The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-11-19
Contributed
GUITEAU.

Contributed
In the annals of French jurisprudence Is re-
corded case that occurred, thlnk, III Ihe l1S'
century Tor perhaps, earlier, Tor 90 ho' iecollecV
the nrecise date of woman VINO LETT her oapy
on a pIat of grass. thinking that no harm could
nossiblv come to it there, and hog came along
and ate If up: and the case was brought before
a MAGISTRATE oh the question whether the owner
of the hog could not be held responsible for the
murder. The magistrate decided that he could
not: but decreed that he should forfeit his owner
shin of the animal, not to the mother, but to the
State and that the hog should be hung; which
verdict was duly executed.
If Guitcau is hung, it viii be an exactly par
allel case. His life is no equivalent for GarieIds
as well might be balanced against infinity, or
can atone for his crime and only utter contempt
can justly be awarded him for it. AS the Dutch
man said, hanging is too good for him; he ought
10 be kicked"
Guiteau is undoubtedly crazy; or At any rate,
Is the subject Of that alteration OF mind which
produces Overweening propensity to crazy action;
and the only suitable award for his deed would
be to c0nsign him for life TO a lunatic asylum
or prison: but not punishment. But there
is no lunatic asylum in the United States that
could hold him from the vengeance OF Justly
infuriated people. aud ii is doubtful if prison
either could do so, or ii prison or asylum could
be even found i'll Europe that could hold him
The Siberian mines possibly might But how
could he be sentenced to the mines Of Siberia !?
Perhaps, after all, it will be best to hang him,
w ~ Of Int of
The law has no penalty for his crime, Or, per-
haps, it will he well TO leave him to escape the
vengeance of mob as best he can. But let not
the law make itself ridiculous by sentencing him
as a common murderer.
Garfield is dead! 4 Nation mourns, And its
wall is echoed from every part of the world!
Garfield is dead! And the hanging of thous-
and Guiteaus could not bring him again to life.
or replace him in the Presidential chair. The
hanging of a thousand Guiteaus could not recon-
pense his death, nor the loss to his family, to
his country, TO the world which that death has
OccasiOned, nor lift one atom of the sorrow that
weighs upon our hearts That sorrow is too
mighty TO be atoned by the death Of such a man
as Guiteau; and to hang him. by legal sentence,
would be to give him an Importance he does not
then let the court discharge him, inasmuch as
the law has provided no punishment for his Of
Tense.
NoTE.-As showing the current of public
feeling III some sections of the country, we pub
lisb the above written by Commodore W B. Whit
ing, but must differ with him as regards the
course which ought 10 be pursued in Guiteau's
case.
This is country Of law. The bumblest, most
depraved citizen is guaranteed equal rights and
privileges with the most exalted and noblest.
Before the law the late President must stand
in his individual capacity as a mana worthy
and law-abiding citizen.
The crime that took him from us was murder
of the basest kind, and for that crime his assassin
should be tried, and, if convicted, punished as
the law directs
OF his conviction we have no doubt We DO
not believe that his insanity is of that character
that viii shield him from the consequences of
his internal deed. But if it should be made
clearly to appear that he was irresponsible when
he fred the fatal shot. then, in such case, he
should be dealt with as would be any other GRIM
inal, and sent to a lunatic asylum.
II is true that thousand Guteaus are not 10
be weighed in the balance against one Garfield
but we assert that the stability of seciety-and
cur self-respect Nation depend upon de-
ing strict justice under the law no matter how
distasteful TO US such course may be-ED. Ma
TIONAL TRIBUNE.