New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-08
THE DEATH PENALTY.
Meeting of the Friends of Anti-Capital PuuA
ishment

Meeting of the Friends of ntI-Capital PunA
ishment
Reported for the Tribune
A large meeting of the friends of the Abolition
of Capital Punishment was held at Convention
Hall, Wooster.st. on Monday evening.
The meeting was called to order by Henry w.
Smith, Esq and the following gentlemen appoint.
ed Officers
= Pyssident-Hon A. D. sOPER, of Kings Co.
Vice Presidents-WM. c. BRYANT, FREEMAN HUNT,
PHILIP w. ENGs.
Secretaries-F. c. HAvEMEYER, JOHN M. HOPPER.
Mr.. JAMES w. TITUS, on behalf Of the State
Society for the Abolition Of Capital Punishment,
submitted series of resolutions and explained
the objects of the meeting. The assembling of
new Legislature afforded the opponents of the
Death Penalty another opportunity of expressing
their sentiments and it was to be hoped that the
public voice would be heard in earnest remon-
STRANGE against this foul blot upon our Statute
books. The Resolutions were read as follows
Rs:oIysd That the experience Of all ages and nations 10
punishment operates efficiently in the prevention Of
crimes than any extreme degree OF sefeny which may
be prescribed by Law Penalty.
Resolued That the experience of latter years in the pros
ecu0n OF individuals indicted for capital crimes evinces
such prevailing repugnance to convictions involving the
Death Penalty that has become necessary 10 alter
criminal laws As 10 secure more eecua than Is at pres
tenders
defense extreme necessity is the only Qualifications and
that stand excused In his conscience,
rated nv law who fails clearly and ndispuaby TO demon
sirse that necessity and therefore that Society," before
eXacts laws for the infection of the Death Penalty should
prove las Blackstone decares) by clear and adputa6e
dc0RSdtio the necessity OF such enactmens for the
protection Of the lives Of its citizens
Resolved That the extreme penalty Of Death has new
er betn demonstrated by "cear and indisputabe demon
strsonu rs necessity for the protection of the lives
ciuzensi but on the contrary whenever ana wherever
psonmep for life has been substituted for the extreme and
awful penalty of Death 1t has proved to be equally efficient
In protection Of property, of liberty aud OF life; and,
there FORE that the welfare OF socehe dictates OF hu.
meniy and the precepts Of Christianity all demand that
imprisonment for life declared Of aLy privilege Of pardon)
shuld be substituted the penalty OF all crimes now pun
ikhsbe by Death
The resolutions were left open for discussion.
The last two are substantially the same as those
introduced by Mr.. Titus during the last Anniver-
sary of the Society,
Rev. WIN. s. BALCH made few remarks in sup
port of the resolutions. He alluded to the pro
gress and prospects of the cause, and found occa-
sion for great encouragement 1t had been said by
One holier and greater than ourselves that the
children of this world are wiser than the children
of light and he MIR. B had often thought that
men were more eager III the pursuit OF evil than
of good. We find that there is a backwardness
in complying with the plain commands of moral
law: Every practitioner OF the law, every Judge
upon the bench, will admit that it is becoming
more and more difficult to procure convictions for
capital offences where the penalty is death, than
is in any other case Many high legal authorities
have already been led to acknowledge that
modification of this penalty is desirable and even
necessary. The public mind is waking up TO
sense of the Importance of the subject. The
speaker did not doubt that there are now at
large in the community depredators upon the
welfare and peace of society, who would long
hi 1as h,k
penalty attached to their misdemeanors The
difficulty of obtaining convictions in these cases
epdaDgers our social well-being. From these
evidences OF public sentiment in relation to the
matter Of taking human life, the speaker drew
happy augury of the future. The plan OF subst
tuting imprisonment for Life in place of the pres
ent severer penalty, was briefly considered, and
its entire efficiency amply illustrated We need
now adduce the examples of European countries
The State of Michigan has abolished the penalty
of death Would you feel any hesitation IN tray-
cling through that peninsula with property in
your possession! Would you feel any reluctance
10 travel in any portion of Vermont or in Maine
Certainly not for life and property are rendered
even more secure by the penalty for crime which
is there substituted for death These are practi-
cal examples Of the efficiency of the measures
which we are here met this evening to advocate
and advance
Mr.. JOHN CocHRASE followed in speech OF
considerable length and sound argument. He had
not come for the purpose of making speech, bat
would do what be could for the advancement oil
the great cause for which the meeting was asse M
bled. 1t seemed TO him very singular that In this
middle Of the Nineteenth Century and in this
Commercial Metropolis of the Western World,
we should be again called upon to advance srgu'
ments in support of Reform which reposes at
the basis Of all civil Reforms principle so well
established as to amount TO doctrine. He was
not well versed in the writings and arguments oil
the prominen advocates OF this Reform he was no
| theologiap, nor one Of those who had partaken oil
the fervor or spirit Of theology; but he had had
his attention directed 10 sundry arguments drawn