Daily National Democrat

The Higher Law.

Commenting on the killing of Newell, at San Francisco, the Dutch Flat Inquirer says:

There is a higher law than the lex scripta—the law of public opinion—and thank God, in this land that voice rises high and mighty, and proclaims him innocent who, in vindication of the honor and fame of his wife, mother, sister or daughter,—with his manly arm slays the traducer of their honor. Let not the sons of California appeal to the courts for redress, but, like men, punish the vile slanderer of female virtue with the knife or the gun. Such cowardly, contemptible wretches should not cumber the earth, and he who rids society of their presence, performs an act of common good, and is worthy of all commendation. Let husbands, fathers and brothers do their duty as jurors by acquitting all such, and the disgraceful slanders will die unuttered in the throats of cowards, for fear the craven heart from whence it would have emanated would be pierced by the steel of retributive and avenging justice.

The above thoughts have been suggested by the late homicide in San Francisco, and if the reports which we have received of the unfortunate affair are correct, Mr. Smith did no more than he was justified in doing. We regret the occurrence, but honor the husband and father.