Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-07

Thoughts ON the Ruguex-M0rin Affair.
| From the London World
1t is commonplace to say that the verdict of
the jury In the Hugues-Morin affair involves an
| outrageous paradox. We are told that of the
twelve jurymen empanelled to try the case six
were in favor Of q verdict Of guilty four Of an
acquittai while two were neutrals. The verdict,
therefore. actually given does not represent the
honest opinion OF the entire jury. But how
should it, when there YVES no doubt as to the
fact. and when Madame Hughes openly gloried
In being the assassin of NORM? What the YER
dict really does Is to illustrate the triumph Of
sentiment over logic and law, to set up false
standard OF what is legitimate and lllegitimate,
and. by confusing the distinction In the popular
mind between what the law sanctions and what
1t forbids, to create a standard outside the law
to which the populace may refer its actions.
This would be only possible, 1t may be said, in q
country whcrt, the dignity and authority Of law
are habitually compromised; and, indeed. France
may be compared to an individual who regulates
his existence by no principle. who acts as he is
prompted BY the emotions Of the moment-tem-
persd possibly by certain mercenarv regard to
eXpediency-and who has, at the best. only a
kind of artistic sense of virtue and its opposite.
And yet. however much this national temper
may be deprecated by Englishmen, who can say
that Madame Hugues' acquittal does not elicit
here a certain sneaking sympathy or approval?
In the first place, whether the lady did or did not
kill the right man; whether, in other words, It
was NORM or somebody else who had
turned her life into torment by his
dasterdly missives. the motive of her
crime was vengeance on the blackmaier;
and against the backmailer the curse of house-
holds and the foe of society. most people would
aver. II they were to speak the truth that any
weapon was permissible. But there is another
consideration which may we'll be present to the
more coOlly retrospective Briton in his estimate
of Madame Hughes crime. The right to kill is
not asserted in England in the sensational and
melodramatic manner that it is in France. and
such picture as that called ',Une Affaire
d'Honneur," which was exhibited in last years
Salon. and which represents two cOcotes
stripped to their waist fighting duel with
rapiers. in the presence of seconds Of their own
order Is the outward and visible sign of state
OF feeling which does not exist in England. At
the same time. the annual average OF violent
deaths that occur in England is probably, not
withstanding the sanctity with which human
life Is Invested by US, as large as in France.
According to paragraph in a morning news
paper on Monday last. ''the carnage of Christ
mas" as 1t is quantity called. included thirty
four violent deaths. 'manner not specified
sixteen by suffocation. fifteen suicides, sixteen
found dead, six deaths as aconsequence of fight
Ing-four by stabbing two by beating-and two
by poisoning. When we recollect that, in add
ton to these items, pugilism, cock-hghting and
other similar forms of refined amusement are
now fourishing once more, almost as much as
In the palmy period Of these sports. we may
perhaps pause, before pluekiDg out the mote
which is In our neighbours eye, to examine the
beam which Is in our own