It is not long since we w...
The Times, 1824-03-15T00:00:00

It is not long s.ince wve were cafle(d upon to -xercise a wholesome part of our tluty as journalists, by ermonstrat- ing against a -very mischievous and very ielanciloly per- v.rsion of Ene-lish feeling-we alluide to the ease of the heinous murder in Ilertfordshlre, perp: trated by the villain Thurtell. On that occasion a stries of attempts was made to excite in the breasts of a humarne people an interest in favour of that most atrocious murderer; the direct ten- -denoy of which efforts was to encourage giilt, to disarmu honesty, and to confound all just notions of the difference hetween`right and wrng. Frommista teuderss, per.. haps; in some memi)bers of the press,-in otbera, we feari from a motive not so good, this contagion Wids fostered as. siduously; and was rapidly spreading among those classes of our coutntrymtn whvo, w%hen an appeal is made to their comr passicn, are apt to receive it " not wihely, but too well." The Ylimer appealed in its tumr to the saundt nerve and moral instinct of Englishmen ; thle dang-'r ivs exposed, and the evil in a momenit eralicated. *We now aglin prottst-(and with i?o reasmnable man wiLl a sec-n(d renionstrance on the presenit subject become i necessary)-agaii:st the exertions which are making t- withdraw another criminal from the grasp of public justice. Pitrick Connoily, foundi gu,lty a t'bw days ago by a Jury (whi did inot ))esi atte five mmnutes about their v,.r. i ict) of a feroci% us hom icide, was set tenced by a Judge whose observarioeis on the case vere forcible, minartid11, and instructiv, to be nransported out of Evgland for li'e. Tldis |erict, if uot ovpenlv arraignedi, ],as been p;teously lament. ed ; this sentence ha- be -n dctrecated-ntay, s0gmatiztd, 'by a certain pJrtion of the Press-" Poor Mr. Coniiolly! kindi Mr. Comin llv ! ill-u-cel Mr. Connolly !" It may suit the ends of individuals thus to pois ,n the springs of jus. t-ce-they ..n:y feel a deprav dI alacrity to rescue tsie rruni. nal froin punishlment, at no higher pri:e than that of takitigaway from the innocent the :atural protectioni of the laws ; but such a course, if bentfic al to ihieves anti cut. throats, their, a-rois or a&socia;(s, i- ruinous to the inet-- est of a 1 other class,s of mankind. Iler, a., in the case of 'Thurtell, we put itt our c!aim to reprobate the abuse of public ei.fidence a:od credulity dis.plaRcl by more tian one of cur cotenmporary journais. Vhy shou d ilis man Cornolly tie pardonel by the lCreown ? Was there ev,r .ott- duct more edarctwterist:c of a tit r.ee an.; ungovi,rnable r iffian than he has exhibi;ed ? W!eii officers of justice cme to arrest him fir (lebt, lhe stalbbedl one, wounded aunothier. and f.fr woindopt ieclared li i; wi0i that lie had kil etl himn. WJhen a tt i.d officer came to take lutn prisoner for the ass uilt, what did Mr.Coni oilv? fIe oilv slot hiim dlead ! WVI-a! thlln? Supp-se the arrest i:a;l been irreg&uar, is asi itifornitlity, f,.r Nhticlt the law proviiles r,dlre s, to be punishedl catitally. antl by all individu,l not clodird lwitt anv legal pon.er? Wl'ho th. n, w;il aecct the ifflice of c ns abl., or be pre- va, c(l up in to execute a s arch-wartantt or writ of' arrs. t ? Wh'lio mav not, wvho xtill n t hereatter. blow a c.n-t.ble's h.aiuis out, rather th;n be tak-n yrisont*r for debt, if Mlr. Connollv shou di now receive t! e Royal pa!d'tt ? If -Mr. Coninoll, be part-coned lbr slt ot"ngz a constable, ilho. wve sav, ca' hereafter he hawigedl or transported, witlout the mitost fli iratit and cru.l Oarti]it l n th` part ot th Exe- eni te v-ow r r As for :tie diL5;rence 'if dio er itn letI iu, Thurtc:t, gui tv of ii.urda r, r titl.ly, condeit-ned ( uti that wv.s lti mierit ot' i.i,' fr mtt.tt>l:.ughir itily, .# imture loose up ntt societv, wre affirin, in dile inoit Slemit ttiautver, th.: 'Awoni-Il v %;onl be ait i .ut1u-ec t of mort ex- tensive nischiief; for d itlinhberat', :tn.i ealculatitie murdelter is less liksLV to shel htlitod than ait oukra vo:is roffian, who :terit.l es vwlat 'li off~tils his passiots wvhlereas a Inait of Tlturtell's ft ante of mintl Nvoul.l r qutre the stiinulms of ScIl)e urgent sellse of tinterest before lie attacl;ed a tll..v c-ra utre. Away, tIL n, w.th this false and sicklv s; nsibi- lith. Jurc call u.`pon the KtIXG's aNIvis rs to do their dluty, a, the Ju!ge and Jury hq\e Ret trim thc exanitle.