New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-18
LONDON TOPICS.
EDITOR Mos1vs sENTENcE-GRANr-DuFF

hOST-THE SENTENCE MITIGATED BY THE REC
oMMENDAToN TO MERCY-OPINIoNs OF THE
PREss-THE APPOINTMENT OF MR.. GRANT-DUFF
AS GOVERNOR OF MADRAs-MR. CRAIG sELLAR's
QUALIFICATIONS AS HIS SUCCESSOR.
lPRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE.
LONDON, June 30.-Lord Coerdges sentence
upon Most comes near as couId be expected to
meeting the demands of justice. What stood in the
way of satisfying these completely was the recon-
mendation Of the jury TO mercy one of those weak
acts OF which juries too often guilty In this
case IT was presumably attempt TO reconcile the
dictates OF conscience and the obligations of their
OATH with vague tenderness for printed crme-a
tenderess cae IN great part TO the exhOrtation of
section of the Liberal press. Lord Coleridge has
shown himself commercially free from this sort OF
expenditures. Il cannot doubt" says the Lord
Chief Justice of England. addressing Most that
you were seriously intending 70 incite to murder
and no one can read what you have written with
out being certain that you had that intention. be-
cause you dwelt with satisfaction. nay. evun with
delight, upon rhe horrible bodily tortures of one
murdered king and il is NANTES, that YOU desired
that other kings should share his touuents and
in his death. | do not question that you wrote
seriously, and that you had the deliberate and real
intention that your words should he followed by
practical result" And upon that ground. which
was also the ground of the verdict delivered by
the jury, Lord Coleridge bases his sentence. He
says expressly that but for the recommendation of
the jury to mercy he should have elt il his duty
send the prisoner into penal servitude. Giving
weight to the jurys plea for mercy the Lord Chief
Justice sentences Most to sixteen months imprison-
ment, with hard labor
NEWSPAPER COMMENT
What is there to be against the Justice of this
sentence, and against the observations of Lord
Colerldge! Not much. if the comments of Most
principal advocates i'll the London press are to be
taken as expressing the weight of hostile opinion.
me many Ne'cS devotes paragraph to the subject:
perhaps one Of the most surprising paragraphs that
ever appeared in an English journal There is not
an argument in it from beginning 80 end. But there
are plenty of epithets. The punishment described
as terribly sexere one. Of Lord CoIeridge's
remarks are tancIful,' the prosecution most
imprudent and nischIevous" and the sentence Is a
=" savage" condemnation t" hard labor. Yet The
Ddity Aers admits that Mosts article was an afro
ciouS one that it goriied assassination and gloated
ever the fortunes of murdered man. that it was an
expression of bitter hatred and passionate revenge
by way of excuse for the revenge and hatred Most
we are told. had been treated bv the German Gov
eminent with brutality 1t is therefore a palliaton
OF the guilt OF melting to the murder of the Etn-
peror OF Russia that another Government has uSeu
Most hardly. Literally. that Is all The Daiiy Ne1cs
has to urge against the conviction and sentence Of
this woHld-be assassin.
The Pal Nal Gazette is less violent but not an
atom more argumentative OF convincing In
neither of these journals one discover ANYTHING
but an outburst of weak pity. save and except n
half-avowed conviction thai Most ought to have
been allowed to ncite to the murder of continental
tyrants without obstruction from an English court
of law. | wish such writers would saw what they
really mean The difficulty is that what they really
mean, if plainly avowed. would be revolving TIE
Pal Nal talks of the familiar sophiSms concerning
the difference between lii ertv and hcence One
world like to hear the sophism. as conceived by
TINS journal, stated, no matter how familiar In
Mosts case there u.s. at any rate. % sophlsm There
is no dispute that his liberty took the form of
lieenee. The dispute is whether that lieence ought
To be checked and punished. And The Pan Hall
must accept one horn of this dilemma, viz. either
Most was justihably prosecuted and punished or
he had right To his paper to instigate its
readers 10 Kill an individual specified by name 1t
says: If we were To accept all the principles
which have been laId down to Justify tie prose
cution and sentence of Herr Most, there is
hardly any interference with liberty of speech and
liberty of the press winch coud not be consistently
defended To which answer: II we are to accept
all the principles which have been laid down TO
condemn the prosecution and sentence of Most
there is hantly any misuse of liberty of speech and
liberty OF the press which could rot be consistently
DEFENDED. Tn" standard says with much force rs-
sDect.ng the argument that Most WAS n foolish
unmportant person whose ill-considervd utterances
is all very well till we begin To consider results
Wilkes Booth silly, crack Drained young
fellow. but We knew what esme of his folly And
Herr Most. so far rs can be made ont. is much such
a fanatic was Wilkes RoOth.r And there is
abundant evidence that the same journal is right in
saying that so far from the prosecution having
been condemned by the vast body of the people, il
has received their distinct approval
THE NEW GOVERNOR OF MADRAS.
Mr.. Grant l)utl'S apDOintmPnt aS (,ovsrnor Co,
eral of Madras withdraws "A familiar figure from
the House of Commons. where he has sat for Elgin
District since 1897. His reputation has been a
peculiar one, and his position in the House Is not
a bad illustration of of the peeuliarities Of
that assembly. His abilities are of high order
his attachments and range of know ledge very I'M
usual; his person al character irreproachable and
yet he has never been very popular man with the
mass or his fellow members DOT acquired the in
huence to which he was fairly entitled / believe
Dir. Bagehot once remarked that the Honse of
Commons is apt to resent the possession of excep
tonal information or learning by anyone of its
members, that man particularly learned OF mar
tcularly intellectual has to overcome a preudicr
and to Justify himself to the House for his superi
ority to the If he is very good fellow or
a very good shot. rides to hounds uncommonIv
well, or has marked force of character indepen-
dent of his orudIton, he ny do. But Mr. Grant
Duh, though one of the most estimabe and amiable
OF men, has never found the way TO commend him.
self TO the county squres aud colonies and the .,n
era brood OF younger sons of great families whose
Impotence of intellect is SO marked If there ho
any character the House will not be- reeoneiled 70
it is the Professor Mr.. Grant-Dnf is NOT = nro-
fessor, but he talks like one; which is perhans a
more objectionable offence. He emits knowledge
with an air of II athematical certainty which ought
n onNip lint Il,