Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-04-09
s1STExctsoF paoEnssoR WEBSTER.
t1s:.gsspse3 1or tse Bai.imorr s4a,I

BosToS, April J, 4eS'u.
The result Of tho trial OF DR.. Webster is generally
approved by our citizens as in accordance WIN 1ae
testimony in the and has been the subject ol u
interrupted conversation through all parts vi the cl
Is since its cose II is understood the luSS alter 60
ing out on SatGrday night at first deiiheratca IN 81.
lence for ten minutes then voted on the question
| whether the rclgains were those or DR.. ParEman.-
There unanimous yea.
| lAitted the nnrdsr7 There were eleven yeas ana
one nay. The nay cam: from Mr.. Benjamin IL
| Greene He Stated his point of doubt, and alter
some discussion, he dcclared It was removed.
! iPLc family OF Webster was notSinfDrmet of tho
verdict GU the night II wasrcndered. Some friends
howeVer; nndertuok the task OF their mind
!! sunday morning, by MIS- WIN. E. Prescott. The
/ scene was most heart-rending. Every effort has
been made by their friends 10 assuage the grief OF
the afflicted wife and daughters, VINO up TO Iate
! hour confidently expected an aCquitt3l.
| letter OF coincidence was presented to them on
Sunday afternoon signed by the heads OF all The PrIn
ward Everett, Jared Sparks, Prot. Morton, Judge
Fay &c. Judge Fay gave it up, that his friend
| Webster was guilty man, after hearing his own
speech on Saturday evening.
Professor Webster was brought into court th'S
morning eight minutes 10 nine O'Clock. to receive
the solemn sentence of the law. He looked gloomy
in the extreme, but collected and calm. The court
room was dcnsely crowded AT ten minutes past
ten O'clock the Court came in. Alter some min
utcs of silence, Mr. Attorney General Clifford mar
rated the facts of the Indictment, trial and verdict,
| law be now pronounced.
| The prisoner rose. and was asked by The clerk
what he had loshow why sentence Of death should
| not be proDoEnccd against him. The prisoner
| bowed and took his scat in silence.
Chief Justice Shaw then addressed him in the fol-
| lowing words:
| last time 10 pronounce that sentence which the laT
has affixed To the high and aggravated offence oI
which you stand convicted, il is impossible, by Ian
guage 10 give utterance to the deep consciousness
OfreSponSiLility TO the keen sense OF sadness and
| sympathy, with which we approach this sulcmn
| duty. Circumstances which all who are here may
duIv appreciate but which il may seem hardly ht 10
! alnGc 10 in detail render the performance Ot
this duty on the occasion remarkably painful.
! Al ali times aud under all circumstances, feel
ing of rdcscribabc sOlennity is attached TO the ut
terancc OF that stern voice OF retTiouhTe 1uStlce
! which consgns fellow being 10 an untilnely AMI
| ignominioUs death; but, when we consider ali the
circumstances of your past life, your various Tea-
tnns in society, the claims upon you by Others the
hopes and expectations you have cherished, with
| your present condition, and the iSnoniniOus death
which awaits you, we arc oppressed with grief ana
anguish Nothing but sense OF imperative duty,
/ imposed on us by the law, whose officers and minis
Icrs We are, could sustain US in pronouncin5 such
| judgment.
Against the crime of wilfIl murder, of which You
! stand convi"ed-a crime at which humanity shud-
| tcrs-a crime every where and unde rail- forms Of
! society, regarded with abhorrence-thc law has an
.nounced lis severest penalties in these few simple
but solemn and tmpresstEts isEfrS lerfSn 1l
the punishment Of death for the same" The mani
fest object of this law is the protection and security
human life the most important OF the first and pa
telnal ends of government. II is made the duty of
this court this penalty against any one who
shall have been found guilty, in due course OF the
administration Of justice, OF having violated this
law 1t is one Of the most solemn acts of Judicial
mower which an earthly tribunal can be He'd upon
| 10 exercise; i, is high and exemplary manifesto
ton of the sovereign authority Of the law, we'll
its stern and nGexihlc severity. In its protecting
and parental bcnignity it Furnishes the guilty with
SEVERITY order that the right to the enjoyment "t
life-the most precious of all righs-may be more
! clcctGay secured
By The record before us it appears that you have
been indicted by the grand jury of this county for
the crime OF murder alleging that the 23rd OF No
vcmber last, you made an assault upon DIR: George
! Parkman and BY acts Of violence you deprived him
! of life with malice atorethousht alleged to have
been done within the apartments OF public lns!itu
ton in this CITY, the Medical College, of which You
! were Professor and instructor, upon the person OF
n man of mature age, we'll known and Of extensive
| connexions in this community, and benctactor OF
that institution. The charge Of an offence so aggra-
vacd in the midst of peaceful community, crca-
ted an instantaneous outburSt OF surprise, alarm and
horror; and was followed by universal and intense
anxiety to learn, By the results of judicial proceed
I ing. whether this charge was true
The day of trial came. the court was organized to
/ conduct ii; jury, almost Of your own choosing.
selected, in the manner best calculated 10 insure
! Intelligence and imPaItia!ity. Counsel were ap-
pointed to assist you in conducting your defence,
who have done all that learning, eloqucnce and skill
could accomplish in presenting your defence in its
carefully examined and after laborious trial of un
! preccdented length conducted as we hope with pa
| ticnce and fdelity that jury have pronounced you
| Guilty. Tt This verdict, upon refuIrevision of
the whole proceedings am constrained to say in be-
half OF the court that they can perceive just or e
! gal grounds of exception.
tCSUILTY !" How much under all these thrill
ling circumstances which cluster around the case,
and throng memories in the retrospect does this
single word import The wilful violence and mali
cioI1S destruction Of the lite 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 attachments-strong, eI-
teuSive and MISUNDERSTANDING lie a blessing 10
| himself and others
We allude thus TO the injury you have inflicted,
! not for the purpose of awakening one unnecessary
pang in hea already laceraed, but TO remind yop
nf the irrep5rabIe wrong done the victim of your
cruelty in sheer justice 10 him whose voice is now
hushcd in death. and whose wrongs can only be vim
dicated by the living action OF the law IT, there,
/ fore you NAV at anymoment think your case a hard
| one and your punishment too severe II one repI-
| ming thought arises in your mind, or 1nurmuring
word seeks utterance from your think Oh think
! of him. instantly deprived OF life by your guilty
hand. Then if not lost TO all sense OF retrIhutive
Justice If you have any compunctions arising from
| your conscience you may be ready TO cxelaIm in
The bitter anguish of TRUTH II have sinned against
/ heaven and mr. soul, my punishment Is Just !!
God be mercilul 10 me sinner p
God grant that your example may afford solemn
warning to ALL especially TO the young may il I'M!
| press deeply upon every mind the saiutaTy lesson
Il is intended TO teach, 10 guard against the lndui-
rence ofunhallowed and vindIctive passion; 10 re-
sist temptation 10 every selfish, sordd and wicked
purpose; 10 listen TO the warnings Of conscience,
and Weld to the claims of duty. And whilst they
instinctively shrink with adherence from the trst
thought of assailing the life of another, may they
learn 10 reverence the laws of God and society de-
| signed 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 Il
/ lies within our provne occasions like the present
4 10 address The ilerate, the degraded the outcast
whose early life has been cast among the vicious,
the neglected. the abandoned; who have been bless
/ ed with no means of moral and religious culture,
! ,hn ha re nErer received the benefit of cultivated