The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-14
CAPITAL Punish mcut.


Capital FunIshmcnt.
The advocates Of the abolition Of capital punish
ment held public meeting, last night, in Hope
Chapel Lecture Room, Broadway. L. F. A. Buck
ngham, Esq, the distinguished lecturer from
England, the Rev. w. S. Bach, and the Hon
Horace Greeley, were the speakers on the oc.
caslon. The room was densely crowded, and,
what Is not a usual occurrence at oh meet
lngs, the audience consisted chiefly OF the rough
er sex.
The Rev. Mr.. BACH was the first speaker He pro-
ceeded in strain of great eoquence, to combat the
arguments used against the abolition of capital punish
me mt and laid down the following positions :: First,
That the spirit Of christianity opposed to the punish
ment Of the death penalty and this being the case,
he considered himself bound, in Heavens name to ad
vocats its abolition to the best of his ability. His
second position was that 1t did not the design
Of its adoption for it does not Mt the missoa
of crime On the contrary, one execution had the
effect Of causing another by stimulating to the perpe
tra'ion OF the same crime The reverend gentle
this, proceeded to his next proposition, that 1t
had the effect Of demorazing the people. He would
place in New York there would be a number of minia
ture galowses and mimic executions subsequently
represented by boys of the city Its results, there
FORE could not be otherwise than demoralizng to the
community. He next proceeded to show that 1t not
unfequently involved the innocent and promoted the
escape Of the the crime,
been condemned 10 DEATH and how often had the
guilty escaped. The reverend gentleman adduced
several in proof Of both parts this proposition
ard to his next, that the ends of justice
not tubserved by the punishment of death There
| numerous cases where the guilty allowed to
ge tree in consequence Of the reluctance in juries to
consig man TO death and to seal his fate for nj
IL is cases b ana
would not be the case If ipprson ment some ether
punishment were substituted. Fer his own part he
would prefer to be tiled for crime to which the pun
ishDeDt of death attached than for in which
imprisonment for life the sentenceas he believed,
from the above consideration his chances OF esca
would be greater. (Chvers) lie concluded by saying
that petitions should BIZ forthwith poured iato the
legislature and that every one should exert himself
theoretically to do away with this penalty. II there
any perfons who had doubts the subject, let
him apply for Documents to DR.. J. Hopper, Secretary
Of the Society, at the office of Hunts Merchants
Masosine 142 Fulton street, and they would be fur
nshed free of charge. (Cheers)
MIR. BUCKINGHAM then pr0cee ded to address the
audience. He was at loss to know what grou nd to
take what branch OF the to treat the topics
of which it consisted multiplied and various.
He then proceeded to contrast the objection which
the advocates Of capital punishment made from that
passage in the 9th chapter, 9th verse of Geuesis-
Whose eheddeth man g blood, by shall his blood
be she'd" and contended that the sanction which this
passage supposed to give to the advocates Of the
eallows vas msinterpretation, and piece of con-
troversal dishonesty. He maintained that it q
simple prediction. general and universal declaration,
without conveying any authority to put a man to
upon the passages by the Septuagen.; the Samaritan
copy Of the Scriptures, took similar view. The
HuguenOt
| tion were also against command being upheld, and
interpreted the proposition by" to mean inn or
"among." Calvin, also, and Pascal, took similar
views and tho latter went SO far to say that the
passage clearly took away from all power his
fellow creature. After dwelling for considerable time
on the point, and quoting number of authorities n
corrobo alton Of this view he asked If such passage
so doub full cure not very insecure grou nd
to rest legislative mt? He then to
view the passage NJ conveying a command II that
were the case 1t must be binding at OIL times, and
under all circumstances Now the early Christians
~ htv,b fnrf G
brought the light of Christianity to England and
subsequently Bishop of Hippo, wrote 10 request that
might be spared to afford them time for repentance.
[luery-ls the lecturer not mistaken here in making
the apostle Of Britain aud the Bishop of Hippo the great
light Of the early church, the same individual RsPoR-
! TER After dwelling this point for a considerable
time be then proceeded to correct her objection of
the advocates Of the galows who maintain that Is
Gods justice is rciributive nd as pc wer of tue
law derived from the Almighty, that therefore the
justice of ma should be reributive also He MED
! however, both propositions, as also the conclusion
which was drawn from them. With regard to the
fret. he showed that mans own existence suf-
1cent proof that the justice Of God retrbu-
tive for fit were, who would there BE- without suf
fering from It! r. was deluson also to assert that
the power swayed by the law q direct deega
ton ON the Almighty for this would mi Ike i'm the au
thor Of all the crime which tyra and usurpers
perretra,ed, and would be renewal Of the old cx-
! poded doctrine of the divine right Of kings He
| equally denied that mans justice or could be
| Ietiibutiye, for to be so 1t must proceed from n
knowledge Of the intrinsic merit Of the crime and
who could have the knowledge without knowing the
| difficulties and the temptations OF the criminal!
! (Cheers) He then proceeded to combat the ohjec-
ton that the general feeling OF mankind was in favor
CT capital punishment; that 1t preve uted private
verge, and Other objections, and concluded length
ened luminous and eloquent dissertation. which the
pressure Of other matter OF mportauce prevents
from giving entire During the delivery of his Speech
and at tie close, the eloquent speaker was loudly
| ch,er.d
collection was then made to further the objects of
| the meeting
MT JAS II. TrrUs read a series of resolutions em.
bodying the seniments Of the speakers, which were
carried unanimously.
The Hon. HonacE GREELEY closed the proceedings
and 1t was subject of general remark that the Hon
gentleman looked smarter and cleaner than he has for
long time lie had new coat on and although the
bulk Of the audie could not believe their eyes. It
was nevertheless true, that the tie of hI
not under his ear He went on to say that he had
no idea, At that hour Of the night to deain the au-
dence. They then living in a revolutionary age
and IL was to be feared that the PRESENT aspect of
European affairs forbade the hope that hui n life
would be much regarded. He expected that in or 4
years boodshed would be fceque nd as
II necessary therefore, that they shonld
do all they could to modify this aud iufuse as much
humanity into the struggle as possible By this means
they would preferye Thousands Of wives from
widows and tmusands of children from becoming
pbSns They could not hope prevent the shedding of
human blood but their duty to do all ey could to
diminish It, In the progress of time. when tins dire
OF ibis great coDhagraton spent itself their prnci
pies would take root lie then proceeded to comb1t
The arguments Of those who advocated capital punish
ppnt TO put man la prison FIVE years for stealing
swa'sn was not right, though it might De propsr 70
keep him there to prevent him from stealing other
watches, and to him of his dstempered appetite
IL was the same with regard to hanging He repudi-
ated altogether the eminent ofrevepge believing as
he did that capital pun-hment only served to foster
this Shirt and to fail in the object for which they
wara int pdod- fbe m ion al lie