Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-12-21
B'tllos. (N. ~ Dee. :.
EXECUTION.

On Friday last. John Godfrey, q 81
der, of the United States ari'l.ry,~as
executed in this village. IN pursuance
Of his sentence. for tho murder of Tho
mas Birmingham, alsn a soldier, in an
aiiray which happened at Fort Nasa.
"a, on the 25th Of August, 1913. lie
had for long time previous to the day
# execution manifested great iuscnsi-
biIlty and hardihood. His indifft,
was doubtless Increased by the cxpecta-
lion of reprievc, which we understand
he entertained almost to his last hour.
He was born in New Hartford, Con-
ncctiCut. ant! was about 25 years old.
Preparatory to the execution of the
| law, he was removed from the prison
| to tho courthouse, by the sheriff. where
an impressive discourse was delivered,
to Il large conconrse of people, 10y the
Rev. Fillmore. for .Irr. c. Xxx. Y. 19-
"W therefore, came | forth out Of the
womb to sec labor and sorrow, that my
days should be consn. ed with shame -
After short address to the audience
by the prisoner, he was marched TO the
place Of execution. under a military
guard. accompanied by the clcrgymen
of his villa sc, shcrif. &c. where after
! taking leave Of those about him. few
| minutes before two, he suffered the Pc
ualty attached to the crime Of murder.
LIT Godric,'s Fate be a warning to men
ct unruy passions. The prisoner exhi-
bited a great degree Of composure quite
to the last. The roncourse Of people
was large. -
AMERICA.
cit is computed. by able WRITER'S"
says my Lord kaimes. "thst the PIE
seat Inhabitants of America amount not
to twentieth part of those who existed
when that continent was discovered by
Columbus. This decay is ascrhcd to
!he incorporate use Of spirits, and to tie
smaN por both Of them introduced by
the Europeans" He seems to have
forgotten, that they are indebted to Us
also for "the Incorporate use" OF the
S1cord, and the dreadful bigotry and cru
dies practiscd by the religions and ava
ricious Spaniards. which certainly are
net less destructive than the contagion
Of the snail pox. or The poison of spiri-
tuous liquors.
VIC may also add another proof Of
European humanity. A plantation in
Jamaica, which employs a hundred
SLAVES. requires en- annual recruit of no
fewer than seven, who fall the yearly
victims to The cruelties of the lower o.
vcrseers, who follow them all day with
whips
Bartholomew Casa affirms. that the
Spaniards, in America. destroyed, in
about forty five years, ten millions Of hui
man souls and this with a view Of con-
| vcrting these unfortunate men to Chris
iianity! He tells us that they hanged
these unhappy men thirteen IL, q roc. in
honor of the !hi' teen ApostIes! And
they also gave their infants to be de-
voured by dogs! Their is a s'o:y re-
corded Of an Indian. vino. being tied to
The stake. a Franciscan Friar PERSIA
drd him to turn Christian. and then he
! would go to heaven. The Indian ask
/ cd him whether there were any Spa
/ niarGs ir heaven. Certainly" an
swercd The Friar. sit is full of them"
..Thcn." the last words Of the d, ing
Indian were, 81 had rather 60 to he'll,
than have any more of their compa-
ny"
Corsini tells US, that they destroyed
above fifteen millions of these unhappy
men in less than fifty years; and gives
this curious observation, that the blood
of these devoted victims, added to that
of the slaves destroyed in the mines,
where they were compelled to labor,
would weigh as much as all tie gold
and silver that had been dug out item.
1t is also proper TO observe. that the a.
pnlosy they formed to extenuate this
dreadful inhumaaiiy, was, that God had
not redeemed with his blood the souls of
Indians, and that therefore there was
no difference to be made between them
and the lowest species of beasts
RUINS OF BABYLON.