The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1881-12-09
ERIDAY. DEOEmnEa .. assI.
THE NEAL VERDIcT.--It is a nov

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THE NEAL VERDIcT.-It is novel
mode Of defense which the Republican
adopts in discussing the false and
scandalous verdict rendered by the
jury that declared Neal not guilty.
That paper resorts to every possible
means to rake up excuses for this act
of these men, while it declares in
plain and emphatio language that it
does not agree with the verdict. 1t
says: VS. ~"
''rhere is no doubt of the fact that |
the public mind ie averse to the YER
dict, the evidence against Neal being
Of the most p0sitsos character and ua-
c0atr0dfctsd By the dafsnsS. The only
doubt in the case was in regard to the |
resistance, whether it was sufficient,
or what might be expected in case
of that kind. Cou,led with that was
the fact that for many years past only
negroes had been executed for crimi- |
nal offences while white persons eq ual-
ly guilty invariably were cleared"
There is the language Of the Repub-
lican. 1t is copied verbatim from its
columns. We have not abused the
jury nor the Counsel for Neal. The
GAZETTE has simply characterized the
verdict as scandalous; as of q char
acter that will lead men to believe the
men who rendered the verdict did 80
in violation of the sacred oaths they
had taken to render 'true verdict
according to the evidence" Could
their verdict be true according to the
evidence We leave the Republican
to answer, and we quote its own decla-
rations as the best answer. 1t is
printed in italics above, but we will
quote 1t here again. 1t says the "evi-
dence against Neal being of the MOST
POSITIVE CHARACTER and uneontr .
dicted By the defsnse." And this is
assigned as reason for "the fact that
the public mind is averse to the YER
dict" We should think it was. The
public mind has some respect for the
wives and daughters of the men of
Delaware. Why the decent negroes
of the South would not render such
verdict as that. They have more
respect for their own wives and daugh-
ters than to send forth such verdict
to excuse one of the worst characters
that could curse community with its
presence, for committing crime
which all good men detest. Even the
savage negro in the wilds of Africa
would hesitate but short while about
dispatching man who had entered
his abode and violated the purity OF
his rude home as Neal did. That
he did this the Republican says the
proof is of the most posttige characte,
and uncontradicted by the defense
What laurels can counsel gain from
such o verdict? A verdict rendered
upon such showing could never b,
worn as an adornment to the cap of {
high minded member of the bari
would never be placed as rose upol
the breast of just and honest coun
sellor who held woman in the estimat
that she deservedly claims in Della
ware. Neal was spirited away to tn
North, and we leave the jury to thei
own consciences, hoping that the.
may never have their happy home
invaded in such manner as poor MI
Gosser had. Not having time to re
ply to the misrepresentation the RI
publican makes to the GAzETTE's re
Elections upon this odious verdict W
let them pass. But we must call tn
attention of our ladies and their hus
bands to the only defense which th
Republican itself makes, the evidenc
being "unsontradieted By the defense.
1t says sHrHE ONLY DOUBT IN tn
CASE WAS IN REGARD TO THE RI
DISTANCE, WHETHER 1T WAS SUI
FIoIENT, OR WHAT NIGHT BE Ex
PEcTED IN A CASE OF THAT KIND. }
That is plain language, and we hol
every wife in Delaware will read it wi
care and deliberatlon. No mother wi
has a daughter whom she loves shou
overlook it. 1t emanates from L
organ Of the party in Delaware that
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