New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-02-15
Gould on Hanging.

JOHs GOLD, Chairman Of the Committee on
the Death Penalty in our last Assembly, has trans.
mit,ed the following etter to bis friend aud fellow.
laborer, James II. Titus Of this City, who was bis
predecessor in the Charm snship. We wish Mr.
GouIds character as man and e Christian were
everywhere known il is within The circle Of bis
personal scqu aintsnce,his letter could not fail u
make a deep impression on the community We
find it 10 The Globe. Mr.. Gould says
have been desiring for tine 70 write 10 tise On
the sub sct Which have mutual interest bat the
continual hurry iustsnt 10 legislation. arising # u CON
1ittee duties and the watching q bills In which
interested H. no ons knows letter ihan thys- Of
sngro..ny that TINS 10 len for snyih nE more
than the hrefest possible correspondsnce bat that
s these things are over desire to cal thy attention to
eireunssnees arising out Of our late legss
tive discussion, which appear TO me 70 possess prsc
tea i'm portznee.
ls No attempt made by any speaker to isvsldste
the position wheh assumed the influence OF pub
lie executions vas deUorsliring
ID. No one argued ss4irs posiaon thu, innocent
often executed in consequence Of the fsbity
81 On. ,rorx point which althoush dses no, appear
At length IA my printed speech, fully stated on the
foor and occupss consider able space report viz
That the lie which separates sanity from inssnity-re
spous bility from sity-s % delicate and diff
en d=hr> tn, never sure that not hang
ing feow-cTcstur- foT an aetio which he BOT moral
IL resp0nsibls This point admitted 20 Re d.fcat
one b. some Of r gonis ard spg.ed
member from Monroe Il Is true, dsputed collateral
sah1rtiss from SpBrEheirn Pritchsrd Conol
w. lie 10 proveyx that Of an oy-rWhel ming propensity
o% esra @ s 70 the sShSs 70 p
session Of the Scrpture The member from Monfos met
this With ia: den al and sthou n have r-sd the quota
lions dom the original s9ihor' sad although the BOOK AZ
desk open re inspection q any ons be thought
proper to say 10 hs speech tnst ma oosue wAs not
found in any author except Combs, sud that he wss
weak authority.
4h. No Questioned the statistical tables Of the
speech the report except woodros Of Wyoming and
smith Of MonroPe the former attacking the table Of Ran
though murders hd rc-e'ed there, notwth,tand az the
standardization Of their crmin. laws they had lot
increased proportion to the popusion DID not ,ude
RsnoDs table fr any other purpose than
show that capital plnshmei "a did not restrain murder
and for this purpose 10 bore me out
Dr. Smith Introduced the tab 20 OF the Lar bagdsns as
showing that crimes increased consequence Of the also
hton Ct cspta punishnents Aud although interrupted
him feifh MI. permis.ioul while be was speaking, and
showed that these tables omitted the hole term Of the
largest criminal court IN The KINGDOM dufins one OF ne
as years Of e,pi'a pgnshments and altnouln On IN
and waived the argument founded on those tables yet ne
has fl publish his speech without the reinoiest ALA
sion 10 the explanation.
9Th No one attempted 10 overthrow the srzumsut by
which endeayore3 20 show that men aid not fear the
deghp penalty 81 distance and that II was imperative as
restraint from crime. MsDo a. Of Washington, denied
the conclusion (which 10 easily enough donel but he did
not attempt 70 SHAKE the proofs which addueed IN s'up
e,h No one denied the tendency OF Jures scquit in
capital udge told me the other day at the trsl
~ criminal charged with murder thrsetenths OF the
Jurors summoned refused the ground that
they had cancellations serupes about he punishment Of
desth and discharged and he farther said that
seven Of the twelve empsnneied expressed 80 much
doubt Of IT. swfunes that he feared that he had not
done his duty to the psblis in allowing them 70 cit
7th Ia argument OF the friends OF the bill was
attempted 10 be ovsrt1rovn-sxcept ~ aoove-oy any Oh
the numero debsters who opposed II
think these facts foil OF fnhcauee and ought not
10 be lost ght Of 10 the future progress Of the discussion
II the shove mentioned points had been vulnerable,
think Of the able men who opposed the bill would
have debated and exposed the weak ponts-ther silence
wss confession Of their sounduess
II thou hast the debates reported hou will have
that the whole staple Of he Arguments for the gal
touched lightly this part Of the question, posns u
ompetely overture that would seriously
appeal TO IL for upport; bat mistaken aud now
be that the great strength Of the friends Of the sbo
ton should be concentrated this point once destroy
the hoib PROCLAMATION OF the spirit Of the Bible which
has fastened itself minds under the Influence OF
misguided teachers, and our glorious reform VIII be TIL
um phantly established
think too that strong effort, should be made to set the
Winter supposed that the Clergy woud provs my natu
raj allies in the warfare, and never more sarpussd
and dishes ned when found that with the exec pton
Of the univeusiu clergy they we're almost to mao Ia
favor Of ths ssows This opposition, In many cases sIse
from want Of knowledge. asked Rev Dr ate Pres
dento College once last w inter- he had stud ed ths
subject he bad paid much attention to IL and that M
that we could net with the death pen
antwered that II wa based Whose shsddeth," nc
asked him II =" shall" might not be rendered will,
with equal prspriety. His msuner, which before haf
been very authoritative and dosmsic, instantly changed
to the hestsnE and nterrosstory add he asked II ans
commentators adopted that reading gave him sewers
citations the conversation dropped and he sat still fo
nearly half an hour. when he said " do 10. know bu
you risht shout this have already thought OF
number Of similar applications Of me s'me heofeS wore
/ wonder never thought Of II before" This was from
one who had studied The subject bot who had never $
much thought Of the very alphabet OF the controversy
although IL fsfniisr every friend OF the abolition
TIL. little Incident satisfied me that much good would re
suit from spec efforts brig views 70 III. notice d
the clergy II cur country JOHN STANTON GOULD