Year: 1877




Editor Rutland Globe Having read all
the incidents connected with the Phair case
from the time the murder occurred up to
the present, and trying to carefully and Inn
partially weigh in my mind the evidence
both for and against the accused, l can only
conclude (and think that every candid and
rational person must agree with me, that In
all probability, John p. Phair is innocent of
the crime of which he is charged; and that
the hand of Almighty God was stretched
forth in that last hour, to snatch him from
so terrible fate.


Has the state of Vermont, which has ever
been model for just and impartial laws,
come to such point that money can shield
guilty man from punishment, or want OF
money drive an innocent man to the scafTold.
Vermonters, you who love the dear old state
and love the fostering care with which she
guards US; rs well as the privileges she be-
slows upon US; can you by keeping silent
be guilty of crime so awful, 90 dreadful,
as bringing upon yourselves and upon your
children the blood of an innocent man
No rather let us who love the right contri-
butte, if need be, to new trial for John =.
Phair; and know ere we hang that we hang
he guilty man.


Ought we not as a people to be honest
with ourselves, and strive to defend the right
as well as punish the wrong; for popular
sentiment is not always correct a man is
no more guilty because clamorous aud ex-
cited community declare him so.


In times Of great excitement how easy it
is to weave schain of circumstantlal evil
dence around some one; and whoever that
one may be, everything connected with the
affair will be brought to bear upon him in
some way ; besides some people are 80 de-
void of conscience as to leave out an i'm
portant part Of a story to make il more pal
liable, or supply missing link to give TO 1t
different version and 1t is possible that we
have among us men who cry loudly for JUS
tice and yet are themselves possessed of 80
little regard for the right, that few paltry
dollars can bribe them to shield the guilty,
or falsely accuse the innocent and unsus-
pecting.


Now we pretend to love justice and right.
we say it is only means of safety, then why
do we not uphold it; and why should the
poor be dealt with any more harshly than the
rich. Let us attend to this, for if our gov
ernment is for protection ought it not first
of all to protect the innocent, and is not
man innocent until proved guilty? Then
what proves a man guilty of crime. Is it
because he looks guilty, or that he is none
too good TO do it, or because everyone thinks
he did ii; or is it that he was seen near the
place short time before it happened. Con-
slider how easy it might be for any one of us
to he near where dreadful murder wts
committed, and yet know nothing about il,
but no one else was seen around the spot
no, of course the murderer took care of
himself, least of all he wished to be seen
near that place; 80 we are tried
and convicted everybody thinks us guilty
tor they can't see who else it could be no.
body but ourselves and God know that we
are innocent we have no evidence by which
to prove it, and our own statement is con-
sidered false. Then in that hour what
would be our feelings. Would we shout
for capital punishment, or would our eyes
be opened to see how many an innocent
man had suffered before. Would we not
then wish that just laws might be had
laws by which man should not suffer death
until really found guilty of murder.


Many say if John p. Phair is innocent
the Lord will bear him safely out just as he
rescued Milton after long years of impris-
onment and suffering, but such is not al
ways the case many are the noble lives
that have been laid down by christian mar
tyrs, and many true and worthy lives have
in civilized lands. The just receive their
retribution for their names are handed
down to us as noble monuments of
christian faith and fidelity, but the latter
gam no recompense on earth yet in heaven
we trust they will meet full and free