The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-06-12

my ~ removed, hnd no counterpart IN
the judgment or understanding.
Such isthe critical, and think may
safely say, painful state in which a jury
find themselves, when the final destiny
or death of "a fellow being is at stake,
and depending upon their verdict moral
justice stands appalled, when the legal
penalty is SO tremendously severe =
The visible emotions of the prisoner,
subject to the scrutiny of a jury, beget
compassion--compassion, doubts and
doubts, uncertainty aud that uncer-
ta,nty is cast in favor of the prisoner
Hence, we zee, that this blood thirsty
penalty cannot answer the purpose for
which it was designed: for moral JUS
ticc is almost completely annihiIated by
the dircct-aud by the far more power
fol indirect operation Of such law.
We have watched the course and the
facts of this trial. We have attended
from day to day-from week to week
observing the chain of circumstances
iengthening and strengthening, till the
close of the trial, when the black cloud
of fevidence hanging DER the guilty hori-
zon fthe Rev. T.. E. .AvERY-proclaim
ing in voice as loud as the judgment
trump-"THOU ART THE MANI
even then this legal penalty, that would
have damned even MoIock himself, ap-
peared too odious in its deformity to
deserve the immosation of the murderer
at its shrine
The blood Of the murdered victim
"c.ieth unto" JUSTICE "from the ground -
In tho deep stiffness of night the voice
rideth on the wind. The waters echo
it--nnd the stars-witnesses of the deed
utter their words al the bar of Truth
Yet justice claimeth not-thrsteih
not for the blood Of the homicide on
whose palid brow is written in letters
deep rs He'll "my punishment is greater
than can hear ~ The mandate "blood
for blood" uttcrcth not lts voice. 1t IS
abashed aud silent.
1t belongeth not to us to sanction the
base tenet that the faults of n member of
n particular creed or persuasion should
be visited on the heads of others of the
same creed or persuasion. Mr.. Avery's
guilt should rest upon himself. The
particular church Of which he is pas
tor, is by no means responsible for his
crime, or crimes, only in as fur rs they
connive at, or tolerate them.
That The Methodist church in the pre-
sent instance have connived at and tole-
rated the crime in question, is the very
general belief; and there is very gen.
eral tendency to criminate the Method.
lists as sect or persuasion farther, per.
haps, than is justifiablc.
TO be sure from tho time Mr.. Avery
was first charged with the crime Of mur-
der, his friends have manifested n mis-
guided, undue, ay, even a criminal zeal
which has driven them far beyond the
bounds Of truth and candor ;-This is
what we do not deny. The publication
Of the false, garbled and barstardy re-
port, before tho close of the trial, in vi
alation of u solemn pledge, is very gene
rally, and strongly suspected as being
part Of the means primarily concerted
for the purpose of producinga favorable
opinion abroad in favor of the prisoner,
and for the furtherancc Of villainous
plot. That all This has been done. to
screen Avery from the light Of truth,
we cannot dispute. But what must we
think Of the whole hosts Of counseIlors,
aud the mighty phalnnx Of agents aud
willing witnesses who could SO far de-
grade themselves rs to sioop to means
as black as night and false as He'll |!
Means, that would have disgyaced the
inmates Of the veriest brothel in chris
,cndom.-And for what! because the
injudicious friends of Mr.. Avery saw
that his case was so desperate that they
found il necessary to dest:oy the char
acter of respectable female in order
that Ayory shonld not be nroyed liar I