New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-13

pulpit for the bsrthe expedition Of the Cospsl for
that Of the law. trust that this misfortune which
has ovcrtaken him viii not hinder the advent Ia this
country Of the Rev Mr.. Spurgeon the young English
reyivalst, whom England, il is understood was TO
spare to us on condition Of receiving Mr. Kalloch for
q season in exchange. He would b. sure ca I'd for
tine, and If those wretched AbOlitiOn-ts would
only let him alone, and not njure his usefulness by
making him take or refuse part in what Gov.
Gaidner might call secular consideration and
political discussions, he may be- an instrument Of
saving many souls South ss well as North The epi-
granmatc point with which he aims AT snners-ss in
his printed discourse entitled "Turn or Bun'-can-
not fail to pierce their impenitent hearts II was Of
this discourse that Mr.. Punch prOaney said that he
had complied with both parts If the proposition, for
that as soon rs be had turned the first leaf he
burned the whole
Our other trials have been of more secular ma
tlire. They were Of two convicts for the murder,
respectively, Of the Warden and Deputy Warden Of
the State Prison at CharlestOwn. There being no
question as TO the fact in either case the only thing
TO be settled was whether the men were in a respon
sible state Of mind when the acts were done. A
strong case Of insanity was made out a. to Magee
the man that killed the Warden. and one that would
undoubtedly have procured the acquittal on that
ground Of any respectable citizen charged with doing
q like thing in an equally public manner. The fore
man Of the Jury had the resolution to hold to this
first trial ended in disagreement. The eleven
other jurors whether set on by any other person or
Of their own natural mpudence, addressed libel0us
and sanderous letter TO the AttOrneyGeneral to the
effect that the foreman had made up bis mind before
the trial begun and that be held opinions to capt.
tai punishment which should have prevented his
erying on the Jury at all a. he had been examined
on his rOir dire, and given satisfactory answers this
was plainly charging him not merely with construc-
tire, INIT dalIhprata
letter the Attorney General instead of sending 1t
back to the Jury with reprimand, communicated
to the Court, and the Court instead Of treating il
a contempt they clearly might, passed it by with
out rebuke either to the ibeers their instrument.
The foreman has since purged himself of these
charges Of the rest Of the jury, and placed himself
on his unquestiOnable right Of opinion. A more out
rageous attack on the sacredness of the jury room
has seldom been made, and am happy to say that
il meets, outside the Court House, at least with
the reprObation il deserves Its purpose clearly was
to bully the next jury that was 10 pass on the case
into an agreement, under the threat of public CEN
sure and oboquy to any who should dare to diff
fer from the majority. At the next trial convic-
tiOn obtained.
The insanity Of the other prisoner Decatur, was
much less clear and there no difficulty about
c0nycting him. His explanation of his act was
that he was driven to it by the treatment he re-
ceiyed from the officers Of the prison, and espe
no excuse for the murder, is at least an explanation
of it. and il to be hoped it will lead to an nyes
tigaOn of the secrets Of that prison-ho,ise which
will prevent the occurrence Of such another horror.
1t is papabe and inevitable conclusion az rec
Olect YOU stated edtorialy at the time these crimes
were committed, that there must have been some
cause in the cement Of the cOnvicrs 10 lead to
the murder Of the two chief officers within month
Of each other and to such state of excitement as
IN compel the confinement Of some twenty more in
their cells because il was dangerous To have them mt
large These tragedies will probably have the effect
of making the men in charge Of the prisoners lit
IT, more careful to how they turn the screws of
their discipline seeing that the conyicts are men OF
like passions with themselves, lest they, too, Ike
these two unfortunate officers,
May find in some wild hour much the wrctched dare "
But the true remedy or preventive, of these harms
lies in the substitution of totally different class oi
men for those now put in charge OF the PRISONS
Men Of at least the calber and the culture of those
intrIsted with the treatment of the Insane, the
Blind the Idotic and other unfortunate persons, re-
curing the most humane and the wlseSt treatment
on the part Of those having charge Of them. en-
trey agree with the opinions You have expressed
from time to time, in your editorial columns, on ms
subject and hope they will soon be organized into
action.
But let Ms change the subject. Mrs. kemble has
inst closed a most successful course-or rather pair
Of courses-0f Shakespearian readings There
was Il great competition for tickets, 81 that II was
special mercy to get one after the very beginning
did not follow them up with any great strenuous
| ness. These readings certainly are most elegant
| and ,nexceptionable recreation and one which
Ike to sec enjoycd by those that like II. But truth
10 tell it is not the sor of thing that recreates me
| particularly. You see that learned to read at an
early period of nv life and since have gener
ally preferred doing my own reading. Mrs. kem
bles reading where she merely road was extremely
fine All level and narrative or descriptive passages
her fine voice and cultivated tones gave with great
beauty and effect. Not So where she attempted to
act the passionate and stormy parts as far as was
possible to lady seated i'll full evening dress behind
a table. Reading and acting ] take to BE- things
| quite distinct the one from the other The best
| reader is he who makes himself the simple medium
through whose organs the sense Of the author flows
| from his mind Ia yours all the subtlees Of meaning
| and the decacies Of beauty being brought our by
the skill of bis emphasis and ntonation and so done
as TO be himself forgotten and unseen in the dream
| he con lures up The good actor is he who for the
time being 50 presents the character he assumes,
| that YOU forget that he is not actually such. lie
must do all that the reader does and more than the
reader can do. And if this last attempts produce
effects which require all the helps and Illusions OF
the scene in lecture room. his failure To that eN
tent is inevitable and it viii be- great good luck If
| it escape being udicrous.
Mr.. Thalberg has been drawing full houses at this
his present visit. He has joined to himself variety
of accessories III the way OF singers and reclters
| which. however well in their way, have generally
seemed To be in his. great artist such he one
would think, might dispense with helps Ike these
4 moderacy-sizcd room, suitable To the instrument
| which be has tanned So maryelolSly might be- filled
at good prices by those who are willing To pay for
what he has 10 Afford but who do not care To have