The New York herald., 1846-05-12

Capital Punishmsnt.
This Society met last evening, at the Lyceum,
in Broadway, and the room was filled by large
and fashionable congregation, consisting princi-
pally of ladies, who seemed to take lively inte-
rest in the proceedings. The meeting was oonl-
posed of every variety and denomination Of sect,
among whom were also some Quakers, and SEEM
ed to enter upon the duties and discuss the objects
with a great deal of earnestness At 8 o'clock,
Mr.. BENJAMIN ELLIS was unanimously called to
the chair, when
Mr. PARK GoDwIN came forward and congratu-
lated the meeting on the spread OF the doctrine on
which the Society was based Their opponents
did not dare to meet them in the Legislature Of
the State. Though they ridculed the views Of
the Society they did not come forward to meet
them in argument In the State of Michigan the
punishment of death was abolished by formal
act of the Legislature, which was highly credita-
BILE to them. He would, however, not delay the
meeting, but would read the resolutions which he
had the pleasure to present to the meeting. Mr..
G. here read the following resolutions -
Resolved That the constantly increasing interest
which s felt both in this country and in England the
subject of penal reform calls upon for continuous and
e sosd sssu
times past strengthen our confidence in the cause they
also animate our hopes Of success for the future.
meet us fairly in public debae-so long they close
the columns OF their newspapers to communications
that Of ofvtuperation and ahuseand long they
sci their instruments in the Legislature to vote down
propositions to refer the discussion to the body Of cleo
tors, while newspapers are open to them and
offers Of public discussion are kept standing, they
prove that their reliance upon conservative and hco
logical preudices and not upon the naked truth.
Resolved That we have scarcely begun the agtasion
of this great and important subject and that during the
coming year we will get more signatures to petitions
boId NM mn m 20 m
speeches. and circulate more documents than have
done in any previous the dsmay of all the hosts
r. Resolved That offer the members of the Legis
ature of tho State Of Michigan sincere thanks for
the decided sy have taken ss as
manifestation Of their faith in the principle love- as op
posed to that of fear they have shown themselves
men May the benignant example Of one of the young
Of our sister States bc speedily followed by all
the family, both young and old, so well as BY Uncle
Sam.
Mr. HoRAcE GREELEY here wished to briefly trespass
upon the meeting to explain the course pursued in Al
bany the subject of abolishing punishment for death
responsibility Of their shoulders and many Of them pro-
members of the Legislature unwilling to take il on
hand nasmuch as the question was not as yet submitted
It in some places but this should not deter them from
proceeding They should send documents and papers
everywhere and work still upon the minds Of the people
mtted in proper in August, they would sue
cecd in passing the measure in the House. They may
lose in the Senate but this would not deter them from
proceeding II they were however. the Of war,
indicated by what was now occurring on their bor
dsr there would Be desire for blood among the peo
pass with them II they passed resolutions now con-
demnng this Legislature o not passing the measure for
good He had read pamphlet by the Rev Mr.. Campbell
q Virginia, which threw great and interesting light on
ws. and new the
jccL He willing to meet tho question In ar discus
sion but would suggest the Proprey st this stage o.
The Rev Mr. PirRroSr, late of Boston, and now Of
Troy here forward and said that he would briefly
upon them in compliance with the call of Of
his friends. lie would ask why should we have the
was hs 81
ment Of death Did Jesus Christ desire it. preach II
No The advocates Of the system should go back to the
times Of Noah when only single family existed to
show il. But did God inhict it on Cain No on the
contrary he protected him. God did not give a COM
the text
blood by shall his blood also be she'd Was this
command, he would ask1 They knew that neither in
Latin or Hebrew or Greek could they determine that
the future should be SO interpreted 30 a. to make
1t read in imperative senscthat il as as command
The of scripture upon which these advocates Of this
nhumsn system of taking lifc could not read this text
in reference the future II was not imperative II
you draw the sword such wa: the natural Of
man. that he would desire to draw it to return the blow
should shake his fist In the face OF his fellow
man. he would naturally raise his fist and strike in
Just as one bull should make pass at another bull
with his horns The other bull would naturally mako
pass in return. [Lsughterl He would ask, was the tn
intended to ride the horse the horse to ride the
man. No. Jesus Christ taught man to initiate Gods
example-to become parakers Of tho divine nature"
Gods government They saw that Christ drew dis.
tnction between physical and moral law: man vio-
lated the laws Of organic nature ne should suffer only
should man suffer under the moral law. Now, for in
stance if little child should blazing csnde-as
shall illustrate 1t in this way for youand unconscious
Of the penalty he suffer should put its hand upon
that blazing CANDLE he, Of course, gets burned on the
hand That child suffers the organic penalty for the act
conscious Of the act and he cannot be made to suffer
under the moral law. But here is the distinction. II
pocEet.booE is moral offence If violate the
seventh commandment of God then violate the moral
zoo a % ne no ndsr %
law. may, like the first murderer, Cain. ask to be
struck dead to save me from pain but still under the
penalty for moral offence. We may take the OF
the poor drunkard and how does he suffer ID it
.na Pena psoau The snsmy ss into his brsn
and he suffers also in moral sense. They might next
take the Of infde in the old law an eye for an
eve and tooth for toothbut Christ altered this text
OF scripturcChrst commanded to do good for evil
The law Of Christ commanded not TO do evil for evno
sroy mans life but to save cit il He could not be made to
believe any text that Christ commanded man to
draw rope about his fellow mans neck To DO sure,
land Qaughte $4,000 Englishmcn strung up dang.
ling the air at Rosrs Of laughtcr) But what
possible good does 1t hang manl Does it do him any
goodi Does it do society any good1 never saw man
hanged In my lfe-I dog once ehanged-(Laughter)
That sight put end to all desre my part to hang
ing again; and don't believe even in hanging dogs
(Laugnter) The practice Of hanging was an evil that
operated upon the locker on a. bad example He
would take for instance the following, which he had
cut fewedsys ago, out Of paper, to illustrate ths
"Wm. Frederick Wicks who was hung last week In
London for the murder Of his MASTER great admir-
Of executions and always took to bc present SO
much for the benefit Of example,"
Tho paragraph Immediately succeeding this, CURIOUS
enough was as folows:-
The Rev Walter Scott, President and Theological
Tutor Of Airedals college, has just issued pamphlet un
the title OF The punishment OF death Tor tho crime
of murder, rational, scriptural, and salutsry'"
Rational and scriptursn and this from clergyman
augher In illustration Of his views the subject OF
penalty the speaker said he would heartily endorse
sentiments on this subject which he would read for them
from newspaper which he held in his hand namely the
Lynn Pioneer, published in Massachusetts He would
say of the passage 'thems my acknowledgement
They were tho language Of N. r. Rogers The speaker
among other passages, here read the iollowing:-..
81 will not argue with them on their text II they
make ont their old Mosaic, Noachc, whatever text