The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-05-25
The Triumph of the Law.

hanged. The long period Of ankle
ty and worry over his case is ended
We are no longer in suspense. The
dread and horror of seeing a fellow
man die an ignominious death or
the gallows is now happily over
The great crowds of rough savages
who made a holiday of the hanging
blocked up the streets, lay and
rolled on the sidewalk, and reveled
and rejoiced in the contortions and
death agonies of Rea, have gone,
let it be hoped, never to return. We
draw sigh Of relief, drop a tear OF
pity, and pass on the journey of life
We all pitied Rea. No humane
person desired his punishment if il
could have been legally or justly
avoided. But the evidence against
him was overwhelming. There was
no reasonable doubt of his guilt.
The jury after several days consid-
Grafton of his case found him gull
ty; the circuit judge being fully sat
istied Of his guilt, refused him Il new
trial; the five supreme judges, after
full consideration of the record,
found no error in it and sentenced
him to death; finally, when he went
upon the scatfold to die he did not
deny that he killed Goodrum. Had
he been. innocent he certainly
would have said so; above all things
else, he would have denied his
guilt. In view of these facts it is
impossible to doubt his guilt. He
was guilty Of deliberate assassina
ton. He forfeited his own life by
taking Goodrum's. This being the
case, he surely deserved death. TIC
say he did not would be to justify
assassination.
But Notwithstanding all these
facts, Notwithstanding the jury
circuit judge, and five supreme
judges, after patient and thorough
investigation of his case, found him
guilty, some of the newspapers and
others, having no actual knowledge
whatever of the facts, proceeded to
retry the case, not upon the sworn
statements of witnesses cOgnizant OF
the facts, but upon the statements
of Rea supported by street rumor
and interviews" with reliable
gentlemen" Proceeding by this
method, it was easy to acquit Rea,
as some of the newspapers and 9th
ers did. This conclusion implies
that the jury, circuit judge and
supreme court were all fools, wholly
incompetent to weigh the evidence
or try the case. 1t seems to me
that a man who takes this position
simply exposes his own presump-
ton and stupidity, adding nothing
to his own intellectual reputation.
A moments reflection will show
the absurdity Of those who main
tain Rea's innocence in the face of
the verdict of the jury and opinion
Of the supreme court.
Rea's case affords material for Sc
riOus reflection. 1t is no small mat
ter to take the life of fellow man.
1t is one of the highest acts of SOW
ereignty. 1t can only be justified
in cases like Rea's; as a punish
ment for taking the life of another.
To define and fix the rights and du-
ties of the citizen, and then enforce
them, strictly according to the forms
of the law, is one of the projections
of government; and the greatest
achievement of civilized society is
the due and proper execution of its
laws. All are safe where the law
is executed. No one is safe where
it is not executed. When Rea
killed GOodrum there was great
excitement and a strong DISPOSE
ton to lynch him; this would have
been a great wrong-a gross insult
to society; it would have encour-
aged other mobs, and inculcated a
general contempt for the law and
the courts. Goodrum's friends de
serve praise for doing their duty and
letting the law take its course. On
the other hand, the officers of the
law deserve credit for doing their
duty and Furnishing Rea according
to the forms of the law, for if he
had escaped through any technical
ity or been pardoned, his guilt hav-
ing been thoroughly established, it
would have fostered .'mob-law," a
sort Of wild, savage justice, and en-
gendered in the minds of the peo-
pie a contempt for the law, its
courts and officers. When the
next man had been killed his friends
would have said: "Rea escaped;
this man will also escape if we let
the officers of the law deal with him;
we will, therefore, take the law into
our own hands and hang him at
once" Rea's fate may also deter
some others from committing like
offences. 1t is certainly a very sol
emn and impressive warning to all
who are inclined to shed the blood
of their fellow-men.
1t is essential to the good of so
ciety that the law be scrupulously
and impartially executed; and that
the people, Loyalty, respect and up
hold the law and its officers in the
Of their duties; and al
though it seems hard to take Rea's
life and we all shudder to think of
his execution, yet viewed from
standpoint and con
sidering that impartin justice is adj
the county is 10 be con
graduated upon his execution.
HERMEs.
Pumps. DUBosE Il EzEIL.