The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-13

iui.rli und a his wife and his children, re-
4 Vocliuly petitions, lhHf tte suuteurcAuWnrd
4 oi against hiu 10y lha law mny be- commnied
msnch oiherless horrible and ignomiui0us
." IH. .Ut
.Ti 4 ...-....... .la ..aIl.. .i. u.. ..--
4 ,f-r" "s ., wns ut nonurnulc npd blpumlud-
1 td Hucu,rould have returned no other NOgirt
+. 'rt' tlt-t tiid ii,H hy fe~i,eGTfuiy rsUinds
Il ,ur honorable body shat the two great tnor-
a d ingredients df crime of uurdor, malice
sn promodialiou, have never heen found ~
palusl hin 10y u jury, hat have hcon nortssn-
4 i,., iuiarrrd las tho arbitrary rulns af ll,a law
. rom certain general Gncts which your petit
tuncr vii not deny, hat The cNlcuunling de-
-s 81 which to nun ~ your petitioners sil
ulnuu can ever possess legal evidence 10
fu,c,, Thfse details your petitioner hns
4 ,nHNlcl 10 the lrirud wlu presents IBID puti-
iUp, win authority io state Item to Your
iuuumhlc body, Ia The hope that you will
f.i thrrUin rrUsun iu extend iu your pcri-
u'rrr aud his family that mercy Of which
.j.' 'uN hus mndr you The Dispensers.
iud Nour petitioner viii ever prry
J.W. WEBSTER.
Boston, Junc, 1850.
T!,s rotitian Was TnrliMiIi. fcflftd 10 tilO
rn'gsyt,ce ON purduns. ofwhich Lieut. Gov.
Red IL rhrifntan,pnd ~ o'clock was assign
,lsr his request, Cor henrug The Rcv. Dr..
lunnm in explanation oraud IN support Of
lMc pc'ition AZ tie hour unmcd tho com
n'rrc met in the Ouli.rhnmhrr, md the Rev.
Mr Putnam appeared, aud, hnving read tho
petition, proceeded 10 ninko the following
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
The grounds which ! nm authorized 10
t,ke Ia nid of the petition of. w. Webster,
and which ! take not NJ mn advocate pledged
lo side hut in good f,tih, ms expressing MY
.oau personal belief, are ns follows;
That the human rcinnius found IN the
u,.i'."i college, i1,Nas N.5ar li,ai worr lhotu
,.,hu late Gro. pukmuu, mad that hc cHtuc
Goo h'- death 10y ihc hands of Dr.. Webster, IA
amomcut of passion under great proyocaiiou;
'u lhcrc wus no prrurdiutiuu, nor utur.
',fOus intent; thni there was homicide, but
t.' "a uudrr--or II II could hr called auIUf.
i.r under he rigid interpretation uilhc rulur
U cumusyu law prevailing "a thus couuuu-
UJItyt VT rirut - pi- ts5;
ing TO ,hc moral Judgments of our pnopl,- or
OF mankind, nor The crime 10 wtlirh. the
public sruse of Justice UVurds the puuish-
urut Of dcUlh, or Tor which ihut punishment
Inflicted udcr tho usual aud actual ud.
ajn-ratlou ofihr law IN Massachusetts.
um enabled io present irom DIV clusters
oNt-it,s statement otthe tnri- connected
-H.s.. -1Aa .hanIicidc. IhG-clcI4hslliy and lnl-
u. Of this statement must depend partly on
,Ur date Of il, and the circumstances under
w4irh it wus nude. B"lurr reading it,tlIerc-
Tore, will relate tltsc circumstances TO the
committees
Ny acquaintance with Dr. Webster before
h, Iial hud been OF tie slightest and most
t..ual kind. Soon after hs sentence, re-
r.i,rd from him ~ request, lhot would vie
o. him ms clergyman, during his lmpr',oh-
'u,u. Ii Mu- Z. srrylrc not io Doe declined.
had lnlloWcd lhc rrpnrs ut luc trul, aud
ncYulc-rrd m the verdict rs a righcuus one.
l0d hod no ihnughl hut thn the sentence
WIS 10 be, and uuyitt IN bu rrrr-t ttit,-t S.4-
ru'lnn. ! did not nitkU II nv object To draw
c"nlcs>ion hqu him early; urLn lead hiu
ut ,OmtuV hin ser uUr WUN ut tlic otiuiI on
q % qucsri of his guilt or lunocrucG. lcarc.
tH'il uNu,,ic every rCuHrk uru inquiry that
might tempt biuto mnkc uuy false drcl1rH-
unu. lie seemed tn undcrs'nud me, aud
urth"r denied nor DECLARED his guilt. cN-
prc,ed hc would finally bc Induced TO com
muuicntc to me whatever hp k,rw uhuutthc
disappearance ct Dr. prrknlun. aud nhunt'
lhc remains found at tltc college. But WINS
"a no lutr, rl rnt lhi-. .h,u"lt -hould
.uor. h>rh @" u'u,lu lt"uI iin the rAori
tL.HlIl. bN vll,it...il ftUT,,t.. tIlaU. tC-
l-ittsi lti- Nttt
iu hrrotnc acquainted With Tim. 20 Win his
FHHiiTirfEtte 5fr 'r7,-iTrrrr-rrt
sympathy. ard To eudehvof-tp e. mike those
! uprrs> ions ola uIurHl aud religious HHtUrU,
~uch were suited To- his situation ~ II more
. less siulll and cFrtuinly dying man. As
'nr passed, ] sec~ed to myself to have sue
'c'ded ~ these Objects, almost beyond my
hopcs
Al length, on Odd day Of May, had made
up my mind tu nddress him in n wholly neN
>'rniu,aud TO demand ni him u full sintcneIft
of the incts llhcn believed myNolrtn hn on
such terms with him, thnt | could ahruptlv
and aulhoritntvry demand his confidence.
d,l so, aud wns not disappointed in tho
result. On entering his cell tl.nt day told
him thnt ] wns going to brouch new and
important subject t. him, aud he must listen
10 me scriuusly, aud not reply I'LL | hnd done.
!. lArn said Ia him, tint ha7must hnyo felt all
ir-rr- TINT tfr-rrtp+t4-t
communication; uuc4Ioiut on which we did
a not understand one another; that the emhnr-
rassmcnt which attsSalSsJt tbp.avoidinR of that
point obviously went lar "a defeat the sutis-
iarlion aud profit to himself which ought to
result from our iurrrvtrw-.-l sa+.l-tI4at lao
must certainly h6vessome knowledge respect
ing the fate of DIR. Parknan, which ! had not,
una that the unshnred secret must-b to to him
"a" oppressive and iniolerahlo burden; that
me tlme had come when he ought to shRro
"I'h some one, and under the crcumstun.