The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-04
BATTLE. FRIDAY. DEC. 4.
PRIVATE VENGEANCE.

The frightful murder of his wife and
son-in-law by D. II. Long at Whatcom is
case of private vengeance, the murderer
believing that the son-in-law had been his
wife's paramour. The prospect is that the
state will be treated to another murder
trial, where the murderer goes into court
with plea of momentary insanity and is
acquitted amid the sobs of sentimental
jury and the cheers of his admiring fellow
countrymen?
1t is the absurd habit of our American
people to be very lenient with ugly fellows
who do murder the moment they think
they do well to be angry, and yet this
leniency is the internal spirit of Judge
Lynch and is characteristic of crude and
silly civilization. The private vengeance"
fellows generally belong to the tribe of
General Dan Sickles. who, himself 8 noto-
rious rake, shot Key, pleaded insanity,
was acquitted and then went back to live
with his soiled wife.
Horace Greeley, man of unblemished
domestic purity, in an able article once
argued that the men who lead the purest
lives and were tender and true husbands,
who suffered most keenly when compelled
to carry the cross of domestic wrong, sell
dom stopped to acts of private vengeance.
Consideration for their children and for
the teachings of Christianity restrained
them from an act that only furnished
newspapers with food for scandal, in
creased their personal sufferings and filled
the worlds vulgar and eager ear with the
sad and sickening story of a wife and
mothers shame. Greeley said he had OBJ
served that men who did not hesitate to
inhlct domestic wrong were the first to
revenge it by murder, while men who
scorned to inhict domestic wrong always
endured it with dignity and the resigna-
ton of self-restraint. 1t is probably safe
to say that Horace Greeley was sounder
guide and teacher in personal and social
morals than Dan Sickles.
In England acts of private vengeance for
domestic wrong are almost unknown, be-
cause the law will not listen for moment
10 the wretched plea of emotional in
sanity" No sentimental excuse or subter-
fuge is accepted by an English court for
such crimes. The English court treats the
avenger by blood of domestic wrong as it
does the avenger by blood of any other
personal. private wrong. and this whole
some severity sends Englishmen to the
courts for divorce and damages, instead of
assuming to arbitrate private wrongs by
assassination. So the Englishman, rather
than go to the scaffoid, elects to be content
with divorce and civil damages; but in
America we make bloody burlesque of
justice by saying tina: any man may safely
slay his fellow if he can make q jury be-
heve that he believed his victim was GRIM
inally intimate with his family. OF course,
any malignant wretch on this plea might
cunningy contrive suspicious circum-
stances and situations. and do murder
on his pretended conviction of guilt.
When We rise to the common sense of
English law and send all men to the seal
fold or the prison who assume TO avenge
their private wrongs with pistol, We will
have safe and decent civilization, instead
of state of sentimental, emotional and
barbaric justice
BY the way, what a beautiful compli-
ment to women is this doctrine that their
virtue" is something for which they are
not responsible, but something upon
which their Husbands" keep watch and
ward with pistol. In these DAYS of ad-
vsncing agitation for women's rights why
not arm the women from head to foot and
set them on guard over their husbands
virtue, instead of leaving his manly virtue
In his own care? From that we
could easily march to the acQuittal
of women who shot the siren
full of holes that witched their
master away from his wigwam to the lodge
of sQuaw Of another tribe. How would
that be, Oh We sapient sentimentalists who
eonsign women, who are wives, TO the
dignided position of hen who is sure to
fiy over into your neighbor's garden unless
she is put behind high picket fence: sure
10 fall prey to foxes and weasels unless
abe is surrounded by mantraps and spring
guns, with the customary notice posted
concerning the shooting of dogs found
within this game preserve2 1t is a very
dirty doctrine to say that any married
woman's virtue is TO be guarded By any,
body but herself
The best way for the knights of the
pistol to take care of their wives virtue is
90 take care Of their own character both
ct home and abroad. A married woman
who cannot take care of her her o,cn char
aeter By her oten conduct is not likely 10
have IL successfully defended with a shot