Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1881-06-25

ger TO, or destruction of life; but ii the
carrying of revolvers is once sanctioned
by public opinion, and becomes the Cssbe4,
our boast and our individual safety are
both alike gone. No one carries these
weapons without some reason, and here
no reason can be alleged justifiably, and
yet the practice of carrying rcvolvers
seems to I've gaining ground. One murder
and one attempt have lately attracted
public attention. In both cases referred
to the weapon was n revolver. Two other
persons have been struck, though not
injured. presumably by the careless
handling OF firearms, The mere fact of
knowing oneself TO I've in possession of
such n weapon is an inducement to appeal
to its use. A slight alteration, an angry
epithct, has often cost a life, and strange
10 say. the plea OF cowardice is the ono
most frequently set up 10y an assassin TO
justify the slaughter OF his victim. 81
was afraid and so fired is the plea of
most OF the pistol murderers whose trials
we have read for years past. especially in
the L. 5. Courts. No wonder this plea is
So frequent when il is found to be SO sue
cessful Ii was that which saved the mur-
derer Kalloch. but the blame lies altogether
on the morbid state of public opinion.
Wherever snch termination TO such u
case is possible, then pistol murdorers will
flourish, and that is why we appeal to the
public To set their faces againt pistol car
rying. We read few days ago that no
less than .forty thousand homicides have
taken place in the Southern States alone
since the close OF the war, and il is said to-
be more dangerous to be an officer of the
peace in Texas than to be in active service
against an enemy elsewhere That this
should be possible we maintain, is wholly
due to public opinion. which not only
sanctions. but justities. not only justiiies,
but applauds, the preparation of such
crimes. 1t is n bad sign of the times. or
place, where n murder is lightly spoken of
Us +" a shooting affair" Where this is the
case, shooting affairs will be plentiful;
and so they may become here if carrying
of revolvers becomes an accepted fashion.
On the plantations. where an overseer is
constantly surrounded by Chinese or
savages, who have no notion, III common
with us, as to the supreme sanctity of
human life, the case is different; every
laborer is himself armed with a deadly
weapon, hoe, fork. or cane knife, and the
overseers might be "duly authorized by
law" to carry arms for the protection of
their own lives, being held strictly respon-
sible to the law for any abuse of the
license. In all civilized countries homicide.
however committed, is murder or man
slaughter if there be the least taint of
unlawfulness in the action.
In England if man were to hear an
unaccountable noise in what he supposes
to be an unCccupied room, were to take L.
pistol in his hand. open the door of the
room, and see an Unlocking stranger alb
stracting the contents of his plate-closet,
fires at once and kills the Cpresumed) rob
Der, that man would be most certainly
tried and most probably convicted of
manslaughter; and if he said, Il was
afraid that the robber might fire first" he
would have to convince jury that there
were very sufficient grounds for his fear.
or in other words. that he really acted in
defense of his life, and not of property
only. The law does not allow man. be
he enraged or frightened, to constitute
himself at once accuser, judge, jury and
executioner, without throwing a terrible
weight of responsibility on the man who
assumes such position. But where pub
lie opinion justities the habit of carrying,
and, what is the inevitable consequence,
nsing, deadly weapons, the law itself is
powerless; and we repeat, and urge again
and again, that if any one here have taken
to so pernicious habit, public opinion
should compel him to give it up, and live
and let live, under the protection of the
law