New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-07
VOL. EEE. NO. $50.


100 late ;-becauSe the number of such cases in
which no subsequent revelations have brought to
hght the innocence OF the victims CT the law, can
only be subject of conjecture "a conjecture in
winch we can have no other clue to guide Us than
the sad probability to be derived from the large num-
Der who annually go into the very presence of their
Maker with unwavering asseveratons of their limo
cence and because, from the necessary imperfec-
uon OF all human testimony, such cases must al
ways continue to occur, so long as the fearful prac-
tee Is retained, the abolition of which is here IN
voked.
- We call for the AboHtion of the Gallows-
BECAUSE, By abolishing the publicity of execu-
lions our own law has already half acknowledged
then muulity, if not their perncious influence. as
lettering examples. If that argument in their favor
were sound, 1t should rather be the policy of the law
to assemble the whole community to witness the
terrifying spectacle. The Galows is already en-
phatically condemned by that just voice of wise
and righteous public sentiment which has bid it
shrink from the open light of day within the shaded
gloom of the prison enclosure.
Il. And ne call for the Abolition Of the Gal
BECAUSE, Finally, there exists abundant testi-
mony in the experiments that have been already
made III other countries, less enlightened and civil
lZed than our own, to the safety, and probable bene-
fetal influence that would attend the proposed re-
torn. In the case OF minor offences, wherever the
statistics OF It's operation have been preserved, its
abolition has uniformly been found followed by
dimnution of the offences. We never see back
ward step taken in this reform, nor the death-pen
atty ever found necessary TO be restored where
1t has been removed. 1t was not found necessary to
security and good government during all the better
period of the republic of ancient Rome, for two cen
turtles and d half In Russia it has long been dis
used, any part Of the civil administration of JUS
ticc, with such success that the universal public
opinion in that country is unanimous against ii and
the present Emperor has given evidence Of the gen
era satisfaction with the operation OF the law else
where, by extending it over the province of Finland
tbeore under the Swedish laws on It's incorporation
with the Empire in the early part OF his reign. Dur
ing the period Of about quarter OF a century, when
it abolished III Tuscany, all crimes OF violence
much than either In the same
country before the experiment; in the same coun-
try after Its restoration by the French Revolution
lists and Bonaparte, against the wishes OF the people
of Tuscany themselves; or IN the adjacent Italian
States during the same period. In Belgium, also,
il was practically abolished in the year 1880, by
general system Of the communication OF all sentences
of DEATH and with degree of success, under very
unavorabe circumstances fully justiiying our views
Of lis safety, SO far may Judged from the latest
evidences in our possession. Various other MINOR
trials of the reform in question have also been made
elsewhere, all pointing uniformly III the same drec-
ton, for which reference only be made IN tins
place to the published writings OF the advocates OF
the measured
For these reasons then, necessarily restricted to
brief outline in their statement, we call Tor the
Abolition of the Gallows and for the adoption OF the
proposed substitute, alike in the names OF Chrstian-
tv Civilization, Reason Mercy, Justice, Expectancy
APPENDIX
The following table, derived from the English Of
6;,I cShihits the effect of the abolition or
mitigation Of the death-penalty in regard to num-
her of the higher order of offences. 1t exhibits IN
rho cpse Of each offence comparison between the
."e IL. y. tho one Jetore and the other
after the change. Those who ore accustomed 10
REGARD the terrors of thn1 nenalv ne en- useful and
efcacious 10 restrain the conduc1 Of men would of
course expecto find on the removal of that restraint
an increase in the crimes in question. Yet the re-
V erse of this is the fact
ENGLAND WarEs-Crimcsn and doubze zeriods.
FoncsRy-2p periods Executions e ' Committsls
Ten years ending Dec 1929. G' las &C,
% Su.,,xc- iS5 Ss,;oJ
Nine years ending Dec. 1929 .a6 1926
Do. 1888 1863
BURGLARY 49, ge 1r3TSh
SIX years ending Dec i 1877 DO 'i'S ,s9,
Do Roe.rry-2 ,l iS5S 40
Five years ending Dec. 1893 SO 1919 se.
De. nSa " nJ V''
: ATTEMPTS TO MI Rln ies Sc'-zpas $40
Do 1888 '2S
CAr'TA1 A's A2 1esi UfoS FEMALES
ARsoS-2 periods.
Two years ending Dec. 1886 li8
Do 1885, S,;;c,:
In the Fl, ST UeIlodS .<4I iV'ftV
IN the Second PERIODS T. oa,,o.es
But II might be ASKED were ho' o'ioi o"NNN
40, no, c,;nn,e in oeneral-in like manner on the de-
was Nv. UL, l sanend ner;od The answer was No.
'iN - - loo,;,,,r crime IN General underwent
very considerable INCREASE, as might be seen by
the Home Office Returns, annually laid before Par
lament, The fact was thus established upon nne-
quvoeal esmonyhe evidence o, ns Use the
same sal peopIe-and at the same time-under circum-
s,a,o 1borafore precisely the same while crime