid motives, or calmly and
there nursing his hate until the opportunity
is offered to send home the fatal death blow
we demand trial by his peers, with the
acts in both cases the sufferings of the vic
Tins have ended in their untimely deaths
But in the case of the recent outrage com
mitted in our midst, in the very bed-cliamber
of defenceless and friendless lady, in the
| absence of her cherished husband and pro-
tector, a sanctuary which should have been
as sacred position to her virtue as the very
altar of God, where she underwent crueltes
during the long weary hours of the night
more terrible than the tortures ofthe damned
in hell, and which must ever like somqiid
eous nightmare follow her to the graz Rn
, such case, if we know ourself, we ftJuld
wait for no slow hooking redress offered by
the law, in whose administration modesty
is to be submitted to still further whitening
and scortching paralyzation, but under the
broad glare of the sunlight and undis-
guised we would pursue the wretch until
caught, and when caught, with vengeance
that spurns and laughs at the mandates OF
law, that blood could not appeasc nor the
shrieks of mercy stay, we would visit him
with such species of torture as would make
the blood curdle in the veins of the most
barbarous on Gods earth. Having done the
| deed we would come before an honest and
intelligent jury of our countrymen, men with
mems hearts in their bosoms, and ask them
to say by a speedy verdict of acquittal that
we had done what was right by the laws OF
Nature, of Man, and of God
Some may say this is a strong position To
take, but we feel not only ready but able
to defend it, and that in spite of the fastidi-
GUS construction and Instructions of the
courts. We know very well when an indi-
| vidual enters society there is compact
made between him and society. He stipu.
lates to surrender up a portion of his natu-
raj rights. He gives up the right of sell.
redress, This is part of the contract In
consideration for this, society contracts to
protect him in the enjoyment of his social
and natural rights and to give him adequate
redress to all cases where those rights may
be violated. Here thessss,the compact
Where it is faithfully peri0fmed by one
party, then the other has no right to violate
it. But if one of the party is unable to per.
form the compact IN any particular, in so fal
the other is released from the obligation of q
strict observance. If society has failed tc
provide or is unable to provide adequate re-
dress for an outrage upon one of its mem
bers, to thatextent such member may resist
to his natural right of self-redress In such
event, the compact between him and society
is pro hac vice dissolved and he falls back
upon his natural rights. Thesear no crude
wild ideas of our own; they are sanctioned
by some of the ablest writers upon the law
We are told that tho object Of punishment is
to deter others from the preparation Of
crime in like cases. Now we hold that the
law is inadequate to meet out such speedy
and violent punishment as will prevent out
RACES Of this character, and which are be.
coming a daily occurrence; nor can it BE-
meted out at all unless the victim is made
to face the fiend in court of justice and
then give in such evidence, which to mod.
est female, would be second hell upon
earth.
In support of the position we have taken
the authorities further show what must fol.
low as a necessary consequence, that society
having failed to protect a member in his
rights has no right to punish him for pro.
tecting himself, or having failed TO afford hin
adequate redress for an injury done, has nc
right to punish him for redressing himself
and society falling to innict such a system o.
punishment as will successfully deter mer
from the preparation of deeds that ind nc
parallel in the catalogue of crime, then il
becomes obligatory to resort to the natura
rights of seli-redress. Whatever may be the
common law of England, this is the com
mon law of American freemen, and we bu
assert a fact which has been sanctioned and
practiced upon by the juries in every STATE
Of this Republic. There is a strong analogy
existing between the wrongs committed by
individuals and those inflicted by commune
ties, where law was poweress to stay Tho
torrent of blood or hush the rumbling Of thI
gilotlne in Paris-it was a committee 0
+ public safety that restored order and gave
security to the rights Of society. Coming
down TO later times, and even in our coun
try, in the State of California, when it be
came the rendezvous for those fleeing from
justice, when no mans life was safe, anC
every character of crime was committed il
+ the broad glare of the open daylght--it wa
a committee Of vigilance which restored or
der and dealt out that punishment whicl
the law was inadequate to supply-an,
when communities act as judges, iuries an,
, cxecutioners in cases of such outrage as ha
, recently been committed in our midst, the,
will not be of so frequent occurrence.
, Ar-hAMM0TH DEMONSTRATION.
/ The great ratification meeting in favor {
1 Hancock and English at the Academy {
e Music in New York City, on the evening {
d. | thn oSth instant IL ono of hnst a,,idonca. .