The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-05-10

4
theprophets from the dictates the heart This
so revolving to the human soul to better nature der
we'd from text and the best Hebrew scholars consider
OF doubtful Interpretation but suppose il to seas clear as
If we heard it from Heaven Was il local intend
ed to be universal in its application All the
tors combined can find proof that il is universal Con
sderlng the time the people, and the circumstances TO
whom and under which given, must be consider
ed as local But supposng to be both clear and uyer
SAL and the command binding on society then society to-
day has, by its acts, disobeyed the command. The
mand says, whoever commits murder must be kled-not
by society but as suddenly and revotngly the murder
committed this the practice in the days in which the
commandment was gvent to the peoples they made dis
tlncton as they do now, between murder nanslaugher
and homicide. ! ask this, does the change of time and
circumstance warrant change in the mode of executing
the commando II does then the command also changes
and i is Tor you to prove that man is not commanded to
to make total change Now, if there is no basis as
coming from prophets or human promptings then there
IS no right IN the present form of society to en-
force the text. win any say that James Ea-
gers death was necessary to socieyit not so-he
could have been confined and society would have been
safe. In savage, turbulent times when there
laws-when every mans hand against his neghbor
and his neighbours against him. might have been ne
cessary but certainly not They say ii was
cessary for example. What has been the example We
say was to arouse evil passions it was to say to the
rude passionate, and ungoverned mans life is not in
violate. Can any man deny this to be the example to-
day The second example is that life be taken
are aroused but calmly, cody and deliberately and
therefore, life instead Of being held sacred is looked up
on as light matter There is another example, and
which will not be forgotten If life can be takenhus
solemnly and deliberately taken-the man of bad pas
sons will say, why then can take life and this is my
Justhcatlon The fourth example, and the most terrible
of all is that life be taken amid much evity Did
not Eager know that this city going usual ;
that the gay would laugh and the solemn brood of
and pod on when he in the agonies of dissolution
He felt that he was desoate and lonely-the eXam,le
that was taught so painfully to him, was taught to all
The newsboys who hawked the account of his death
through the streets, what was the example to him =?
1t could not be worse BY many the justification of the
punishment of death is based its necessity to the safe
ty of society They say that this kind of punishment
necessary and must be tolerated deny the justices it
society commit the same crime for it Furnishes the crim
nal 1t is perverson OF justice. The mind that is not
familiar with the gaows is struck with adherence its
brutality and injustice When the missionaries anglicz-
ed the savages and erected gallows to punish MAJ,
the men Of nature were amazed-what said they,
NIT murder for murder! 1t is unjust not because it is
not the extreme punishment that society can innct but
because takes from the hands of God what is his right
and his only The greatest punishment that can be in
hlced is in my opinion, utter secluson from society,"
To mngle with society to enjoy the of friends
the delights of home the life Of man, the depriva-
exclude man from all the ties Of humanity is the
the Just and proper punishment. BY giving him the
oil reformation, you may lift him from degradation
occupy the high and holy sphere he was made for
Show him when shut out from society friendly face to
once punishment and blessing-the crime done to-
day. tomorrow passes away and is forgotten and socie
y takes not even passing notice of the eddyng whir
where fellow creature sank, butconsgn him to moral
DEATH and he stands lesson against the crime teaches
all hearts Such cases are remedial, and should be al
lowed chance. There is also danger Of taking nno
cent life Mr. Claiming then related several instances of
the kind and closed With this remark: when man
shows better nature, principles you have Gods
example to treat him man.
