The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-02-14
NO. IS.
For the Transcript.
CAPITAL PUNISEg S-T.

Mr.. Ep1roR My third argument
against the infiiction of the Death Pen
atty is drawn from its Ifreneaiohty.
So long as it is enforced, the Inaocen;
are as liable to suffer as the guilty. La
fayette said, 81 shall ask for the abol-
;sh,aent Of the Death Penalty, until
have ti.einfalibii;ty ofhumaa judgement
demonstrated to me-" He said this IN
view cf tie awful scenes enacted dur. !"
ing the French Revolution, where the
innocent and the guilty alike suffered
Oh the Block. Il am innocent!' "Be-
fore God in whose presence am about
to appear, solemnly declare know
nothing of the crime imputed to me-"
and similar assertions, are repeatedly
heard from ,nortals about dying upon
the scatfoll, but it stops not its work.
IN England more than ten thousand
persons have been executed, who pro.
tested most sacredly with their dying
breath that they were innocent of the
crimes for which they were about to
lie. And in the United States the
number is near three hundred.
1t IS true that in every instance we
cannot place implicit faith upon dying
testimony, but among 50 many, is it not
altogether probable that . large num-
Der uttered the truth? a majority Of
them were entisled to credit, because
they -s'changed from nature to
grace, fitted for Immortality spheres,
ana were expecting world Of glory
when they quilted this. So said their
spiritual advisors and the Christian
Church. Yet they were not credited
bu. strangled sy Christians, in the rery
midst o.t tl.eir protestatioas Of innocence.
This paper might be filled with re.
corded, reliable instances Of innocent
men and women who have been execu.
tel, and after it was too late to avail
them, their innocence was established
beyond dispute, often by the confess
sions Of the guilty party, at times by
The re-appearance Of the supposed dead,
but for want OF room, viii, not refer to
them Individually, as it IS universally
admitted by those familiar with the sub.
ject.
The seloancnt Daniel O'connon y >
speech before the London Sociess for
the diffusion Of information OF, tie sub
;eet Of the Death Penalty, sass, u have
long been deeply impressed with tie
con,i;t.en that Capital Punishment
ought t. be utterly abolished cannot
forget that vengeance is l.a;ae, sa,th
the Lord, AMI I will repa. i. la
mentions the case Of S gentlemen whom
he once saw, that had banishei himself
fsons society: he inquired the esase ana
! .earnel tia. two men had entered his
bed chamber st night and robbed him.
| lie prosecuted two brothers for the
crime, they were executed, II less than
two weeks lie discovered his mistake.
lie says further that he defended three
brothers on a charge Of murder, they
we're convicted. A military guard was
placed over them with stric; orders to
let no one approach them. lie saw
/ their mother strong III her affection
break through the grard-le saw her
clasp her elsest son who WAS but twen-
t. two years Of age-cling to the Sec
ona, who was bit twenty-and he saw
her tai;,. as size c!asped the neck Of her
yon,g gest boy, who was but eighteen.
"Anl.-hc ad>lel-they were innocent
bit were executed Gle mentions
these facts he said, 10 show with what
extreme caution any one should do that
which was irrevocable.* In England
and perhaps other European countries,
4 no speech is allowed in behalf Of the
accused; the Judges charge is generally
an argument in favor Of conviction, and
conviction follows. Is it !, wonder that
innocent parties suffer for the guilty :
Human judgement is falible. Men are
f mistaken in point Of time, in recogni-
ton of strange countensnces, in certain
, minute circumstances, and circnmstan-
, tial evidence (generally being the en-
!. tire eyiaence) is oftentimeseuncertain,
nearly always unsafe, and should be
discarded. Until that is done, inno-
cent men and women will be executed,
their children dishonored and their
name hy-word and reproach.
! ANTI HANGING.
I xiIerall Of Peace, April, May and
June, London, 1892.
q
49, Tn-rn TrauS,svSrf