Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-02-12
s0fiNltf'.S'TION.


| IN that COMMUNICATION, manN severe comments
made, upon the conduct Of present Chicf Naes-
tratr, IN Iatdoniue that Negro and some Others who
had been condemned, Tie chatee Of similar oil
iehce, Great complaint made in that pubea-
tion, oil declaration, supposed 10 have been made
b, the Goscruor IN hs place. that he would pardon
Slaves. tor all offences winch the, might commit aud
iof which the, might be condemned, where death had
MT .sued from their acts with the single exec pton
oi cases ot rlpe.' Ilr anthorot Tins piece pre-
sent Al thai with the Governor aud under
stood him very differently, from The report Which
las beru gwen of flt cr>aan, and Which has
] found > VT, INTO thr pubic prlu's. Misunderstood
tie Gofrrnf merely ave-, lns lis ngness To par
dun u "na Pr per rasr n}d, out To- tie satisfaction
al H. LNtru.t excerpt IA rape. Tins WIS
a ,riN d,ii1Ien drclaruon, from IN open a,cwal.
that lac veal pardon IN all eascs. where death had
moi ensured. wiflont regard 10 Ceucomitant
] stances. But Tie author OF the piece signed Bed
ford, seems te deu> 10 tie Governor tie riah, OF
pmdonlng IN a.N case, upon tlc Of f,clS,
upon which tie Court oil q, and rcrnliner cauv1r-
ted 1t Is tue. thai 10 wit ol error lies the JUDI
ment OF justices, constituting toult. Tor tie trl
vi Slave Although. hy such lud ,meut tie Slave
ma, b. condemned Ia DE- I'll, vel the Legislature ne
vel Intended HAT HAT t.neu should be submte,
IN til" c,isIon and correction o iy other ca8i III
bnnl. The only relief winch the law has lett to tue
/ convict Is 10 he sought tlom the Executive, Tor
whose AID, applying the attribute oi ntrrcy II has
made provision. Does not tins very provision of the
/ law, give 10 the Executive the laht Of committing
the punishment oi dcatt. tn that OF transportation.
whenever, III the exercise ri sound discretion, he
may deem II lu,t aud lieii There Is such a pro
vision Ia lie found IN the law. aud ii Is a provision,
dictated b., the wiscst considerations. 1t would be
dangerous 10 abandon entirely, the punishment OF
SLAVES 10 the discretion III Hose Aho have the
pomcr and authority then hands. Those WHO have
Witnessed The iItal :" Slaves for iuitaciionS Of tie
law. know full well how often passion aud prejudice
interfere IN a matter which ought only to be rceu1a-
/ ted bN Iustlcr and wi>lom. Bat short time siIce
two Negroe, condemned III llli~ county rs Md
cilctofs when, cnrltng 10 the almost Unanimous u
pinion the h,e SANDERS they had n,critci the
punishment. w.Iich they we're condemned TO suffer,
and which, but for the utcrrnsitIun OF the to,cr.or
would Lave be,n Inflicted Nor Is illl> The only con
sdrtatIon. winch recommends our niinila ION.
IN n provision al our stauarv law, winch has gwen
j 10 The Executive the po"r, al ra,don,ns. Intention
lit awa,S be l,ala Ia the nature of TIE rrlle
aud punishment ought always be pfopoitonr 10 the
degree o actual injury done To the safely Of Soci,tN.
aud tie wickedurss II snirpo.CS IN the criminal.
From the very foundation al tho lit ol ciy socirtv.
to inlit the punishment al death, arises the uccaS>l-
" ofkeepng that punishment within iu-i bounds :;
for since il IS punishment mh3el u Designed en-
the sart, ot ON citizens, II ought Gerctlo be
rlliir bc,p,d What that s.,rtv absolutely requires.
ihl> - maNln, not only dici1ted hs Justice aud
equiv but piu&eDee and fryafa for Sci .uiescr
Walton. Experience conNIlrr> nS, HAT the nae ina
lion becomes ltni'ir,zrd 10 all obl. cts which are
Frequently presented Ia the consideration u the nlui.
