New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-27

could render far better justice 10 ehe ~ ~
| warmth of reply, than could hope TO 90 o'her'
wise. stated that Mr. AhesVer was %eico1he 70
read q Discourse if be chose, provided ! could
bu, have fair chance of-reply to it, and that,
point blank, unless he we're TO speak first on the
| sscond evening, as had on the FIRST, would not
proceed any further in the matter. This was car
| ried back to Mr.. Cheever by Mr.. Wegdwood, ac-
coppanyipg it with suggestion that he had bet
ter then agree to go on first. That gentleman
report of what then passed has always been that
Mr. Cheever then said Well or Very well,
and conveyed to his mind the full impression of
entire concurrence. Such was accordingly the re-
ply be Immediately brought back 10 me. My sur.
prise may therefore be imagined when, while in
the actual presence of the audience, Mr.. Cheever
refused TO proceed FIRST, Notwithstanding my rep
reservations of being entirely unpreparad, having
come expecting only answer him, and TO derive
| from his speech line suggestive materials for my
reply--and Notwithstanding MIR. Wedgwood's Is con-
| frmation of my understanding OF the agreement
! Mr. Cheever stated he had not understood it
that he also was not prepared TO speak hrst-that
he came ex pecting 10 the arguments snouic
adduce, and he asked hov ne could be prepared TO
do that until he should know what they we're! be-
lieving him thus TO be bona fde in the same situa
ton with myself-the audience being already I'M
patient-and the President saying that one OF the
other must begin, and suggesting TO me that per-
| haps therefore had better do SO, consented, on
the condition of having half an hour at the close
| for reieinder. Had then suspected that Mr..
Cheever had in his procket written Discourse,
1 which rnight as well have been delivered first as
not. certainly should not have been guilty OF SO
simple piece Of goodnature. That Discourse,
| together with considerable oral additions, con-
sumed the time Till within few minutes OF ten
o'clock, when Of course it was impossible to at
| TEN pr to detain the audience any longer Mr..
! Cbeever thus secured the double advantage OF nor
only again occupying the concluding halt ct the
evening, and of avoiding all the sitting ordeal
of reply but also of forcing me on, at mo-
ment's notice, to speak without the slightest pre-
paraiion, off.hand remarks to which he was TO oP-
pose the written eloquence and ingenuity OF the
most elaborate study Mr.. Cheever's apology for
this proceeding is that he felt it due to his cause
not to waive any advantage he could strictly claim;
and that when he asked how he could be prepared
10 ans wer my arguments till he should hear them,
he meant that, though he had his written discourse
ia his pocket, he could not know what parts OF 1t
| to read or to omit. The validity of this apology
| may be Judged Of from the fact that the main bulk
of it was not SO much responsive augmentation,
either actual or supposed, the other side, as
positive and original argument in favor of the ex-
pediency of hanging-which logically claimed re.
DIV. and which might as well have been delivered
6rst as not The fact has been already mentioned,
tha, had already, on the first evening, gone par
TALLY over this branch of the question, and that he
had then reserved his remarks on that branch till
this evening.
AS for the point now made, that the affirmative
form of The question made it proper for me always
to speak frst and for him to follow in response
that was mere matter of form The question.
whether Capital Punishment ought to be abo-
L. r;&o hf} ho
continued. 1t certainly gave no right to the sub
stantie and very great advantage thus seized under
its pretext; especially in view of the actual differ
ence of situation on the second evening as above
ax planned, the une side being entirely unprePared
10 speak 6rsl, and the other ready with written
discourse-fui, 100, of argument, not negative and
responsive, bat positive and original in favor OF
the present law.
&c. then, the matter stands On each of the three
evenings Mr.. Cheever occupied the concluding
half of the time. with written discourses with oral
additions) opposed to extemporaneous, nay under
standing of the arrangement having been that 1t
vas to be debate. The proceedings of the sec.
Dad evening have been above stated. Onthe third,
was compelled to answers discourse delivered
fortnight before--being again followed with sim
tar one, as before passing unanswered, though full
of imposing plsusibilites calculated to n!slesd the
uninformed or the prejudiced. Especially was q
large part Of it given to arithmerical statements
of which none present could perceive the taliaces
though il would have been difficult task to con-
ute them. The few hasty moments OF reJoinder
at the close to audiences in the of breaking up
when close upon ten O'clock at night, could not
amount any thing
So far as any issues of fact and truth are raised
by your CORES pondent Justice, therefore thus
dispose of them. The facts of the matter ale as
hey are above. stated, and not otherwise. For
their truth [ am content to appeal to all the evi-
dence in the case.
In the subsequent republication OF Mr.. Cheever's
three Dl.courses, was refused the right ofappend-
ing in the same volume statement OF the substance
of the antagonist argument actually employed, in
coRse ouence of Mr.. Cheevers unWillingness and
| substan,ial refusal, after formal consent given
and again Withdrawn.
have in vain challenged fair and equal de-
bate of alternate half-hours with alternate privi.
ege of closing, SO as 10 bring fairly up the same
points on the evenings before the audience
in manly faceteface collision of argument and evi-
dence. now reaew it, and SO long as it shall
continue unaccepted, ] have no hesitation in
charging fear of subecting consciously weak
cause to such a test. 1t was proposed that it
should be either in this city OF in Brooklyn.
In ali this controversy leave all the bitterness
of feeling, all the vndctiyene>s of spirit, and all
the personal acrnonies, those on the other side
To whose d.Positions they may be congenia
respect the sincerities of convctoa in which they
,ind their rost, at the same time that they TO
me TO be watersd by other neurishment than the
| gentle and kindly dews of heaven. ] urge the
| abolition Of the Punishment of Death because |
believe it to be not only useless, bu, far than
| useless, and not only not commanded by divine
,hory, but in direct antagonism 10 the sweet spirit