New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-03-20
VOC. III. NO. eee.
"isal Punishment after q certain period" Verify,

| ital Punishment after certain period" Verify.
in reference to such state of things NAV we sav,
the tender mercies Of The acicked are cruel"
Your correspondent Equity" states I" that the
| clerical gentleman who argued the negative, have
been solicited to debate the question with two
Other elergymen, bat declined doing So" You
vouch, Mr.. Editor, for such 7umor. Now, even
II this were the fact, good reasons might be as
signed why the first named clerical gentlem en-
might lot wish to meet the latter in public con-
troversy, without being supposed to fear their
superiority in argument. When this question is
discussed as it ought be, it goes at once to the
ultimate reason of law, and the true ground of the
punishment Of sin under Divine as we'll as human
government; The latter being regarded as deriving
all its sanctions from the former. Now, this
would at once involve theological controversy,
and the peculiar theological opinions of the last
named clerical gentleman. To avoid so unpleas
ant state OF things between men protesting the
same calling, and since in the former argument,
we had lay affirmative against clerical mega
tive, would it not now be best to invert the order,
and have clerical affirmative opposed by lay
negative? In such a case, Mr.. Editor think an
antagonist could be found for the reverend gen.
tlemen, provided Gas you once promised) you would
allow alternate columns in your paper for that
purpose; method which might present the SUBJ
Ject to more minds than could be reached by any
oral discussion. c.
Note by the Editor.
In publishing the above article, from respect
ed and able correspondent, since we cannot find
room for reply, even were any deemed desirable,
we will barely indicate two or three errors into
which we think the writer has fallen. They are
l. Complaining ofthe opponents of Capital Pun
ishment for asserting their conviction tina. theirs Is
truly the Christian side of the question, when tbs
other side do the same thing, as they have per-
feet right to DO without giving cause for offence
3 Mixing up this paper with what somebody has
said somewhere else about the position of Clergy
men in this controversy;
g. Speaking of those Clergymen who are in favor
Of Capital Punishment a, the Clergy" There
are many Clergymen of nearly all denominations
and nearly all Of some den ominations who are OPP
posed to it.
4. Citing the subsequent convictions of these
who had lived through and participated in the hor
rors of the French Revolution that Governments
ought not to take Human Life as an evidence that
they ought. To our mind the fact bears strongly
the other way.
AS to the result of the Tabernacle Discussions
on this subject, we think quite enough has been
said about it, at least in columns. As to far
ther discussion through this paper, we should not
object to it, provided, 1st, the writer's be of the
right stamp, and give their names to the public
2dy, that Biblical criticism and Theology be as
little appealed to as possible-as do not choose
to interfere with the proper province of the Clergy
and the Religious journals; 3dly, that limited
space be allotted to each side,-say one column Of
our paper; each to furnish one article weekly. We
could not afford the space until about the lst of
Nav.