The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-04

instead of hunE. what Tor Xhe law pre-
scrihcs the penalty of death for such offences
al he committed. lie has been convicted by d
,urv upon evidence which 1t is impossible to
doubt. lie was taken In the very act. What
reason can there be, then, for making any dis
fiction between him and any other convicted
Seion The excuse made for him is that be
conceived himself to be doing right The law
has nothing to do with his private opinions
1t declares such offences as he has been guii'y
of punishable with death. Let the northern
press and people make a hero and martyr OF
him III they choose. There Is no oispunhg
about tastes. All the law has TO do is 10 SEN
tence him, and it is the duty OF Tue state gov
crnrnent 10 see the law executed.
Tho New York Tisits backs this appeal of
,ha rou,naI. 1t intimates that the ultra abo-
liiionists desire the execution of Brown 1t
would be cruel to disappoint them twice in
tbe same matter. BROWNS failure has al
ready caused them trouble enough BY all
means let them have theif wish this time.-
The same paper says that the whole Northern
ueople with the exception Of the abolitionists,
whose numbers are pitifully small,) are
unanimous in condemutng this violent cru
SADIE, &c OF course they are, now that IL has
tailed Men, we are told. of all shades OF
opinion look with horror and detestation upon
any armed invasion of the South, or any a.
tempt to excite Southern slaves TO insurrection.
And yet the entire population OF the North-
public orators, preachers newspaper editors
writers, correspondents, reporters, merchants,
LAWYERS, doctors, mechanics, persons Of every
description. to say nothing OF State Legisla-
lures and members of Congress, have been
of ho tirra, G -
confliet', for years upon years. These things,
we.suppose, meant nothing. They were merely
harmless distractions They had, and were
designed TO have, no share In preparing the
mirds of men for such affairs as the outbreak
Al Harper's Ferry. How innocent! cannon
the Times go n little ftrtlier! 1t seems to as
it would not be very difficult to snow tha', al
Ter all, BROWN and his men killed nobody at
Harper's Ferry. They only loaded Inc guns
and drew the trigger. 1t was the bullets that
did the mischief
The Tunes thinks the execution OF BROWN
will only deepen the abolition feeling, and give
an accession of martyrs TO their cause. The
Times is very much mistaken. The best way
in the world to break up gang OF scoundfeIs
is TO hang the ringleaders. Hang BROWN, and
we venture 20 say he will have no imitators
in many years 10 come. Let him so, or 40 less
than hang him, and we shall always be Liable 10
a repetition of Kansas work" The only
conclusive reason" says the Times, Tor hans-
ing these men, would be that their continued
existence is incompatible with the safety OF
the State of Virginia" We confess we our
selves can see but one reason for hanging
them, and that is conclusive enough. mat
reGson is as follows: They have been con-
victed of murder and treason, under very
aggravated circums tances, and we have heard
no plea in e1tenuation of their CRIME, eG-
cept that which the Times offers, so far as
BROWN is concerned, viz: his "personai
bearing throughout his trial-his courage,
his courtesy, his perfect self-possession, and
his evident conviction Of the rightfulness of
bis acts Now, with regard 10 this defence,
we can only say that the law Of Virginia does
not recognize the distinction Of persons which
it attempts TO set up. II does not accord TO &
brave, courteous, self-possessed man, the pIi-
viiege, over others less highly favored by ma
ture of indulging in the pet crimes OF muir
der and treason. AS 10 BROWNS conyjc lion
Of the Justice of his cause. we read the other
day Of an Italian nurse who poisoned four ba-
bes, one after the other, 10 insure them place
in Heaven, by numbering them before they had
arrived at an age to be responsible for any
thing they did. Notwitls landing the excel |
lent motive which led 10 the preparation Of |
the crime, the nurse was capitaliy convicted. |
Old Browns motives could hardly have been |
better. We would remind the TINES that our |
supply Of inhabitants is limited, and that we !
cannot afford to furnish its philauthropic,
conscientious spectators in human blood,
with subjects for their operations Oar laws
are made TO protect our own citizens, and IN
asmuch as it makes very little difference TO
murdered man whether his murderer be
saint or q sinner the laws are not particular |
in that respect. They protect the citizen
they hang the murderer His motives are be
tween him and his God. The laws punish
crime.
We are told, however, that we would great
" crafty the Northern people by letting Old
BRoWN go at large. We have no doubt we
should crafty 4 large body OF them-ali the
Abolitionists, namely, who have the courage
TO ayow their principles openly, and all the
followers of SEWARD who are too cowardIy to
come cut. Next 10 the success of Old BRowN
in his attempt 10 spread murder and confia-
grafton from the Potomac to Texas, nothing
would crafty such philanthropists half SO
much az his escape from punishment. But
hey cannot be gratified. Old BROWN will be
lung like any other murderer, and we venture
o say his crime will not be repeated shortly.