Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-18
THE CASE OF o'DoNNELL.

| O'Donnell has been executed. Now will
go up howl from the sympathizers with
that criminal that the vigorous measures
for his salvation were not taken by the
United States of America. Such people
have very shallow estimate of the duty
of a great nation toward another great
nation with which it is at peace, and to
which it bears relations defined by treaty
aud cemented by commercial and other
interests. Carey was an infamous wretch.
and met the fate of traitor and COW.
ardly informer ODonnell killed him be-
cause he was bound to do go by the oath of
lawless association that deals with men
by stabs in the back. His last words, as
reported by own brother, confirm this
charge. He told his brother to say that
he made this declaration coolly 81 killed
James Carey, the informer. 1 am not
sorry for killing him, and l never have
been. Not only that, but all of London's
wealth would not buy me or induce me to
give any one away" OF course the mans
confederates know very well that these
words were addressed to them, and were
intended to put them at ease. They eff.
fectually dispose of the theory of self.
defense, too, for had Carey been killed in
self-defense, O'Donnell would, in his dying
hour, have expressed regret that he was
driven to take the life of a fellow-man.
There is next to nothing to be advanced,
under any circumstances, in justification for |
the assassin, and o Donnell was nothingless,
notwithstanding that his victim is entitled |
to no sympathy. The President was asked |
to interfere and secure stay OF execution |
in O'Donnelrs case because he was an |
American citizen. Ii so, it was all the
more reason why he should have withheld |
his hand, and not have brought his citi-
zenship to shame. The truth is that it
was not because he was 0'Donnell, or that
he was an American citizen, but because
he killed man who aided in bringing DO.
htlcal murderers to justice, who assassin
ated unarmed victims in Pheoix Park.
that the active sympathies of certain Con.
gressmen were made manifest in appeals to
the President. 1t was because by appeal.
ing to the President in behalf of a con.
victed assassin of Irish nativity the shrewd
politicians saw an opportunity to curry
favor, as they supposed, with Irish voters
In the United States. American citizens
OF Irish birth and sympathies are short.
sighted indeed il they DO not see through
the skin. deep seriousness of the politi.
clans. Suppose, for instance, that an OBJ
scure individual was in peril in England
for having violated her code by an ordi.
nary non-political murder, and then had
set up the plea of American citizenship in !
an appeal for protection, and it was shown
that his conviction had been procured &C.
cording to the laws of the land, can any {
one indulge in the fancy that Congress- +
men would have appealed to the Gov !
eminent of the United States in his behalf.
On the contrary, the fellow would have $
been left to die like dog if ne had been 5
trebly made a citizen by naturalization.
Q'Donnell was ably defended by two emf.
nent lawyers. He was tried by compe. 4
tent Court and convicted by an unchal-
enged jury. He went to the gaIlows Il
speedily, as he deserved would that
OF English CELEBRITY in that re. II
spect marked the administration of Justice t
IN our own country. His service in the Il
American army was to his credit, and made J
MS crime all the more infamous. His citi- r
,enship in the United States was to his :
credit, but that he forgot it to imbroil him. 1
lelf in the politics of another nation, and b
stained the mantle of citizenship by mur. n
Tered blood makes his crime the more obi. I
qua. He coolly laid aside that protection, t
iook his life in his hand, and lost the :
play" That is all there was in his case. a
England, so far as she wrongs and op. /,
presses Ireland, has not American sympa- \
ny. Ireland, in her distress, her poverty Il
md her trials, has American sympathy. y
But neither the one nor the other consid- 2
ration cuts any figure in the matter of in. il
difference with England in the administra. %
ion Of her criminal laws on her own soil, Fl
to her own codes, so long as /,
hey comport with the standards of civil. n
cation. Il