The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1855-09-26

CAPITAL PuNrsHMrNr.-Nothipg
new. pro or con, can be said on the
subjest q capital punishment. If there
were 20 other argumsnt to use against
it, than its we'll known effect upon the
motely macs Of mankind, it were sufi-
cient for its entire abolition from all
persuade christian land. The eager.
Eess with which men, women and
children, crowd together; the low and
vulgar scenes Of brutality that take
place on the ground, have pernicious
and demoraliziug tendency on society.
It is high time these beastly and dis
gushing spectacles were at an end
Indeed, by act Of the Legislature Of
this State the FIRST step.has been taken
in this matter, by providing that exc
cutions shall take place within enclo-
sures. But we see from the city pa
pers, that negro was hanged the 9TH
er day. on the levee Of the Jefferson
city stock market. The Picayune's
reporter says:
When we reached the spot selected
for the execution. about IL o'clock,
we found the levee covered with q
motely pile of humanity. consisting
principally Of women and children
The sun was intensely hot, 80 great
that we were obliged almost instantly
to seek a shade, while these women
and children had been setting exposed.
to its fervid rays more than an hour,
without the slightest shelter, and re-
NAMED there until the execution was
over, more than an hour afterwards.
Most Of the male sex present had um-
brellas, but the females generally dis
dained even parasol. and the Their
mometer was at least 1000 in the
shade Who calls them the weaker
sex? It was with considerable diff
Guilty we found shady spot, nearly
every nook and corner being filed
with the crowd who had assembled
from all quarters of the neighboring
country. A sight of this kind is rath-
er q novelty SO far up the river. and
the large majority Of the assemblage
was from the Fourth District and the
neighboring villages. Brown appear
ed to be the prevailing color, although
there was pretty fair spriukling of
black aud white, aud the German and
Gascon dialects had the call in speak
ing.
About IL o'clock the appearance Of
Capt. Mehafy's company Of the Ma
tional Guards announced the approach
of the criminal. The soldiers took
up position around the scaffold, driv.
ing back the crowd, and shortly after
a close carriage was seen driving up,
which it was said contained the doom.
ed negro. Public expectation was
now on the qui vive, the carriages,
cabs, carts, &C., drove up as near to
the gallows as the crowd would allow,
and there was general cry Of down
with the umbrellas" which was almost
universally complied with. There
were three of us sheltered under one.
however. and as we informed the NAL
contents that we had each pledged our
lives, fortunes. and honors, to stand by
it, we were allowed to retain our shade
showing the effect of 6rmness even on
an excited and curious crowd.
There were several little episodes
through the day. which added some
what to the amusement of the large
crowd in waiting. (which could not
have numbered less than six thousand),
among which were two or three fights,
mock and real, and the passage Of sew
eral unruIy bulls, who speedily cleared
roads for themselves. The whole af-
fair was a strong commentary upon
the impolicy and demoralizing tendcn.
cy Of public executions.
The BUrCHERIEs IN CHINA.-Dr.
Wentworth, Methodist minister,
writing from Shanghae under Gate Of
June, Sth says: