Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-23
Bully Tireiuiau.
Ought John Brown to be Hung.


Ought John Brown to be Hung
We would recommend tho earnest pcrusal ~
the following extract from tho New York Chris
tian Observer. Tho whole course of this very ably
c1itet journal, from tho moment Of tho out break
at Ilarpers Ferry. has been such as to command
the sympathy aud support Of conservative men
throughout the union. Ash newspaper, it hns
performed the full duty of "Gol's trae and gontls
Minister" aud tho secular department Of the jour
nal hns been sincerely devoted to tho maintenance
of that spirit oi patriotism which eoex,sts with
lgon pure and undehed.'
There may be reasons of policy or expedicncy
for committing the sentence, but We see nohing
IN the nature ut the crime Or the circumstances ut
tending its commission, unless Brown was insane,
To call for clemtney in the case,
"On the contrary in the decd, the object, thu
long cool, deliberate, malignant. mutderous calcu
lation and preparation with which 1t was plannci
tho bondthir.tiness with which ihcl murdered tho
first negro that fell into their hands, the rcr,inac
i,y with which they held out when their nhuman
designs were hatllea, the slaughter of uno tiendna
c,izens, and the n,owed purpose 10 ruvnge the
couatry and uSurp the government. there s every
element that goes To constitute the highest crime
known II tie laws ui God and man. 1t is II moral
wonder HAT any ono, in his senses. who believes
that murderer ought to Lo put To death, should
doubt that these murdsrers deserve to die. In
every intel ,rnt Christian mind there is sense
q! right nnl wrong that for ~ moment mny be
"h+curcl by >ympnthy with suffering, TINT it
fails Ia utter ,t>clf correctly when il speaks but
the sober ia .rmcnt Of the Christine world res.
ponds to ih' frntcncr which God and man has pro-
nonnce upon tho murderer: Whose shcddeth
mnn's blnoh, by man shall his blood lc she'd"
There are interests most NV iul toh contempla
tel. whoa We decide to extend sympathy md fnr
g.venc,s to such crimes rs this Where is law
where il ,nfcty, where il III. distinction hcwcen
rjgh and WrIl%. where ~ the difference Nctwccn
raw rl ! ttncut "a IA nur,l,u thrg
mcu? l. there Huy crime known to the laws, or
ANY circumstances under which crime can be
committed. or antcccdonts or conscqHcnts OF
crim', that would call for the cXtrcmcst punish
ricnt which aic not rrc-eminently present IN this
ease?
'punishm ut in tho government If God nnd
nDan does not spring from II snilt II revenge. Il
i, he iru,l ct lp,c. Love demands that one who
has made war upon society shuil die. Philanthropy
the love Of man, the &C Of human race the lu,n
Il the grcatc-t number, requires tlnt murlorer~ e
punished. ~ God, who is love, urdaine1. If we
take the absurd ground that man whe
murders his fellow man to henc!t others, shall
IN tead "f Icing punished, hc hnnurcJ hero
"urown hlupd may tn-mnrrow be required hya hand
Of cons slra'or~ u aesassans VIII" h.ljrye h"roun
trv will lie he ctltcd by our dcath. i!"1luul,'
la, been lrtenlcd On this principal. Bat til,
.nne logic ius' lilies every man. in taking tLe Law
nto his own hands md staying la, nr'rhb,u
whenever hr thinks society viii ha bcnoit;eI hy
,osing n little bln"l. la our country thc !olple
are the sovereign: Hrnwnundcrinok 10 Kill thewhte
peonle to So, The blacks free; just the assaHsns
Of Paris have, n.c after age. tho oi liberty
sought 10 >lny Tia" sovereign whose government
they would ovelthrow.--l.i eli wong. And We
trcmhlc less in view Of Brown, mad freak than
We do in hc face TINT thuro s abroad IA the lane
a sentiment TINT would shield him and olcr
from the ust c'.n sequences of their cIimes. When
thuso men embarked in th. war upon the State.
when they prepared guns for Tie " nie men. and
ii thousand spears for the blacks to he used in
bariarous slanghle,; when they imbrued their
hamds in bio, by taking the first yict,m (nr' hoir
est colored man VIII" made resistance, hun wns
only seeking to escape from thcr hand j aud uur.
dcrng him IN cold ,lrnd; when they refused u
lny down their arms nj 'er being oycrpo" red. nnt
continued taGiT mur,crous work they threw away
all claim to compa"si 'n,and put tlcni-clsr "n liz
ha4nrd Of til" revolution they had h"R'Iu. lto,'nr
can find any cause tor pnid"a.nS saciI crime W.
cannot.