New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-23
The Death Pessltg.

q the sSlesi champions q he Acoiuon ofss Loo
"a this country
Hon r.xrs Il TTrvs wss called b. preside. sss J
Cleveland appointed secretary on tssins ne chs
Nr uts, made scns Interesting rensrss IN regard !
ne movements IN xsw York ard other sts,>s fsr am
uor.s.ps the Pensl Cose-ths so.ngs Of he Ns~ fof
s,.,. society for the Abooa Of Cspits. Parish nSnt
Se-,how,ns ths, the p.ople are becoming aroused .
the great impousace OF the subject In The eosrss
remus. NJ Iltus referred 30 ihs recent nurse'
trial a Lancaster Pa snd the lsttsr II i1csc ie-s :
the Penn.yivsnis LeSisissure. s sho~1ns tns un~i'
| linz ne.s u Jurors o. convict where the pens.y =
sesh The snc sssrr trts referred to that of rsr)
Newman. q color,d usn for the murder Of ft-.rd
~tout A'sO colored 10 ~ss nprd estr-nsif di1c1i'
- obtain AIRY wiling b Try this case Fo-resa ~s1e
| excluded b-csuse hey coud ret cons entnisf ten
Ger verdict Of guilty unicr any clrclnistsaces sneo
the rssat u such verdict would - . sgnch teos
berg into e,efuisy. isry ~ss ho~evcr snaIy %
a ned and the evidence proved maricr-d-io"fsie 40
! marscr-As clearly haunsn sriiencs csn prove sny
ihins BAT the ury sfter being ou a uisht bruAsnt
in verdict oi murder In the ssssaa isrsthe utnosf
/ peusity 81 which 10 imprisonment n the fent-nnsy
i5r twelve years Judge Lewis recitrs thesc facts IN
bic estsr % the legislature sni sids tat M. ~ No
/ means a solitary csse-thf rrcOrt. 81 ne Noefs ot
renusylsania are Sled ~i,h 'iinilNF resus hefec'm
mrnis the passage of law 'Vesuns In ne courts t
IN arors sniaorisy substitute mpusonncUt iof lie
for Capita flushnsrt now crl l1inet ~ - l-t not
! imposed Ia f4a wuh any degree cf unsuifnhy we
have sircsay iatoru-d rssasrs tat the !aaissy
Commitise 0i The Pa House oi hcFfrsrntsis - cave
fepor.eds bill ioz the abolition ot ths p,sia Penalty
Mr. BvusruH took the stand q, shs coaclu.icn u
Nj T.,u,s remarks, and made . speech II screthius
over sn hour, dursaon. which wa listened - ~ith
deep Interest snd 10 which tie dsunsa,Asd cfs'cr
usira,ei BY lucid argument and most iormdssie ar
ray % fscis the mpoAcy and wieksdnsss "a tssns the
life of the rnlna. II the ob,ectot ite Death fcnsl
iy % vengeance. orss the advocate. OF The bloody
I N..t.
10 desl oct 20 the murderer irrespective oi h. or
| Socesys welfare The exact smoBnt sud kiui Il 10
iary which he ha. inflicted hs victim then the srsu
nent. in favor u the sslovs and suilouoe forci
b.. .nd conclusive. Our oPPorcn,s DO not ho~e'.r.
With rare exceptions. scAno~,eSse mi, doctrine -
There are indeed le~ who have suihcien, coorsse ~
...ert in the middle Of The Nineteenth Century of the
Christian Era that tho Punishment ot the Criminal
should have no regard for policy Or espedency that
Legislation, ard Jar,,s should not take into account
N. welfare OF society the reformation - the cri
insl-th.t blood for blood 10 ls~ ordained OF God.
.ni that all have to do 10 see - q that The man
who sisys hs brother shsl ~ IN turn y hs nfpshr'
slain
hcarss of the rcop, J ceilings OF vengeance ani efns
them ,o iadgr colg and dspa..ionsely on the SUB
isct the ssllow. rusi inr,iaey fall AZ once u yoa
wish IL strsng. man a. tssth With the consent sni
appreciation ~ the People, have your murder COMMIT
Tel 10 d.y tal o. morrow snd execution the DAY fo
owing DO the whole thiue vp oeiors The le'qo have
time 10 take the sOter al ihoVgh psfhsps
the great nAss of ths msiicned pcpuac" vii ssy, ~
heinou. 90 tase the life II The one man sHs eini
neny lust and Chf.tsn u destroy that oi thc other
But let there ts lspse ~ time bst~een ne conms
SION of the murder snd the trial 81 N" cfninsl-tst
there be time and opportunity for calm rrnssuon and
di.pa.,lonate nve.ts CATION aud the csmors Tor boot
| win os changed 20 words cf gentle PITY and compn-
sion.
