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CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER cAsEs.-The tri- al of Mr. Perrault, and the verdict of the iu- ry in his case, force themselves on our con sideration, despite our wish to forget them.- Of Mir. Perrault we personally know nothing. From what we hear of his general and accred- ited character we are willing to believe, and do believe, that up to the time of his connec- ton with the Citizens Bank, and how long after we will not undertake to say, he was an honorable and honest man. That decep- tion, duplicity, and dishonesty, were the char acteristic and leading features in the manage ment of many of the Banks of the State and of the country, IS now too notorious to ad- init of doubt; and if the officers of these in- stitutions proved recreant to their duty and false to their trust, perhaps evil example had as much to do with the corruption of their course as innate immortality. But our busi- ness at the present writing, is not with the immortality of banks or the dishonesty of Bank officers it is with the trial of j. B. Per rault and the verdict following that trial

 Trial by jury has been regarded-and we would so still consider it--as the palladium of freemen's liberty; but if the time has come

 

 the shield of the cheat or cloak of the iniqui- tous, then does an institution, designed for the most glorious purpose, become a safe guard for corruption and nullifier of the moral obligations of society.

 What are the circumstances in MT. Per rauit's case' He, of his owa free will and accord, steps forward and proclaims himself an embezzler; he says that for three or four years he had exposed himself to the penal ties of thief, and violated the trust reposed in bi,p by contidipg friends; he says, in fact, that be had emhezzled or appropriated to his own use and purpose $56 l69 60 of the moneys of the bank. And after this, the sol emn mockery dfa trial..is.'gone through with jury is mpannelled; for two days judge sits soiemniy on the bench witnesses are sworn and examined. and the law-the sol emn law of the land--is invoked to defend the right. The ease is finally submitted to the jury by the opposing counsel, but the