The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-10-03

heaven III such Il case, and to face all
these and still go on with his bloody
work, reveals tokens of a clear, per-
ceptive quality of mind that is capable
of such consultations with the consci-
ence as will relieve it of all regretful
feelings when comes the question OF
his own life or death to be settled here |
for the body by members of the judi
cial bench, and in heaven for the soul
by the one divine judge of all mems |
deeds. If it is fact then, which we
are sincerely led to believe, that the
only class of insanity that will move a
man to commit murder is the insanity |
of rage and hatred. the life of Charles
P. Barnes was as legally due TO the
State as forfeiture for one of the
gravest misdemeanors ever enacted as
was the life and peace of ain morally
due to the Christ who SO tenderly re-
buked his awful act. 1t would have
been matter of lifelong neglect to
the earthly judges of Barnes if they
had demanded his execution as long
as shadow of doubt as to his self-re-
sponsibility for what he had done re-
NAMED. The task Of a Judge iE clear
ing or condemning murderer brought
before him for trial is ever as deep and
sublime as the tender mercy of Portia
when she sat upon the issues of Shy
locks charge against Antonio. He
holds the question up before him not
alone in the scales of human justice, but
in those of the divine laws, and he is
as dependent upon the aid Of the di-
vine law, giver for the character of his
! decision as were the eXccutoners of
the Scottish Queen Mary. The judge
himself is merely one of the human
atoms that compose the vast areas OF
the animate world, and why he should
be chosen from the midst of those
masses to dispense the laws inspired
by the God Of right and justice is as
much of a mystery to himself as to the
prisoner brought before him, who in
variably repeats to himself,-why
should that man take the issues of my
life in hand and rob me of my eXls
tence? His jud gment comes from the
workings of his conscience, and why
should not my own conscience decide
the issues of my own fate? His tasks
are neither human or divine if he has
the mild and gentle heart of a man
who loves his fellow members Ct the
human race he will bid me to go in
peace, but if he has the stern, naughty,
unbending feelings of one enured to
vice and crime he will bid the hang
man wipe me from the face Of the
earth, and, upon the whole, | must
carry my own testimony to an Infinite
tribunal and prepare to abide by its
DEGREES. In the case of Barnes no in
tricate points of law were needed TO
decide it. With sane and intellectual
manner he sat facing his judges and
listened to the numerous reCountals OF
his deed from the lips of witnesses
without sign of tremor dismay. His
thoughts were elsewhere if the words
uttered by the witnesses were such as
would convict him he had other mat
tiers to think of beside common place
worldly circumstances, and if they
were such as would have the opposite
effect he had the foundation to lay fol
future life that from the moment o.
his release from the scenes OF the
, culrt room would be 4 new strange
thing which he must endeavor to en-
dure while it lasted The verdict o
: the court does not, of course, release
him from the hands of law, he is for Ions
l while a child of the State, accused o
the committal of a fearful act, consid
cred incompetent to conduct hlmsel
} in high principled way and must be
I watched and guarded and forbidden
the liberties of sane and intclligen
t citizens. We believe the judges il
l their decision have abided by every
essential Of the law; they may have
viewed the case in a merciful Ugh
and thought it we'll to give him the op
portunity of years to redeem what com
mendable degree of character he ha(
gained in the eye of God, and felt in
: clined to forgive while laboring unde
, the conviction that the world is com
posed, in the main, of human frailitie
: and forgiveness iii very necessary ad
l junct to the fulGlments of the destinie
: of races for it is such creeds that cause
: the steadfast unition of our human
hopes and desires with their realization:
| in the appointed ways of fate.
: A NATURE TEXT.