Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-08-01
The Lessons of Murder Trials.


clusions rs to the relations of tho
courts and public opinion to this
matter of man-killing.
! The first lesson for the people il
this important matter is that, whilt
the law forbids under penalty tho
carrying of concealed weapons
the iuries through their vcrdicts
strongly assert the necessity of go
ing armed, and give fair warning
that he who fails to be prepared
against his enemies may expect nc
protection at their hands. The law
is for the protection of property per
haps, but certainly no, for the car,
and protection Of human life.
The second lesson is that ever,
man is apparently considered TIL,
sole defender Of his own person
lie may be attacked by bulics or as.
sassins and ovcrmatchcd when I'M
armed, yet it is his own lookout; anC
if he, as a man, is not sufficient fo,
his own defense, or if with real man.
illness he refuses TO make himself =
walking armory, he does it ut his
own risk; for he may know well that
law will do nothing to protect him
and the same to avengc him.
y third lesson, set particularly
for the earnest coming of murder
crs, is that they may ply their vcngc-
ful business with impunity. If they
be fearful of the result Of killing 4
man who is distastcful to them, in
the ordinary way of street broil,
they have but to pick their time
when no one is looking, shoot down
their victim, not even taking care
that the wound he in front, and then
go before the jury and swear it was
in sclf-dcfense. They may be sure
that the livid lips of the dead will
not open. to contradict the most
startling assertions, and almost
equally certain that the romplaisant
jury will accept the pleas of excite
mcnt, comrunction and fear of in
jury rs cxc';sing circumstances.
Another highly moral ethical les
son, correcting the standards OF
civilization and religion, is that the
life of murdered man is Of little
account; but the life of man SLAYER
is so precious that n tender and com
passionate jury cannot bring them
selves to shorten it. Money and in
flucncc and splendid council, the
press, as well as the bubbles Of the
law and the impcrfcctions of the Jury
system, all are worked to the utmost
to save every red-handcd son of Cain
that wrcaks his hate in lawlcss deeds
of death; while half-hcartcd prose
cutions and partial statutes, framed
TO shield the slayer, make a weak
prctcnsc of vindcating the So called
majesty Of law and avcnging the
blood that cries to earth and heaven
for justice.
Such lessons the people of South
Carolina have been taught for years
from the high precincts where Justice
sits pledged to Judge i,npartially and
right the wrongs Of the weak and
oppressed, and they have learned the
lesson, till ordinary killings fail to
stir interest; there needs some un-
usual horror to excite the people
generally to protcstation and rcmon-
strmcc. Old men and boys have to
be shot in the field after the ancient
Indian mode, or n harmless citizen
slaughtered for recreation by men
he did not know, or one of the first
men in the State done to death for
demonstrating against the dcbauch-
cry of female virtue, excitement
wrought up or an earnest voice of
rcmonStrancc raised.
What does it all mean? II means
that we arc nm iust and cruel, lawlcss
and vindictivH; it means that our
claim to culture is an empty brag
and our Conccit of social superiority
a Sickcning illusion; it means that
our boast of courage is often mere
praise of bloodthirstincss, and our
nice appreciation of points Of honor
often but subtle indictments Of the
instinct of murder; it means that we
arc still, many of us, on the other
ranges OF the great domain of Chris
iian civilization, contcmning, as we
do, the first principle of Chris tian
doctrine and the noblcSt lesson Of
Christ's example, who taught as the
essential basis of Christian life that
brotherhood OF men which we dis
honor by onr homicidcs and ignore
in our lives Southern christian
Idroc0tc.