, 1859-01-21
PRESS AND TRIBUNE.


~NsA- AANNAkA1A1s
The conviction in our midst Of tTo per-
Eons fur the Highest crime known to
our criminal law; for which the etat-
ute imposes the penalty Of death - with
like condemnation possibly in store
for two others now under ipdictment-sus-
gcs1s grave reflections on the subject Of pub
lie executions. That the better class Of the
community-ihosew who have never seen man
hanged aud could not he hired to-arc aCi-
tated in view Of these facts, is Attested by The
number aud variety If communications and
protests on our table, for which NC have no
room in our columns short Of excluding tue
current news Of tue day. The larger share
Of these writer's look to rome speedy action
hy our Legislature, Withdrawing the dire
spectacle Of public strangulations from the
gaze Of the Ignorant and the vicious. Some,
indeed, seem impressed with the notion that
IN essay on the humunities will eutlic. to re-
t1raiu the animal cravings of The NIB who
rush madly through mre aud slect to witness
tile exhibition Of fellow mortal clicked to
death iu the air. This j. folly as surprising
as the vice which it reproyes. As we'll talk
in parallels to cattle carousing over slaugh~
ter yard, rs Geek to mollIy the Instincts ex-
cited in large city by the near prospect Of
public hanging. The olher suggestion is
Wise one, and We trust it may be acted upon
by the Legislature in season 10 meet our
emergency.
Our citizens well remember the orgies Of
drunkenness and blasphemy held in an ocean
Of mud last spring, on tue OCCASION of the
cxecu'on Of SiauE-clght or ten thousand
mcn, women and children choking the Shiny
streets, raclog through alleys aud across iots,
orcithrowins each uiher i'll the cutters, ours.
ing, cllo6ing, and venting all bestial noises
in heir cagerness % folloS clo.el carriage
containing doomed mau. Thu spectacle
vas sick"uing beyond expression. It revealed
passiuns u1d tastes in the human character
wssi:h might well tortifya doubt as to the
pcrmaneIce Of organized saciety-pas:ious
aud tastes which we believe would never
havc ben called into exhibition without
the particular stimulant afforded by the occa.
sioa. Uader this pressure 0 + excitement, this
conyocation Of dcpravity aud hardness OF
hea /, heightened hy a view Of the m1rtal
agoaies Of a fellow creature, the only wonder
is that some he. deed o blood did not crown
tho exercises OF tie .lay and call for new ju-
ries, ucw sentences uud n:w executions. This
Is no uncommon occurrcuce-a fact fully
established by tho statistics Of crime, here
and III England. In sucn an cycut It would
be question Of some moral importance,
how lar society itself was responsible tor the
crime allIch it sought to punish.
We have nevrr heard an argument I'D
rauce1 III flyor Of public executions. Hang
lug is bad en- u"h and in dsp]oring its nc-
cessty VIC Int deplorc the crimes which make
it q necessity. TAe 1no-t earnest oppoEcr oi
the dealh penalty will often lear or be Wit
NESS Of deeds for Which lc admits hanging is
too mild punishment. Wilt society is in-
iestcd with wretcGes, among whom murder
only ceases to tie plstine when it pe1ils
thcic ncck=, the death penalty under proper
safeguards nu:t remain. But there is
no re sou why The vile appetites 10 be found
in every cosisld dera5le community, should Ee
periodically wlct!cl by its public pcrform-
auce. 4 law prescribing method for pri-
vasc executions, fixing the places and romi-
na'iug tue persons who shall witness and at
ts:t the carrying ous Of tue sentence, can be
easily dlawa, and ought 10 receive the unani-
NOUS voc Of the Legislature. We trust the
adjournment will not lake place until = law
shall have bcca passed, meeting all the re.
qurements Of justice lit tile premises. without
mnistcrins ut the eame time to the deprari.
ti2s which make criminal laws necrssary.