Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-03-01

/ permit, Ia fectnr EVIDENCE the Opinions o
man heeause Ia II OF scientific profession. ought
n" those opinions be o the most e.iIsd character
The contents OF those caLcs had ne,ei atrn submit.
ted Ia uneiine chemical test. aud he WIN Trade
the examination had but little h.iief oppoftnnltits nj
forming correct opinion. Than they who irnunun=
rrd unliesilatmely the sentence Of d, ait Death Is
M AWFUL punishment under any circunl,tancrS.-
When u Is inflicted upon one who has nefel, intend
rd committing crime, without having actually aes
e"mpshed that purpose ri mind, II IL always oui
OF all proportion the offence, and the proof upon
wlic tins heaviest OF all penalties OF the Law to be
inflicted. ought not to leave rational doubt Ia ihr
gull of the accused Tint RATIONAL doubt must have
existed in the mud of the t;nvriner the all i'm
portaht fact. whether ho= cakes did contain af~rnle.
lie "a> called upon tn confirm sentence ri death,
"htch lad been rendered nrsu the opinions II man.
who repeated II often n hc was ,nirtrogaed that
those opinions mrtr funndtt upon no crftain aud I'm.
erng tests. Bnt r,cu II, Lad hccn placed beyond
the possibility ot doubt that those cakes did contain
arsenic Vet there was ~ sufficient legal ptooi ni
" Nine,'s" acenc, IN sending Ihem :" J,ne. THIS
all important iaci rested entirely upnn the evidence al
negro woman, who had eonc tn this place short
time previous Ia the Trial aud Ut ho>c general cha
farte Ne had M knowledge At that time. Although
II does not appear on the face ot the record lilne
Ridge inadvertently stated III his last piece. that shr
was negro bad character, \ hid been pte,eu>l,
suspected oi ns'ne poison an another nee. sion, Vel
these very essential tLets did appear the lace ni
the petion which accompanied the tcconl, aud II i
certainly wholly mmat.1lal III What manrrr the,
were presented tathc consideration NJ tie Exc, utiyr
But lei II he conceded ioi tie sake oi argument. that
she MS anrero ot good character. aud that she
one OF the most ,rlacious Witnesses ihAI drpo.
scd IN account OF lusicc. Cu legislature. adhcung
10 the benign principle al the Inv. that 10 pclson
should be convicted 50 lnng ~ raliIua doubt OF
guilt exists. and endcnetne to throw man, SUE
guards monud the uial al Slaves possible lave
wisely provided that ma slave slall be condemned
In. HIM Altt nltla
portrdb, strong and pregnant rlrtnms'anecs' The
reason II tins wise provision OF the law, ", tia,
Grocs ale iusil, REGARDED tom then d,bas,d condi=
ton III Ir, possessed oi but httle moral character
Inc, hay" but itlr regard 10, the obi CATION, Of an
oath. I'D lN t,h,t,tI.nl.stne ul'n tie lrsii.
mon, u! slaves alone, would rest upon Insufficient
aud IN unsuhstantia foundation. The aslmou, oi
the neeso woman, who proved that Nne, scnl the
cakes IL lane, was unsupported by any sliouS
pre- gnnn circumstances AMI OF course the proof
nsuli lenl according the cypress w",ds o the aef
OF Assembly. II WAS upon these LtiS, all oi winch
Appeared npon the record " hich MAS transmitted IL
the Governor, that lac aidoucd the convict; aud iai
Vat lnd 9ucui, which lac rendered III ia,or ii human,
lfr sNill stand acquitted NJ the bar at public OPP.
mon i true n bedford has stated thai the Voice
al th. n onI, a. 'his county did demand, aud mpril-
nn,ly demand tl,. r~ecntIon Of this negro. Thee
had bc,n s,y,,, n,cro.< "tr,ou., uicd Tor the
offence. and public srnshiln, las reused toa p,leh
bordering on frenzy. The uniouSt'le accused haa
10 encounter tho overwhelming nilncngd VI Puhil'
pref udiee and private maler. The very mon,rh' abe
was Unsigned 10 the wall, ol II dungeon vengean.f
marked the unhappy prisoner ~ lis victim. Facts
which had existence but IN the brain OF the nara
tor, mere circulated with all the eNarecnton OF 4
virInns t,uoy, and molbid appetite to "laicvrr WIS
nnonSrons aud cruel anticipated with u ot tend
like delight, the sigh vi u scallold streaming with
blood. But II ~Hs 10 be proven thai the victim iner
tied he, fate beto,c justice aud mercy could sanciih
the n o "a &C.
tcncr odtath upon that nero. TUNED deaf ear TO
the voice of the publiChad the, made that disInc.
ton wh,ch they on htio have made between ru,nor
ana testimony ia Irga accrplaiian--hali the, only
regarded that evidence winch was rWcu III the PIE
scuCe OF the accused. aud which Was sanctioned by
appeal to the God Of uth, the record oi that ua
would hWc ucyrf been transmitted to the tinvernei,
and there would have been no necessity 10, thai
cNrrcis" Of Executive oemcncy, winch has caused so
much public excitement. Eli f. RIDGE.