New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-02-26
Anti. Capital Punishment - C'ap-'rAp'
To a. P1scy al The 7rSsNS;

Anti. Capital Punishment - " Caap-trap'
To Ne Rdscy of The 7rssNt'
The sCourisr & Enquirer Of Thursday @l'' O'',
designed. DO doubt to give the puohe P'ae',S''
definition Of Clap-trap." The printer pfoosDp
nistook and put the word at the wrong eho q -
article, or else left out the proposition by
article was evidently written by MI OS
himself though given as editorial matter IL eu'.
,o,,.I Gov Stewards elemeney was lost Ies'
I N me though the article can I'D 1ui ltls % i'
,.ai, mar viii /, much dersci from H. Jsp'ihe'Pe1
.o,bi.,rvs adl.hoporable srtisces hsbitus ineoh''
,srcv and sisbopesty shallow trick 10" sang 70
..t,s,v % Is ,,t.irne.sr nesnest Of al methods &c
q. &c incline one 10 look 70 classical authority iof
the authorship. .,-,- -.
have seldom read worse tempered article even
from, those who DO not make any claim to religion
will only notice one paragraph Of this piece.
aNo, ony since almost whole column Of Ine I.DI ~
was oecoussd with article entitled iN -, ~
Modem Dvine ne am pnn,ssm M intending
d0gbtess thai the reader should receive lne .,,s,s
common sceeplaon Of detia ineeo ~ he fonssty
N .ach course wien 10 known that sneh an op ~
TO Capital Punishment consisted .npy 20 eaade,n d
ce1aency ia favor Of certain heTetics VINO "eis ,
ed 10 des.h; which, too. they mos nit.Iv
ledge The night and duty Of he STATE 70 STed Moor
tue ex press syermsni OF scripture go,
Those who read the article alluded TO viii kno" very
well how TO dispose Of this TRADE and abuse in0''
who have not and still desire TO know the "@h vi" 10
well To consult IT, II speaks for Itself 90 MOI "iA
very highly Of that mans honesty who eOoio pen 'n'
above He has yet 70 learn that hereucs were no "e
only persons the early Christians aboredto save
were about the only class whose condernnsuon ,~
they procured The two bishops VINO Piccu..t -,
40 -
S5gna,fon If the whole Christian community prsioi
ssvsi was universally regarded win bOhCiienee.
Fcci His vol J. D. 800. He also says u was uhi'e'
sslly condemned" p. 2l6. 20 ioud were VA ~ a.,
ap,os In their espressOns Of Indignation that ihe III
.tgators of the deed expelled IRON tner DshoP
rcsr See the whole in the above work "hcn - VI.
sidered by all scholars as the highest aulnory. 20
nunishmept and even selfdeence were heid As ciies
pp,re 9Q7 passage lie found in the same wofh PIP;
5455 10 which Mr.. Caprsp Is especially rsieiie'
will here quote brief portion amer holioius ~ ~
rights and some Of the privileges Of me clelgy anu
tncyessed influence in civil Affairs and holding even Tue
Fmperors in check he says In addnon 10 ths inc wv
ancient rights Of the clergy, tue TSMg sP"~sa1T"e
me public morals and the Iish o. '3Jatnot =. Da'.Y ~
ne unfortunate assumed new importance since .Is
one was now extended even over the emperor himself
while the other furnished ground ior interfering VII"
the proceedings OF the Judicial tribunals MS lass ~
thev seem TO have exercised very boldly espeeiAy ~
cases of capiia punishment which the Cbrsuahs suii
regarded with horror There is more OF ine same sOI
which Csptrap had better read for he IL IN lar way
10 fall into the ditch Matt Nv I4) lhousn us '' VIZ
likely he will take many with him "
M. dearest view OF the feelings and action oil me
early Christians against the death penAiy - lounu n,
the Right Of Asylum which they e1ofue1 i'
when nersecuted with cruel and vindictye laws This
Right existed IN the religion OF ell the temples III ia
more extended sense than such narrow minded men as
Mr. Cap.trap would have IN even syowed cht,suai
times The following from Milnans History OF CHRIST
ianty Will not be very consOtory 20 such minds as MI.
Clapirsp seems possess still the general reader can
see how far protested Christians have advanced and
which way backward or iorwardO "Ihere Is some
thing sublime In the fret notions Of the Right OF Asy
lum II is one OF those Institutions based IN the uhNe
sal religious sentiment Of man II Is found IN almost al
religions In the Greek as IN the JEWISH man loOA
refuge from the vengeance often from the injustice OF
his fellow men, in the presence of tue gods mol merely
private revenge but the retrbutve severity oil the Jaw
stands rebuked before the dignity OF the DIVINE court I'D
which the criminal has lodged his appeal Inc lustra
ons in the older religions the ies OF expiaon and re-
cancellation performed in many OF the temples the ap
peations of certain dees ~ the reconcers or paei
hers OF man, were nwsyen with their mythology ana
embodied Ia their poetry. But Christianity IN a sun
higher and more universal might assume TO take
under its protection In order to amend and purify a
outcast of society whom human justice followed WIN
relentless Vengeance lie then brings IN the act that
IL teaches God Of Mercy. and says" The mercu In
PREVENTION of the clergy between the criminal and MS
sentence at period when the laws were SO implacAbe
and sanguuary a, once consistent with Christian
charity and tended TO mitigation OF the ieroeious
| manners OF the age.'-pp 400-l More than nesr
whole column OF The Tribune, whole numbers Of Il
could be given of like testimony. Claptrap must 10
stupid indeed II he supposes the heaic alone was the
object of charity There was charity in those times
that made no disiadicn extending even 10 murderers
Bnghams Antiquities abound In matter Ike that CIV
en- in a former paper More need not be quoted till
Clsp.trap or some else has answered the article
| given The collateral evidence here published. will
show the reader something OF the feelings OF the Christ
ian Fathers toward criminals and especially murderers
That these Fathers ct and acted entirely different from
most or many modern diyines one can deny May we
not expect tar OF this point or else conces
sion Of II and action accordingly II 10 me this
age = too barbsrous and cruel 10 be called rey Christ
ian. H. h