Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-02-28
naNcINc As EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.


HANGING. AS AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
The policy OF our laws fixing The punishment u u'a'A
| for certain offences has always co""'a'"eu Wv ' "
our Judgment They wisely assume ''a' '''e 's '' y,
which %, hs b,ouyh 10 bear upon tho minds oil men should
| -,, .. ,no,, from the indulgence Of their evil
,;a,,o,s A. if. s with most men, the thing OF great
m v,,ne md dsab the 10 DO summed ana aSo:aeo
il Ia evident that no other penalty than Inc aeah peha
woud exert such restraining Cuence over those VINO arc
prone 10 disobey The law. "
Believing thus, we have never sy VIZ. '' -,
ous and scky philanthropy, "hcn SOCKS 10 aoo'sn
punishment on the ground that human lie 10 'oo Fa
10 be chokcd GU, with hempen coru' AiS sH'py ao''
TO be whining about the prossf'a''oh VI ''e NAV VIZ
ployed alone as a means OF lnJuIy aua u.''u'''" -;
minds one of the bypocca Serne, snlVclns aud sen'
ver he dead body Of an old ass whose lie was
| , s. N hinsalf md whose inhrmitles rendered MN
hi. ,,oe,e, Admiration we may have, tor Inc oeau'
10 If Ina lament incurred out the dead donkey ou we
shall nevertheless admit thai his aesnine malesy "e' ID
vel dead az alive And it with criminals Dea eau
bring them no doom that they would not soonef VI '
receive and il relieves society Of curse and plague
III. however matter Of grea, doubt, whether the man
oer Of these cx ecuons is equally worthy Of approval Up
10 this duy, in this State criminals are hung III oPen
grounds 10 which the populace have Tree access was
sIenedy 30 arranged. The notion peVahea mat hans'us
\ VA not
scene was elpen,y calculated strike saluary terror
i,, rho be,,s Of all the spectators The event has not
justified tho wisdom Of the conclusion me history o' hc
last wear furnishes its complete retaliation
To cunnc ourselves within narrower limits; what nave
we seen during the past four months1 There haVo oceh
during that period in Virginia. no, less than SIX OF os"'
hanpags They occurred al points widely separated
from each Other and among people differing greatly 10 cu'
v,rion nni refinement, Notwithstanding, however, the d.
yersily of under which they occurred certain
facts were common al They attended by immense
hrongs Of people, of all ages colors sexes aud conaons
who rushed 10 the locality OF gaows with The same ca.
ge,ness that thoy would have exhibited they were hury
log 10 witness horse.racs gander.puiins The de-
portmen of these masses 10 going TO and returning
from the scene Of ega reributiou indicative OF that
mood when amused or are seeking 10 be anuseo
and even while the stranens wretch was dangling In the
air. the spectacle provoked rude ess and hlay and mlt
And finally bearing of the criminals was not that OF in-
divJua!s trembling and horor.scSen by the doom that
awaited lhem but firm, and to the eyes oil II" multitude,
even calm and heroic.
Such are the results TO which we arrive IN connection
with our public executions and submit TO all rejecting
men, that they demonstrate the impocy OF these exhoi'
tone II can hardly require argument TO convince the
reader that saulary Influence exsred by any one or
all of The cases which briefly analysed The tcnden-
cy was 10 blunt and deaden the fine euscepbies which re-
volt at the image Of death, and amlnr;Ss the public
mind with IN: disgrsceful punishment known 10 our
Code destroy The moral effect entirely However is
ribs 10 Ignorant, tho idea ot death upon the gal.
lows may previously been when tho reality has
been Witnessed and the criminal has been regarded The
day, whose performance called from their homes
immense crowd Ia lost forever and with Valuaoc
check u2on their feelings Of vindicVeness and revenge
striking confirmation Of these views occurred In this
bo kuou fnr aipiu mi
and with the hope affecting them favoaby many of our
,obaccons,s closed hr factories and allowed The hands TO
attend the hanging. They were there in crowds eager, in
teres,cd Spectators pressing towards gaows CATCH
If possbls the words uttered the criminal ard TO watch
the looked his Last upon the earth and the
sky The drop fell and the fIrce terminated They wended
their homeward and conversed as they went-no o. Inc
ave. which it supposed the would nsetre In he
minds but of tho mncss with which he died. CT the calm
ness coPosure with which he spoko md finally of tho
blessed stat. INFO rhich he had entered
1t mus; ever he thus. The class that ocks to tbeso pub
lie executions are Ignorant and like oil unctuca,ed persons
fond of tragedy /, has great charms for thetn Their
iuaginaons revcl in scenes OF e!ossness, but sicScn
when refined and chaste enymenis arc presented 10 tem
They would read the Obscene books OF the French schoo
with real gusto and away from our NOBLE manly no.
nest purifying English literature. The noSlest "ohs Of
Canoye would hardly their steps, while they would
stand and eaz. for the bcsal displays OF the ode
Astes They peuse the records Of crmo not as Inc Dee
sucks tho nightshado 10 extract s sweets but 10 gup
down its poison and rcre 10 the stupefacon 1t produces
To such beings execution Is but an mpAlse 10 crime
There is but one individual who derives the least benefit
from nublc executions and that Is the criminal To him
10 nercy Death is never terrible ~ when 1t comes 70
man in quiet way giving him fair notice of It's approach
and slowly advancing while he Is alone and without syPa
,hy The dying pang scarcely felt when the individual
is surrounded with like himself who have human gym
pahIes Especially Is The sting of death taken away When
the hero falls with eyes admrng fixed upon his iorn-
This support experienced by every murderer VINO publicly
pavs the penalty of his misdonas. Among the thousands
who s,nnd before him. he feels there soms who over inc
scene let fall tear and others who watch him as no Dies
10 see if he will die like man, or like cowardy wretch
90 ,rembngy 10 his fate
But It Is worthy of enquiry, whether society Is at liberty
to show this mercy one, who knew not mercy himse
and The more when such orbeaance may be the gossest
Injustice to others. For while private execution would
be much more terrible the cuprt II would also be more
awe.insprng the community. The ignorant eSaggca'e
the unseen always Mystery is associated with terror; ana
the man who would spout forth rbadry at public eXecu
tion would remble and grow when no thought oil
DEATH law Inflicted and witnessed only BY tho myrmidons
Of the law.
For these and Others which we will not now ad
duce we arc opposed 10 pubic executions oy hauShs vi
otherwise and would have them abolished In The State OF
Virginia
THE WASHINGTON GREYS, OF PHILADELPHIA.
This very handsome and finely equipped and drilled com.
panr under command Of Lieut.. EcEcndo have been
treated most Hospitality and kindly by their brother voun
teers of Richmond since their arrival Thursday evening
On Thursday night they entertained at very aGeeu
BILE and spirited ball. given them ut the United States lc
Uniun) Hotel by the Richmond Greys and tho Monisomc-
~ Guard Yesterday morning. they escorted over the
city by detachment Of volunteer companies; were
HOSPITALITY received BY Governor Johnson al the Executive
ma visited the Capitol, both houses of the Legisa
,ure and the statue of Washington enjoyed boun,ifu!
collation. at Military Hall! and last night were entertained
a, splendid Supper given OF the American Hotel by the
Richmond Blues. They will leave Richmond we doubt not,
highly pleased with the welcome they have received
from our STATE and City authorities and from their brother
citizen soldiers OF our metropolis.
A NEW NOVEL. By YIRGINlAN.
The Southern Era Of yesterday. announces new novel,
written by lady resident of his city, and 10 be asucd by
| A. Morris Bookseller. The title Of tho forthcoming