On Monday, the case against the editor, proprietor, and pub-
lisher of the Freethinker, for a blasphemous libel,—a case which failed last week in consequence of the disagreement of the jury,— was tried again at the Central Criminal Court, before Mr. Justice North, and resulted in a conviction. The Christmas Number -of the Freethinker for 1882 was, as is admitted on all sides, a very gross and indecent attack on the Christian faith, illus- trating, in the form of coarse and blasphemous pictures, as well as letter-press, the views of the editor as to the ridiculousness of that faith. There was no doubt as to the responsibility of Mr. Foote, the editor, Mr. Ramsey, the registered proprietor, and Mr. Kemp, the printer and publisher, for the appearance of this number. The result was that Mr. Foote was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, Mr. Ramsey to nine months' imprison- ment, and Mr. Kemp to three months' imprisonment, for the offence. The scene in Court was painful in the extreme. Foote -called out, "My Lord, I thank you ; it is worthy of your creed." There was a storm of hissing, and there were loud, ironical cries of "Christian !" "Christian !" while one woman was carried out of Court in a swoon. We have discussed the sentence elsewhere, which we regard as much too severe. Blasphemy, as an offence against God,—which is its legal essence,—is not one that we ought to punish at all. And blasphemy, as a wanton offence to the most sacred feelings of men, though it should be punishable and punished, should be very lightly punished when committed by men who are but half-educated, and not likely to appreciate the nature of the feelings which they wound. In all cases of offences against Christianity, it is clearly safest to follow the guidance of that Christian charity which " suffereth long and is kind."
