New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-13
The Death Penalty The Christian Fathers.

To tie Eas0r Of The Tribune.
end in your Supplementary sheet this morn
ing an article upon the Capital punishment ques-
ton which seems 10 require bnef notice from me
I can claim exception Of having attended 20 many
meetings for the abolition Of Capital Punishment;
for have not been thus favored That there =
something in those words Humanity Philsn-
thropy," Charity must be conceded bysll There
does not seem TO be any special need Of forcing the
names Of the great and good into or service They
turany enough belong 10 it. These willing
enough to be 50 Identified Since the tine Diodotgs is
reported BY Thuey5ides to have said TIE punishment
Of death hath never etfeciualy swed the empers Of
mankind Men should be retained In their duty By
mild and discretionary precautions Severe and san.
culinary proceedings never answer the purpose up
TO the time when Jesus with divine proprety declared
that the law Of retaliation life for life eye for eye and
the Ike had place IN his administration there were
not wanting those who could the words Of lore and
kq5asss. Since It has to considerable extent. been
recognized sc Christian doctrine 70 love an enemy
in feory a. least Il remains % be seen whether the
strenuous efforts made by modern dvines are ~ be
thus Identified This q O. correspondent must have
OF argument in the article Of B. The corner Of the
curtain raised is the only course where anything Ike
the feelings melted against the Prcans ever existed
in those times and the general condemn anon Of the
cruel act stated 10 article n which O. refers
should have prevented him from saying
J. wOnd seem, then, la Their philanthropy " - a.! Tor
The murderer: while they gladly procured he shedding
OF the blood Of hose whose only crime consisted 10 az
fering from them IN some article of faith Ihes0er has
incsu0usy drawn tie corner q The curtain here In ms
b. md zeal TO sIrise bow o. oHho1fXy' ne has con-
pieely destroyed The Of his OWE argument Hihere
any Truth IN his sirocsus be ne contrast "glid
b. much stronger t1en was intended-sinc9 r7oaern
ChrSfGH DIVINE are 1st tn= ohef way lhcy are Tor
putfnr 10 death the murderer ard spsrng the herefc
We do Whist night any ono has 20 inter that te
cause two bishops procured the death ri hereto al
the Christian fathers did the same. and this toe when
stated from Geseler the best suthory( mat this
act was uHirrsal CONDEMNED and the two offending
cesiastics deprived Of their Offices II Il vas blind
zea 10 state the truth TO factsvhat gel dictated the
passage quoted have yet 10 learn that n0dH Chris
ian diriRss very lenent iowa those who DIFF
fer from them in opinion
The strocious libel traced b the obtuseness Of
q as the readers OF both sides will see that IN admit
ting the charge Of the Courier Enquirer that We had
mi staseu the spirit Of the Christian Fathers Il
not murderers but heretcs they wished 70 from
death Il was shown that 90 FAR from this being the
case heretics the only persons whose contemna-
ton 70 death was procured ar sanctioned y any pro
Tossing the Of Christ and there in single instance
Of two Bishops who lost their place snd standing In the
church for their cruelty. Does this look Ike air0cioss
libel" upon the whole body Of The Christian Fathers
q l. disposed % appear very lenent and adopts the
more favorable conclusion that BIS quotations from
Bngham's Antiquities isust have come 10 him In some
second hand manner Let U ask the Editor Of this
paper If B did not furnish the original for the com
position lie needs this charity he is not only unsc
ouainted with the history but the names OF the earlier
divncs about which be processes 10 write. II appears
to me the argument put forth and abundsnty substani
sted from Bin CHAM aud Geseler and others is still unau
swered untouched II is not that chose % place mod
ern dvines in the dilemma ia which their opposition %
some Of the reforms Of the day finds them 70 array
the earlier disciples Of Jesus against them q is dis
posed Judge II such s the fact (snd facts 90 iDd
cate ) where Il the faultf Not ours, surely.
is not of much consequence 10 Us whether Moses
taught or sanctioned the death penalty, are not
under his administration, but that Of gredfT. who
has taught the world better way to dispose OF
wicked man than 70 take away his life. The reliance
which the desthpenalty advocates place upon Moses
show pretty cesrly in what desperate TX they are
placed If we under Christian dispensatOn. why
refer rs code of enactnents and not back
laws and institutions long since repealed done away
Why not take Calvin Russ 10 NewZealand tor trial be-
fore the fatal day Of Friday cOmes There Is ever an
Inconsistency in this mode Of arguing this question
which Is almost too puerile 70 receive attention from
serious minded persons B.
Smiths Tlucyddes, Wsrdles I'd. P Il lnuO.
Dsvidsoa's Connection Of Sacred and Prosne History.
Vol. ?. IS, Carriers I'd