Mr. CLApr Of Boston, in the name of religion TO
bear testimony against capital punishment though he
despared of uttering his thoughts to the full extent
Every whose heart has not been hardened by the
action of the day must have responded to the remarks of
the eloquent Claiming that life vioabe, and that
ourselves may take the life Of fellow being. Our OBJ
ect is the prevention Of crime and the exorcson Of the
spirit OF murder Seeing the secular and religious press
look this subject lightly what is the lesson that is
taught by them by the tskng of life, which is the
crcdest of things all around taught by the
example to foster spirit OF revenge and are tempted
every day to exercise that spirit and the fact that they
do so little resist that temptation, proves that they need
the lesson and every day that human life is
most sacred and has that lesson been taught! No To-
day We have seen that life is vioable and that under
certain that the bottin out of life is re-
cognilablo. This question is plain, that from
its very simplicity it passed by; things that involve
most intricate Of reasoning and argument ge
morally understood but things SO plain as this,
scarcely force into the tortuous mind Of the public.
This day he had conversed with one whom, he
pei-that Gospel that teaches to overcome evil
with good not the gibbet The clergyman argued that
the community of evil and depaved beings required the
gbbet object of terror that they might know that
life could not be takenbut is this true philosophy.
In the Nec Orleans Pcayae he had read that great ef
forts had lately been made to give up the wearing of
deadly weapons and it had been proved satisfactorily
that Notwithstanding the terror this inspired that
it increased rather than diminished the tendency TO
init murder. In New Orleans and yicksburu though
the code Of honor SO called was in operation though
was well understood that no man could commit the
the risk Of being cloven to the ground What has this
system of terror done' Has it increased the safety Of
human life? No. In proportion TO the number Of assaults
has the insecurity Of life increased No man so liable
to insult as he who goes armed at all times to rcpe in
suit 1t is not true, in fact that men are deferred from
evil doing by terror of the law if terror is to be the
punishment, how comes it that great an improve
ment in the discipline and arrangement which he
with much pleasure, but if he believed the gibbet
required to punish crime he would go
and wage war against these prison discipline
Societies that go in any way for abreviatng
punishment, and would exlor ali to quit from being
kind to the SHINING child but the sinner might think
crime good and unpunishnbe thing. clergyman
this day had said to him that it dangerous for
murderer to remain in prison. Sir, said eighteen
hundred years ago character worse than all
reply Co. and sin no more" And he was wiser than
we are of what was for the interests OF the sinner and
community at large The clergyman replied, Sir, the
of this reply that she had not been tried and
found guilty by regular tribunal And if she had he
would have joined in her punishment. Would the
Saviour have carried this doctrine out Imagine to-day
when James Eager taken from the Tombs for exc
cution, if the person who killed him pure and
peaceful; if Jesus Christ would have assisted at it,
Such an idea seems horrible (and he did not wish
to shock nybody in the room) but unless you
believe that he could have done it you are unjust,
and deiame his holy memory in associaiing it with
the gbbct It is ssd that the gibbet is necessary to
inspire terror in the hearts of the community then why
they not allowed to witness the cnnoJng and erai
ing sight Why not select some noble amphitrcare and
there calling together the men, women and children of
this city, execute your man and the idea was to instil
wholesome terror, lei them witness it. And why,
life is cred, and its taking is solemn, why not
choose day when men could take advantage off lie
struck with the remark Of Mr. Claiming that there
had been feeling exhibited this day If an example
necessary, why not take time when community
ready to listen to i'll Had it been done the Sab
bath day and in presence of children and the execution
been clergy man, there would have been soemnity
attached TO it, but the feeling of the whole community re-
jet this But the law has decided that this dreadful
ample shall he performed secretly, that shall
have advantage Of it. Among the crowd assembled in
the vicinity o. the prison and endeayorng to obtain spot
where glance at the dreadful might perchance be
obtained what feeling predominant That OF feeling
No, the reverse. He went to alude to the visit Of
Cough and the HutchaSons to he State prisons aud the
force of their kindness to the prisoners proof of their
opcnness to reasoning; and concluded with no.
tce those clergy who maintain the doctrine OF hanging
amidst some applause.
Mr. DELL of Kentucky, being called upon. said, Ladies
and Gentlemen IL should be sorry-very sorry-if one
Of the remarks made by the gentleman who preceded
me were true and that is, that the people losing
faith in christianity don't believe il. There may he