New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-03-19
THE TRIBUNE.
Capital punishmenr-Theoiosical Twisting.

The Tribune.
CapitaI Punishment Twisting.
To tle Editor of The Tribune:
What precious specimen of turning and twist
ng'' is that exhibited by your correspondent Jus
ice in The Tribune of this morning Through
what a labyrinth Of =" words, words" does he thread
his dubious way in order to confuse both himsefand
mis- readers and divert attention from the point at is
cue Verify, your theological quibbler will work
himself out at hole small as to battle the egress
OF the mnutest animalcule but let US see whether
your correspondent has succeeded in his effort to
open a way Of escape for Messrs. Cheever and Lew
is from the dilemma in which they were placed by
the argumentum adhominea as applied by Bigot
The question lies in a nutshell, and may be thus
stated The opponents of the Death Penalty assert
that the natural tendency of its infection is to make
men revengeful and ferocious-to pervert the sense
Of right and lessen the natural horror al the thought of
shedding blood-to teach q doctrine and set an ex
ample. helping to form men for the commission OF
murder. This proposition, ii not selfevidently true
issupportcd by arguments which commend II TO me
reason and common sense OF every unsoph1sticated
mind and by facts the force of which il is hard for
the evangelical advocates of the Gallows TO con-
ceal or evade. Not daring TO grapple fairly with
the proposition its merits what do they do I
Why. like their prototypes, the Pharlsees OF old
who when they could not resist the wisdom and the
power of Chris,s words, endeavored to cover him
with odium by arraying against him the authority OF
Moses-these stckers for the halter and the guiilo
tine turn back TO the Jewish law and after arraying
the long list Of offences which by that law were pun
shed with death, lift up their hands in holy horror,
and. diatng their eyes, exclaim " w hat need have
we Of farther witness With our own ears we have
heard their blasphemy!' By this appeal TO popu-
lar prejudice they hope to excite the odun eooS icn
against their opponents and in the mury atmosphere
in which alone the spirit OF bgory and intolerance can
live to hide the inherent weakness of their cause.
Now mark; The advocates Of the Gallows are very
careful tell that y would infct the Death Penalty
only in cases mrdeT and they have not hesitaed
acknowledge that its infection for lesser crimes Ia cacu
lated produce the effects ascrbed by the opponents of
Capital Punishment to its ipcton for the crime Of wliu
homicide. This Acknowledgement is confined to
Messrs Cheeyer and Lcwis's book but has been made
again and again by writer's and speakers that eide Of
the question Your correspondent Bgot awaiting HIM
self of this admission showed that Messrs Cheever and
Lewis had efectualy strangled Mescres with the cord
which they sought place around the necks of their op
poDents This he did in manner the most satisfactory
and triumphant and, however those gentlemen and their
friends may Geek TO hide their discontinue the public
lcas. know well enough that the throat Of their own
argument has been cut by themselves beyond all posi-
bty OF healing sud they may as well throw away their
needles and baDGaccs and acknowledge the corn
If 10 maintain that the tendency of Capital Punishment
for murder 10 TO beget the sentiment OF injustice and
lower The estimate OF human life be bosphcnons because
such punishment formed part OF the Jewish Law then
admit that such is its tendency when Inflicted for lesser
crimes ia equally blasphemous for it was inflicted tor
many such crimes by that same law. Could any thug
be palmer than thisf
AZ for your correspondents long list of 6eeoWses-
equal in number those employed by divnes in their
sermons in the good old days. when
The stocks were at each church's door,
The gaows stood on Boston Common,
Paps,s the pillory bore
The galows'rope Quaker woman
what do they all If they relieve the odoO
Gates OF Capital Punishment from the charge OF construct
i've basphemy they quite etectualy relieve its 0ppo
from the charge it would be perfectly easy
TO demonstrate il such specimen OF patchwork were
worth the trouble of picking to pieces How IS the
natural tendency OF Capital Punishment affected by the
question whether the Jewish law ordaning such punish
ment designed TO be temporary or perpetusil Il
sby contoundng these two points that Justice vainiy
cndeavors work ugge that shall relieve his friends
from the dilemma in which they are placed by their
arguments but be has only demonstrated his own
and their mpoency as any one who knows the diter.
ence between logic and confused tumble OF words may
& easily
One link In the aimsy chain which Justice has
sructed TO drag friends of their slough. it
Il may be well to notice. Perhaps instead of calling It a
I; link of The chsn however 1t would be more accurate
speak of 1t the sape To which he seeks to fssten
the chain and which if be not well secured must
render a his efforts abortive. alude 10 the frs; OF
Justices list of Becauses where he adroity attempts
smugge in part Of the argument respecting the
tendency OF the Jecish law the command given 10 NOAH
Whose heddeth' sc. Now let the reader to the
original syllogism PIP 800 oil o Messrs. Lewis and
Cheevers work and he will that contains au-
sion whatever any other than the .ecish law
ference the law given Noah Would have been only
begging Of the question for the opponents OF Capital
Punishment deny that the Death Penalty is cujoined in
that law. The object OF the syllogism was TO convict
them of basphemy on grounds admitted by themselves
to be true Read tue minor proposition and see II anl
\ not right:
The punishment OF death for murder is which the
Almighty God established m express terms, for nation tor
too he cOadeseended to esisiaie HIS peculiar people
Here is suson whatever to any thing lying behind
the law given in express terms 10 The JS and no in
timh'ion thar the natural tendency Of the law is affected
| by the question OF Its perpetuty By what right then
does Justice attempt 10 his friends from the edge
Of their own chosen weapon by oisting into the areu
4 ment new element and making thai the basis OF a
special plea in their behaltl II the syogism faulty
in IT'S original construction and thereby involved its
author IN his own network that surely is not the fau,
OF those whom il was intended catch; aud protest
against tos effort 10 eStricate him his difficulty ny
reconst'ocuon OF his machine on new pr,nclp1e,
which, 1t originally introduced would have rendered Il
wholly inethcscious any effect upon those whom it
was intended 10 denolish.
This effort the Galows from its impending fate
By linking the Bible and attempting I'M
precision tbs, if the former destroyed the latter
sso go by the board has its counterpart in tina; zeal for
the authority OF God which msnitests itself in guarding
the psrsrchs institution of Slavery from ihe touch OF
p-oAne hands the assumption that has the sanction
n
depisl Of the Divine authority FOR hanging wi,ches-sn
snthory founded the Jewish law Thou shalt not
suffer witch to live-subjected men TO the odum OF
this bugbesr cry OF inddelr 'Inddel from the
lips Of Phhrissics b;gots; and history tells that
I present system of Astronomy Indignantly re-
ected by thoss who sat in Mosess seat because it
assumed 10 be contrary to the intslible teachings OF
Scripture. Aas il the Bible not armed with
vitality which renders mpervious TO the shafts ST i,s
A 'eltconsuled defenders il would lose its hold
4 apOn the consciences of men. SHADE OF CALICO.
AGrc1 Is, 1916.
Il Tss SLAYER PoSs.-A libel was filed, yesterday
N the u S District Court ~ Philadelphia claiming the
forfeiture OF the Pons SLAYER. The main question
WI De whether she WAS at the time Of her capture. al
american vessel She registered at Philade phia in
peeemesr 1915 as owned IN that port and bill of lad
ing found on board signed al Rio de Jsnero by Captain
4 Berry. Ia July 1Si5. represents her MS American.
me maj Of the libel Is set down for the Sd OF April
4 letter, Of which the following is copy was found
on board L is addressed Gallann tho ortr