New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-09

TOT No ITIJuNt7
Anfi.CRpifuI Punishment Cinp-TraI

Some time ago al editorial article under the
above uncouth title appeared in the Courier En-
quirer. We are inclined however. 10 think that
the Editor wrong in the use OF the term which is
offensive TO OF the respondents OF The Tribune
The most charitable supposiuon s that tne persons
there referred TO- instead Of Intentionally using clap trap
any ngeniously designed sophistry. really do not
know sny better than believe In the soundne:s Of their
reasoning, The true explanation Of their course
may be found 10 the probable hypothesis that In
quence Of having attended many meetings for the obo
Hilton Of Capital Punishment and having listened 90 long
20 the psrroke echoes Of their voices repest
ing the words humanity" p5ilsnthropca age 10.
ion spirt Of Christianity Jaw Of love- &c e they
have actually last to believe that there is in them
selves and in their doctrine exclusive monopoly Of all
benevoence and Gospel charity. Under this strange
haueinaOn they cannot see any OF the above terms in
any book tract pamphlet without concluding IS mat
ter of course that the suthor must be OF their
school just kindred class hear anything
advanced in favor OF the poor without claiming Il
right belonging 70 their theories Of social organza
ton So also If one Of those have now in view hap
pens read hear ii said thst any distinguished man
ever uttered humane sentiment on any occasion
strsightwsy he is set down "a opposed 10 Capital Pun
shnent aud perhaps advocate Of all the govern
ment punishment. present or future rotrbuiiOn
doctrines Of this m ,st loving sect
Dr. Johnson for example, petihoned Tor the life OF bis
friend DR.. DOdd 0nd uses some very moving language
respecting the heavenly attribute Of mercy tie j also
said 10 have expressed opinion against the justice Of
infcting death for foS0T This Is enough TO make him
out 70 be en- opponent Of Capital Punishment formsrS
and Of he is thus set down in spite OF those facts
which unanimously prove, that he belonged 10 school
in every respect and in every principle the direct OPP
posite of that which claims his name among its pa
irons The same is taken with Burke and Bacon
and many others. The latter was beyond all question
decided enemy 10 all the doctrines that
distinguish this class Of Reformors as evidence OF which
we may say that ever manesteda deeper Teve-
rcnco for the Old Testament Scriptures. let Bacon
once said that the law should not abound In "rubics
Of blood - that IT, should not carry the death penalty
far This Of il thought enough justify the
use OF his opposed 10 the ndicon OF death Tor
murder. And 80 goes on Every few weeks you viii
see this string Of presented in the
Befutc and expose IL Gs often "a you may tits sure. Ike
Monsieur Ionon, 20 make its reAppearance under
the old stereotype Caption Testimony q ne yse' and
good GgaV0 ne barbdr0us dsdth penalty" Sometimes
they even 70 fer 10 bring Moses imphedy iuot
pressy into this list (alhougb in general the Jewish
legislator il no very particular iavorlie with them and
Pre- evidence his institutions of Cities OF Refuge
and the commsnd- Thou shah not Kill
There was lately pointed on, similar proceeding IN
respect to the early Christian Fathers The attempt
was made 70 show that the cass Of writers (for these
were not meant the sntthesis good for nothing)
generally known under that name, were dismetricsiy
opposed 20 modern D,vsRss this ubectthst IT, they
denied In their theological works the righteousness Of
taking life in any case for murder The Tribune cor
respondent Il. don't think much OF the honesty OF
the man who called this argument clap-trsp. lie de
MES. too, that they were heretcs whom the early
ry that these namely berecs) were The only Glass
whose condemnation to death they procured most
beautiful picture indeed does he present OF bis own
claimed witnesses-these d" early Christian Fathers.
