Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-04-08

was selected, in the manner best calculated to in
sure intelligence and impartiality. Counsel were
appointed to assist you in conducting your defence,
who have done all that learning, eloquence and
skill could accomplish in presenting your defence
in its best aspects. A very large number of wit
nesses Were carefully examined, and after labo-
rous trial of unprecedented length, conducted, as
we hope, with patience and fidelity, that jury
have pronounced YOU Guilty. To this verdict.
| upon careful revision of the whole proceedings,
am constrained to say in behalf Of the court that
they can perceive no just or legal grounds of ex-
ccption.
"GUlLTy!" How much under all these thrill
ing circumstances which cluster around the case,
and throng our memories in the retrospect, does
| this single word import? The wilful violence
and malicious destruction of tho life of fellow
man, in the peace Of God and under the protection
of the Law. Yes, of one in the midst of life,
bright hopes and warm affections, mutual attach
ments--srong, extensive and Misunderstanding
life blessing to himself and others.
We allude thus to the injury you have inflicted
not for the purpose of awakening one unnecessary
pang, in heart already laceratod, but to remind
you of the irreparable wrong done to the victim
Of your cruelty, in sheer justice to him whose
voice is now hushed in death, and whose wrongs
can only be vindicated by the living action of the
your case hard one, and your punishment too
severe; if one repining thought arises in your
mind, or murmuring word seeks utterance from
your lips think, oh think of him instantly depriv-
ed of life by your guilty hand. Then, if not lost
TO all sense of retrbutve justice, if you have any
computations arising from your conscience, you
may be ready to exclaim, in the bitter anguish of
truth, q have sinned against Heaven and my
own soul, my punishment is just God be merci-
full to me q sinner!"
God grant that your example may afford SOL
emn warning to all, especially to the young may
It impress deeply Upon every mind the salutary
lesson it is intended 10 teach to guard against the
indulgence of every unhallowed and vindctve
passion; to resist temptation to every selfish, sor-
did and wicked purpose to listen to the warnings
of conscience, and yield TO the claims of duty
And while they instinctively shrink with abhor-
ence from the first thought of assang the life of
another, may they learn to reverence the laws Of
God and society, designed to secure the protection
of their own.
We forbear, from obvious considerations from
adding such words of advice as may be sometimes
thought inappropriate on occasions like this. 1t
lies within our province, on occasions like the
present, to address the illi,eraa, the degraded,
the outcast, whose carly life has been cast among
the vicious, the neglected, the abandoned who
have been blessed with no means of moral and re-
gous culture, who have never received the bene-
tit OF cultivated society, nor enjoyed the sweet
and ennobling influences Of home-to such an ono
word of advice upon an occasion 80 impressive,
may be word fifty spoken, and tend to good
But in a case like this where the circumstance
are all reversed. no word Of ours could be more
eificacious than the suggestion of our own better
thoughts, to which we commend you. But as we
are assigned the last sad duty of pronouncing sen
tence, which is indeed the voice of the law and
not our own, in giving utterance cannot do il
with feelings Of Indifference, formal & official
act. God forbid that we should DO prevented
from nduging and expressing those, irrepressible
feelings Of interest, sympathy and compassion
which arises spontaneously in our heart. We
mos. sincerely and cordially deplore the distress
ing condition into which crime has brought you;
and though we have no word of present consola-
ton or Of earthly hope to offer you, in this hour Of
your aif1icton, yet we devonty commend you to
the mercy of our Heavenly Father, with whom
is an abundance of mercy, and from whom We
may all hope for pardon and peace.
And now nothing remains but the solemn duty
Of pronouncing the sentence which the law fixes
for the crime Of murder, Of which you stand con-
victed-that you, John w. Webster, be remov-
ed from this place and be detained in close custo-
dy in the prison Of this county, and thence taken
at such time as the Executive Government Of
this Commonwealth may by their warrant appoint,
to the place Of execution, and there De hung by
the neck until you are dead, and may God Of hls
infinite goodness have mercy on your soul.