II ti- drr ui punishment of death be frequent ly IN
cnd the BIZ oly spectacle VIII no oJerricrrhv the
vicious. aud consequently cease Ia produce ui
}- effects which tie law designs. Although olir
/ Legislature hasr multiplied the number of crimes
aud attempts Al crimes, Tor Which Negroes are pun
sfcd wlIh drnllI-allhon.h the Court. by ulomthrs
are I" he und, have no relff Ia TAKE cat>idrra-
tun palltaifn! ci,cnp>tancrS, WLc the lct la,
bcenr,ahil>icd: vet iE,y haze wisely gwen thai
power 10 tic Executive. Tac slllaon oCll,s untor-
iuna't class al pcof lie country. and the iiu,c
of all the laws winch have been ENACTED, in Iela.
tonic TIE crimes Of which llgy may b" gully. lie
quIle that the Chct Magistrate should l.. clothed
with the POWER "t nttlga'jng the punishment which
may be inflicted upon item. whenever that can be
done, without dn2rI to trflanqullriy and safety Of
the community Hence the power Of cumnlniins
til. punishment slaves has bern given 10 the Ga-
v-rnor and his Counrt Bni the Governor. IN hs
whole eo"dut. IN lis severity Us vel as in hl, mer-
cy ought haYr nothing in view. but the 5l,ati.e
OF society. W. ought IL reconcile. rs lu ls posi-
bic Justice aud eemcGc,. thu OF re public safe
~ and the mere. due To this unfortunate class IN
society. The question then fairly Iccurs. has lie
been guilty ot an dbuse of his power OF paidounn
With respect 10 all general laws, the whole world
are agreed, that III OF doubt those who o
decide Gpnn The fate 81 prisoner, GU h incline
10 the nrrtitll side, and tat ndisputahy bet
Ter dat tir gny SHOULD escape, than that the ,no-
cent should he punished. Taxing this sacred maA-
in, guide let whether there was sulfl-
cirnt legal proof, upon which the coutirlIon If the
above named Slave rested! The l,w IS percnpiory
that whena person i nai1ncd at The bar ol public
Justice for supposed mtatiiun 81 the Law tIat the
want OF i motv. Tor the cumnS on OF the crime
ought TO rats sitonE rrnsunIp'rml oi innocence.
There Is no principle Of human nature, known
fom experience, Mitlcll can aulurzc u> TO believe.
that an, iunan beng murder II ivilp- creature.
without Il stiou" and powerful motive. Can II be
possible for any pnc 10 commit crime OF tlracrpcst
dye, without an, 'ndncemrnl whatever with NOT the
remotrst prospect Of temporal advantage. without
hostility HE slain hose existence was no obstacle
To her own advancement, aui whose death cnnId
hling her M benefit y II! YOU listen with a crc,u-
iets ear to the story OF any passing hs rapid
transition, fo u the mdness ul humanity ia Lie
bluod- thusiIuc~s of a tiger! Are YOU prepared to
give FAITH To the account of such moral transit ura-
uon! II we enquire ior the motive which acluaics,
to the slightest tansgrrssiuu, shall cXprct and
dcnad, thai upon clare oiIlc most atroclou- of
fence NJ the very mention of which curvature sind
deIs and rcto>, thai some probable should he
assigned, which may live sricaicd It's preparation,
before our belief can be Ii.hulv challenged!
lheir IS Il proueurss every well regulated mind,
10 scePticI>n OF every thing like Mautnu wicked
ness. HE narration of all history, modern and
cent, proceeds uponthc necessity OF satisfying the
natural curiosity, to be informed Of the motive olcy-
cry heinons action which srrcoidcd. Now. no mo-
tive could he discovered, why Nrney should have
murdered the GIRL for the poisoning OF whom she
tried and condemned The good aud pious Da-
,id, sacrificed the husband in order that he might
possess the wife. An attempt was made. but
wholly failed, is evident from the record,
10 shu" that NEcy, in the SANE spirrt of enu-
cupiscence and barbarlty, had attempted the life
of Jane, in order that She might cuiuV tie OH
lecl oil her Affection As then motive could be dis