Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-11

UTGTWEy Y
When a public functionary, sworn to
obey and observe the imperious mandates
of the written law, boldly and brazenly JUS
titles assassination, the two old questions
often propounded in great emergencies can
appropriately be asked: "Whither are we
drifting and to what are we tending?" II
the horrors of assassination by officers of the
law are to become the rule Of our boosted civ
ilization, how long will it be before the
country lapses back into that anarchy and
lawless barbarism of the savages from which
it has been rescued? Governor Crittenden,
in recent interview, justifes his lawless
methods by the convenient plea to which
Guiteau and every murderer, assassin and
law-breaker resorts-public necessity. In
attempting to chow that the end justifies the
means, Governor Crittenden says: "The law
must be supreme, even if whole regiments of
men go down before it. 1 do not pur-
pose a cessation of hostilities until the last
bandit and Iaw-treaker submits and ac-
knowledges the supremacy of the law
This is pretty talk to come from perjurea
law-breaker. The law can never be made
supreme" by conspiring with robber TO
commit assassination. Governor Crittenden's
twaddle about the supremacy OF the law is
good deal like maudlin topper delivering
lecture on temperance. In land Of civili-
zation, law and order, there is no justi6ca-
ton for villainy, whether perpetrated by the
buceaneer or the harpies of the law. The
assassination of Jesse James was inspired by
cowardice. Governor Crittenden and the
officers of Missouri knew for months that |
Jesse James, with his wife and children, |
were quietly residing in St. Joseph, city of |
10000 inhabitants. The Ford brothers and |
Dick Little, the guilty confederates of the |
bandit, had given full information to Cover
nor CrittendeD, Commissioner Craig and |
Sheriff Undertake as to the certain |
and exact locality in which Jesse james was
secreted. The house could have bsen sur
rounded at any time by force of 1000
armed men, and the great freebooter cap
insad-s--L:ls--s--Ly-r rOrms OF law.
But the Fords were employed to make their
homes with James and to assassinate him
when the occasion presented itself. The
confession that the constabulary force OF
Missouri is inadequate to the task of sur
rounding house and capturing one man,
accompanied only by his wife and children,
is a severe criticism on the courage of the
Missouri people. No good citizen has any
sympathy with Jesse James in his daring,
desperate and wicked schemes. All will re-
joice that the band of desperadoes has been
broken up. But every good citizen, knowing
that one infraction of the law invites an-
other, will at the same time condemn the
crime of assassination, so abhorrent to civil
izstion. The prayer of every law-abiding
citizen is; May God protect the country from
the horrors of assassination by officers of
the law, sworn 10 observe the law. We
agree with the opinion forcibly expressed by
the New York World, that "the civilization
OF Missouri is more compromised by the
death of James than by his life. His muir
der appears to have been the result of bar
gain made between his murderer and the
governor of Missouri, who had offered a re.
ward for the body OF James, dead or alive
thus reviving for the capture of James the
ban Of outlawry. In other words, !
the governor of Missouri seems of his own
motion TO have licensed a citizen OF that .
State to commit murder, and to have put !,
himself in the disagreeable position of an |,
accessory before the fact to capital crime. !.
The murder OF James which was committed
by two men who had been for some months
making use of his hospitality by watching
their chance to kill him, was at least as
ireacherous and as cold-blooded as any g
murder which he himself ever committed, and Il
lor this last murder the governor of Missouri 81
mas made the whole State responsible. 1t is f.
not IN the least likely that either the gov oil
ernor or his pals will be punished. TIE 81
excuse that it was a public necessity to be b.
fio oil James, and that he could have been r