The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-04-06
CHryALRY VS.. CIVILIZATION.

O~~NO S--~
state of South Carolina versus
Mrs. Hughes, murderess of that
commonwealth, in which a mis-
trial was declared, nine of the ju-
rors being in favor of acquittal
and three for conviction of man.
slaughter, it is stated: ct is now
believed that when the case comes
up again for trial. which will
be the last week in May, Mrs.
Hughes will be easily acquitted.
Thus chivalry conquers justice
and men bow i'll reverence before
that inevitable power which rules
the world--woman.
Tt is one of the failings of
southern people of the present
time, that they are greatly ad-
dicted to the use of high-sounding
adjectives and other bombastic
language to designate those quail
ties in which they imagine they
surpass all other peoples; as
southern hospitality, southern
chivalry" when, in fact, the real
essence of these conditions is far
from being universally prevalent
in this section at the post-bellum
period. Inflated with the false
idea that the south's reputation
in regard to it's supposed monopo-
ly must be maintained, the ma
jority of the jury before whom
this case was tried, are guilty, we
believe, of great crime against
the well-being of their state; for
the evidence was conclusive that
the defendant deliberately mur-
dered her husband, having told
him before firing the fatal shot
that she intended to kill him.
We believe that chivalrous con-
duct towards females is misplaced
unless the recipients are women
in heart as we'll as in form; and
we honor the jury in New York
which convicted, and Governor
Roosevelt who enforced the death
penalty upon. cold-blooded
murderess in that state.
In South Carolina so many
horrible murders have, in recent
years, been committed attended
by SO few convictions and punish
ments, that the thinking people
of the state have taken the alarm;
and the Episcopal ministers, by
direction of the dioscean conven-
tion, every year on a certain Sun
day, preach a special sermon with
the hope of arousing a healthy
public opinion concerning dread
full and growing evil. We have
seen the subject discussed in the
public prints, and attempts made
to discover the causes of lawless-
ness in a community which, in
ante bellum days, was model of
orderly conduct on the part
of it's inhabitants. Perhaps,
among other reasons, the social
upheaval following the struggle,
and the demoralizing scenes of
bloodshed of which the south was
the theater, contributed to that
result; but we are sure, that iuet
such travesties upon justice as
was manifested in the Hughes
case, is the most fruitful incent-
i've to the commission of this
crime.
In reading in O'Neal's "Bench
and Bar of South Carolina" it is
stated of q certain solicitor or
states attorney of the old regime
who afterwards rose to the circuit
and supreme bench that few, very
few, escaped punishment who
were prosecuted by him for their
crimes; the moral of which is,
that sustained by a healthy pub
lie sentiment, with conscientious
court officials, and intelligent and
incorruptible juries, certain pun
ishment followed the commission
of misdeeds, and there was, as a
consequence, few acts of lawless-
ness.
Meanwhile the blood of South
Cardinals numerous victims calls
to God from the ground. We be-
lieve He will hear its cry; and
unless she obeys the Divine in
junction "Who SO sheddeth man g
blood, by man shall his blood be
she'd" she will be accursed in His
sight. Government was estab-
lished for the purpose of protect
ing life and property, and no Or
ganized society which fails to do
this can be called civilized. Let
us have less "chivalry" and more
civilization" and let Georgia
profit by South Cardinals ex-
ample. SIS
i A c xvrn ho Ii Il