| In the state Of Vermont sir seven years sso
law was passed providing that murderer shsll bs
<ecuted tl after the expiration ~ ons year fom ths
time OF receiving sentence and not then without tho
sanction Of tho Governor OF N" STATE Soon alter the
massage OF this law murdered hls ~itc In r,ost
| revolving and brutal manner. aud msny thought he
| ought 70 suffer immediate desth, snd of lev lays
tsl ssd of repeal ~ the law The murderer vss con
yicted and ~ the Pen,sn,sry but At the end ~
the year the Governor was not Disposed Ia ss hs
| death warrant lie remains In that prison stlL No
Governor oi Vermont has been found ~uhns to trsy
him from his cell 81 the scsNold and the sp-sscr sia
ed tina, IL wss not within HE know edge that any Ia
ecutvc had beeu requested 90 do 60 or that murder
had be- en- committed In that State since this one
| Maine has slso paced ls~ similar 90 that oi Yer
mont and the han gmsn has been out OF employment In
that state since Il 10 the sptt 81 senses0a", not oi
Justice that demands the blood OF the man slayer Inc
true objects OF punshment should be 30 prevent the
com of cri ne 10 repair ss iaf ssnsy Do 'hc
wrong done 10 society by the commission ~ crime anu
| g. To reform the offender Neither OF these oblee1.
the speaker contsnded would be staned By the taking
Of uio Far too little regard Ia now aud has la formet
times been paid 10 the rshts of msn 10 for Instance.
while We make mental ressrs s0n that thu murderer
has not right 10 live This right 10 HE IL law ~
Nature and that violates H. perhsps In
the heat OF passion under strong prorocson 10 but
| a sorry for the community, who 60 shout the
thing deliberately TO yolss that sacred sw u
Nature. Our bloody Penal Code coma from an age Of
| barbarian when human life little ressfdsd-whsa
the question was not now Whist 10 beet TOR the CON
| munlry, but How shall we get rid OF this houblesome
fellow the most speedily or How shall ~e mshs him
| fsel our vengeance the most sccutsly shall We al
low hn TO drag out short existence In cold. Damp
dungeon where he shsll never more behold the taco
Of the light Of Heaven shall We torture him
with the rack shall tesr his quiverins flesh
sunder with bested pncerst These paDishmspts ~ero
| considered Just la their tims-nay charitable Pro
nier Of England On the occasion OF certain STATE trials
recommeded the u the rack In ss charitable Q
rnanner ss possible. But they had not then ths isc
uss have now for carrying out mlder Penal Code.
state Prisons, Houses OF Correction Nc sfs OF recent
date.
setting aside the feet that Innocent men may be
and frequc nty have been executed for tho crimes of
others still abundant reasons fr the sboliuon
Of Galows tho certainty rather than tho 50
verify OF punishment that detsrs tae criminal from bic
wicked purpose. Jurors exhibit growing unwilirg
meas TO and verdicu Of guilty when ths pensl'y 10
Death while the reverse 10 the fact In regard TO crimss
punished less severely Take for example, ths city Of
Phuadeph where, IrDs tho last hity years, llOit
ais for murder have occurred aud of the vi ole numcer
only ten murdersrs convicted. Eve only OF whom
were executed OF those tried for burglary for tho
same period. i've sixths Of the whole number wore
convicted Indeed tho chances of escaping tbs prss.
nost entirely shorn OF its tsuors While viosnee on
the part Of tho begets spirit Of vo!snce sod
disregard for the sacredness u human HE on the part
u tbs People They tell the gsllo~s must bs COZ
uaued az an example whsh shall sthhs terror 10 the
hearts of all sv do.rs and yet murders have foio~ed
the very heel executions In nsmberess Ds-ue.s
ia Moy amensDg. few years ago, man ss murdered
almost At tho foot Of he gall0ws and ocOrs th- last
victim OF that instrument had been laid In his crave
Capital Punishment doos NOT then have the eject W
orsyent murder ss represented BY ts advocates kas
ss abolished tbs Dosth Penatys hundred years ago
and her people have not yet become nation of cut
throsts Bombay was for years successuliy governed
without the the bloody code. Tuscany put s~sy tho
halter and the many yesrs ago sod they we're re-
stored only BY the act OF Military U"rper and Dee
pot The people Of that ceuGtry have recently reAs
serted their faith In the mdsr code BY sboshing sod
publicly burning the gulotins. Belgium has got On
well for than forty years without H. iis pfso-
uc.l sboli.on ia Vermont and Maine aas wrought no
harm excited any fears for tho lives OF the peo-
pie Of those States. Tho champions of blood Tor
blood have endesvored To make much capital -
possible OF the fact that more murders have been
perpeustcd ia the state oi Michigan since the sbo-
ltiOn of the Death Penalty there than had been CON
mted for the length % time before its abolition.
bu, they ind convenient 10 forget that murders have
increased ia similar II nor greater ratio In ststes
where the ga0ws ttill stands with all ifs tefrOfs
Good men worthy .nd ussful M U socifty