The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-27
Consistency, Thou Art a Jewel.

Ben Jenkins has been pardoned. The
New Orleans papers of last Saturday bring
lis this intelligence, together with the cor
respondence from prominent persons re-
commencing the pardon. His case is IA
miliar to most of our readers. He was con-
yicted of terrible crime, murder, and the
jury was merciful to him, and qualified
their verdict by saying without capital
punishment" This meaus pcnitentiary for
life time. And now, after serving little
over year, comes his full pardon. We
learn the task allotted to him while serv-
ing out his sentence was clerk in the hos
pital. This caused him no undue hardship
or unnecessary exposure. He did not serve
with the levee gang. His lot, though not
happy one, was tempered with light du-
tics and kind treatment. But we think
the reasons given by the Governor for
granting the pardon are rather weak He
passes over all the recommendations of the
various prominent petitions, and assigns
as his reasons for granting full pardon
was the statement of Drs. Burlington and
Gibbs This statement refers only to the
health of the unhappy man; that he is af-
ilictcd with pulmonary hemorrhages, and
that his confinement in prison would fur
Their impair his health and destroy his
chance for recovery. Remember, he was
served has been very short indeed. He
was Il frail man, we understand, before he
committed the deed for which he was con.
victed. Had he served out several years
of his sentence the pardon would not have
looked SO much like trifing with justice.
We notice among the letters asking foI
Executive clemcncy one from Bishop Gal.
leher, and one from DR.. Dalzell, Rector OF
st. Marks church, Shreveport, although
convicted man bnt all protesting the Pro
testant faith. Anything leaning to tn,
side of mercy emanating from the teachers
of Him who mcekly bore the cross, Is most
commendablo and eminently proper. What
Il contrast between this and newspaper
article that appeared i'll q New Orleans
psper some weeks since, growing out o
the second reprieve of Ford and Murphy
the writer of which article was found to b,
one Of the nest eloquent divines Of tn,
city. 1t was so extreme and violent in de
handing the lives of the unforsunatcs tina
every one was astonnded to learn the an
thor was high priest in the tabernaeles-
teacher of the religion of Him who pro
claimed, con earth peace and good will to
ward men," 1t was so much at variane,
with the teachings Of Christ that, emana
ting from the source it did, it NATURAL,
elected some comments from the press
In response to these criticisms his BishO]
comes out in card in which he approve
what his minister has done. Now, Will
we have personally the highest respect 70
the Bishop, yet we are constrained to ask
where is the consistency in this case ?
One convict asks through his petitioners
full pardon, and gets it; two condemne,
men, for like otfense, ask, not pardon
but Communication of sentence to the pen
itentiary for life, where they will be shu
out from the society which they have out
ragged. thereby preventing them bein
thrown upon the community to commi
similar deeds. To grant this latter woul
be mereiful while still meeting the ends c
justice. Why make fish of one and fees
of another, when the fact is it is all foul
We believe in justice, hut let it be ever
handed.