Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-29
The Guiteau Trial.
Chicnno 7fibune lRep.l


must involuntarily find expression when
one contemplates the unseemly spectacle
daily exhibited in the Washington court
room. On the I'd of last July President
Garfield was shot by the miserable wretch
Guiteau. who is now on trial in that
court room. The awful deed aroused
mingled feeling of horror and indigna-
ton all over the country. As the victim
Law upon his sick bed. week after week,
suffering intense pain, indignation
changed to solicitude and sympathy. On
the 10Th of September our great Presi-
dent died at Long Branch, and the whole
world bowed in grief On the Goth of
that month he was buried, and the whole
world babe a sorrowful farewell to a
great and good man. Only fifty-nine
DAYS have elapsed, and what do we seer
The neople of this country at first re-
garded the Infamous deed with such in
dignation that they could hardly find
words to express their eXecration. 1t
was an awful tragedy, but as time went
on this feeling changed to one OF pro
found sorrow, of sympathy for the liv.
ing, and ultimately of tender and sacred
respect for the dead. There was
solemnity that characterized the long
illness and death too profound to be
Jared upon by resentment, and after the
body was consigned to the tomb it was
only asked that the trial of the wretch
should be prompt and thorough, and that
retributive justice should be dealt out.
What response has been made to this?
Notwithstanding the horror OF the
tragedy, the extent of the calamity, the
grief of the world, the sorrow of the
family, the sacredness of the memory OF
the President, and all the great lessons
of love, and tenderness, and pity, and
all the great examples of his useful life
and heroic death, the trial of the wretch
has been conducted without dignity or
decency, and Justice has arrayed herself
in cap and bells for the delectation OF
grinning spectators. The miserable
wretch himself has been allowed to in
terrupt the trial, to interfere with wit
nesses and counsel, to browbeat the
court, and to crack his unseemly
Jokes for the sport of the
crowd and their applause. He
has had full swing in his disgusting
antics, and the trial has been run not in
accordance with the routine of law, or
the demands of justice, or with respect
to the gravity of the cause, or with re-
spect for the feelings of the American
people, but to suit the whims, caprices,
egotism, and notoriety Of Guiteau. What
should have been the most solemn trial
ever held in an American court is grow
ing to be one of the most disgustingly
ridiculous. Its unseemly phases and
undignifed incidents find their parallels
in the hearing of petty misdemeanors
in Justices court
The loose and undignifed manner In
which this case is conducted, the way In
which Justice is made the target of this
miserable wretch's indecent banter, and
the liberty granted him to feed and PAM
per his insufferable and disgusting vani
ty, do not cOmport with the feelings Of
the people, and may yet rouse swift
indignation again if some check is not
put upon it without much regard to any
question of sanity or insanity. 1t is hard
for people to stand quietly by and see
this wretch lioniZed and made hero of,
Justice travestied and premiums offered
other perverted wretches to follow in
Guiteau's footsteps, for the sake of graft
flying their love for notoriety or wreak'
ing their malice. 1t is an insult to the
memory of the President slaughtered
for the republic" that the trial of his
dastardly as sassin should be made
peep-show for curious crowd, and that
the assassin himself should be elevated
to the post of chief performer. 1t is an
insult to the bereaved home at Mentor
1t is an insult to the nation. And in
view of the unseemly proceedings it is
not remarkable that the London Neaos
says:
ut is to be hoped for the sake of American
Justice and public decency and good taste, that
the trial of Guiteau will soon come to an end.
1t will probably be acknowledged in America
as in England that Guiteau has been allowed
TO carry his own conduct of the case too Far.
1t seems absolutely necessary In the interest
Of decency and justice that 6uiteau De pre-
vented from turning the tragedy INTO our-
Iesque and from attempting to prove his own
insanity by demeanor which badly slmu-
lates or travesties madness"
Every word of the Neaos' criticism will
be applauded by the American people,
who are watching the proceedings with a
sorrowful disgust. They now can have
but one wish, and that is for the trial to
come to close as soon as possible, so
that there may be an end of this travesty
upon Justice if not an end of Guiteau.
They are fast coming to the belief that
both courts and bars are becoming
so debased that their object in
trying murderers is not SO much
to convict them and punish guilt
as to acquit them, and the Guiteau case,
SO far as it has proceeded, is not an excep-
ton. 1t is a miserable, sorry, indecent,
disgusting niece of business, and the
sooner 1t is over the better it will be. 1t
is too degrading for contemplation, too
oI,h orro,nf raroann berinn the exalted
Character of the man, the awful charac-
ter of the tragedy, and the soiemnity OF
his death. To palliate it ip any way
would be to convict the American peo-
pie of want of decent respect for the
dead. Let the farce come to an end as
soon as possible.