The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-09-25

of death shouid not Do pronounced a
gainst you.'
ANY ching TO say !--sentence oi
death !'--muttered the prisoner so gree.
dy for the sacrifice ?-well be it so!'--
and with strong effort regaiaing his
sell. command, he arose nnd fixed bis
eyes upon the Judge.
= have but little to say--and that lit.
tie will have no weight in influencing
yonr decision. ] have been arralgned d
as "A murderer, and circumstances seem
to have concurrcd 20 brand me with the
name. am aware that my innocence
will no, avail me here. Fate has or.
dained that / should fall victim, if not
to the justice, at least to the laws of the
land, Yet am innocent. Here stan
ding upon the verge Of eternity, before
that Being in whose presence must SO
soon appear, l protest my innocence Of
the crime alledged against me and as
] speak the truth may GOD have mercy
on my soul ] make this solemn assev-
Grafton, not in the vain hope of mitIga-
ting my sentence, but that il may infiu-
ence your feelings, ifit may not your
Judgement. And these feelings | would
influence. not for my own sake, but for
the sake of one who may survive NO.
The prisoner ceased--a low hum
went through the assemblage-it was
cvident-that all cherished strong con-
viction Of hiA innocence. There was a
cloud on the brows Of the judge and ju-
rors, and it appeared that their feelings
were Mt variance with their judgement,
yet the sentence Of death was pronounc-
ed upon him, and he was remanded
back 10 prison TO await his execution.
The condemned sat in his dungeon.
Night with its solemn darkness was up-
on the earth, and all those sounds Of life
which day bore family to his ears, were
hushed-all was silent ns the grave
The dim lamp cast its light over his pale
countenance, rendering more fearful by
its feeble blaze the darkness which
rcigned around him. He sat by the
narrow CRATE watching a single star
which shore through its opening. Twas
all Of earth or sky that was presented to
his view, and he gazed at it with nm ea-
ger carnestness and when it passed a.
way, and left but an empty space ofblue
il seemed Ia him as If some beloved
friend had left him and with deep
drawn sigh no nrose and paced his
cell.
He was brave man--but those who
have heen in his situation, cut off from
mankind and from hope, aud that in the
prime Of life-in the noontide Of being,
while the blood Of youth was warm IN
the veins, while fancy and feeling were
gay in the heart. can only tellthe agony
tho torture Of confinement, with the
prospect ofan immediate and ignomin-
ious death.
He thought Of earth from which he
was so soon TO be severed, with It's
bright and beautiful scenes, withits green
fields, its brilliant skies, and fresh invig-
Grating breezes--his cell became suffo-
cating--its hot air its damp walls-its
gloom all see ned insupportablc; he gas
ped for breath. He thought too, of his
felIowman, pursuing his glad course re-
joicing in the blessings of liberty, and
delights of love,--unfeeling man, (for
so he called hm in the bitterness of his
soul)-unmindful Of the breaking hearts
of those around him-who thus unjustly
had shut him out from the light and sum
shine of naiure-from communion with
the hopes, the joys and gladness of exis-
tencc-who had doomed him TO an ear
ly and untimely grave. Tho thought
was madness. And then his disturbed
fancy presented before him the scene of
his execution. The terrible gallows-
the unfeeling crowd assembled to satiate
their morbid curiosity, with the dying
neonies of a fellow creaturc--nh the
gloomy apparatus Of denth--the coffin
the drop-the rope sin the anguish
Of his feelings as ifit were already n
round his neck, aud he felt in anticipa-
ton the dreadful sensations Of the clo-
sing scene.
But why this sensitiveness--this dis
traction Of feeling, now I This morning
he had smiled at the thought of death
had longed to hide his freezing heart in
the tomb. One after another the ties
which bound him to existence had sep
Grated without pang. Happiness will
strengthen, and it il not strange that
misfortune should eradicate the desire ol
life, and what misfortune is more insup-
portable than tho detection of those we
love the aching void in the yearnine
heart-the flowing back Of the crushed
affections upon their desolato source
Now he thought of her in whom oil the
hopes Of his happier hours had centered
--he had heard her shrek, his eye had
met her glance of despairing love. 'She
is faithful This hope alone, could
make him wish 10 live But where is
she 1--surely she has not forsaken me 7
There was an agony-a heart sickening