Il would see then that their philanthropy was al for
the murderer while they gladly procured the shedding
Of the blood Of those whose only crime consisted in Off
fering from them in some article OF faith. The writer
has ncautousy drawn the Of the curtain here
10 his blind zeal 10 strike blow n orthodoxy he has
completely destroyed the value of his own argument
II there any truth in this atrocous libel the con
trHsf
"sOderR Ctrsaa dr.Ss are just the other way. They
for putting death the murderer and spsnng the
hereto
Now for the sos In this case Under The sanguinSry
administration of 81 the Roman authorities cor
tain Christian Bishops interested themselves Ia behalf Of
men condemned 10 death. They petitoned the clemen
cy of the nagisiraic for their freedom The we
reply has often been done by modern Christian dvines
who, At the tne were arm sdvocetcs Of the jus
tce of Capital PunishmeuftoT murder. The same thing
has often been done by great many benevolent men,
who look with adherence on this pseudo phsnihroPy
The haucinauon. Wa have said heiure, which pre-.
vents reiormer from seeing the utter aosurdify Of
their argument arises from their really having talked
and written themselves Into the belief that there can be
no bencvolence apart from their own dosmas. Angus
tine in his long letter Ia behalf OF the condemned Dons
tists never dreams OF taking the ground occupied BY
this modern school He never denies the justice
OF the penalty Of death Tor murder, but places
his application entirely on the ground Of cemeney
aud mitigating circumstances which Re pleads with
all his weil-known moving eloouence. lie admits me
force Of the ursprudensl srsuments advanced BY the
magistrate With whom he Is pleading, and therefore
addresses himself 10 considerations OF mercy end
pslllAon Indeed great psrt Of his very interesting
epise this MISTER consists Of apology for himself
for having rentured 10 ask particular relaxation OF
law whose abstract justice be does not presume 10 call
In question when We bear In mind too for how many
cases the Punishment OF death inflicted under the
Rosn Emperors ceases 20 be any wonder that Chris
nan bishops should esteem II part OF their once TO
"intereede for the unfortunate" thst they should
visit their cells errsnds Of Mercy. The same thing
is also commonly done BY modern C.Tistiaa siraes
Ear more frequently, we believe and with more true
philanthropy than IL ever exercised by those VINO take
such delight in sugmatEug them
We must adopt the favorable conclusion that
q quotations from Binghsms Antiquities must have
come to him IN some second hard manner. Il Is din
cult to sccoun; otherwise for the remarkable sci hs. ne
should hsye made the esst slusion 10 paragraph IN
immediate iaxtsposi;on with hts former references In
the, the learned author takes much pains 10 guard Us
against the suppositon that this interference OF Angus
tine and Melrcse and other Christian bishops was with
view obstruction Of the judicial administration
OF from airy condemnation Of the Jaw or the masstrscy
but solely grounds OF pssiion and ciemeney sring
out Of particular circumstances In the case OF the
DonHtisis moreover which Is the mos, prominent In
stance cited be distinctly declares that Augustine inter
'errd because they heretcs IS well as criminals
and therefore their death might be imputed BY their
friends and ether hsrees TO Inc prosecuting enmiy OF
IN, the strongest argument Of al Is that which is do
rived from the Institution of Cities Of Refuge. Moses
Vas so very kind ard ercul that be appointed Cites
Of Refuge 70 which the homicide might aee-thsreore
Moses wss opposed TO Capital Punishment Ihe De
pevoent inst uons Of the Jewish legislators show that
he Is OF course one Of aud al those most eSpcit
statutes or putting murderer to death 50 Tor nothing
In the opposite scale.
most sin gular argument his As though The Deity
(or We must sti hcid 10 the old shoned BELIEF tasi
wa. from Him sni from Noses hsi these statutes
procceded) intended one OF his owa insutanons -
method OF directly nulHfyng and pouring contempt on
another And 90 IN regard 10 the OF altar
and places OF refuge IN the heather world We kno" "
nothing from which there csn be drawn more power
Of the penalty OF death for murder Il was anywhere
but Response to the early pssrchs declaration o; the
rurderers doom Nothing can show more conclusive,
y the deep Of the vensesnce que ior sheddnz
blood than The fact ths ~ dfnl lsfHlfl01. ever NC