Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-15
VOLUME XXXIII.
A sCAFFOLD CHRISTIAN.

| From the Cincinnati Commercial
The Philadelphia papers Of Friday after
noon last are filled with the details Of the
| execution of The murderer PRoBsT, and gar
nished with wood cuts that profess to be like
nes5es of tie horrible william. III us brutal
| face. and should be preserved as exhibiting
| all the prominent physiological characters
tics Of the Plug Ugly species in all its types
| and under all its nomenclatures. There Is
| the square. stout, full neck, the heavy jaws,
| the dull, lowering eye, and the coarse, wiry
! hair-the portrait Of a man who confesses TO
have murdered eight persons and those, too,
from whom he had received nothing but
kindness, for the sake Of money. In letter
10 his parents he speaks Of this awful butch
cry with a GOODNESS that argues more than
british insensibility. He says: have
now got so far in America, that, with a COM
panion from the Canton Schaff hansen, de-
prived Of life an entire family, consisting OF
eight persons" He processes remorse for
his crime, but it is a remorse that springs
rather from the punishment incurred than
the crime committed.
PRoBsr while in Jail was provided with
a spiritual adviser who, he writes, instruct
ed him well. heard his confession and admin
istered the holy communion. He as
cended the scafIold crucifx in hand, kissing
and clasping it to his breast repeatedly,
while reciting the Lords Prayer, the Apos-
ties Greed, &c, and now that he is dead the
father confessor makes a statement that is
assuring in its conclusions to the vilest
wretch that crawls along the earth. He
says of PRoBsT and his last days:
" He is very cheerful, and realizes his last
hour in a truly Christian spirit. He never
said he was sorry he murdered everybody
but Mr.. DEERING. Ii he could undo ii, he
would do so. lie is truly penitent. He
trusts in the mercy of JESUS CHRIST, his Sa-
viour. He told me to-day. If God will
only accept what little sacrifice / can make
meaning his life, the hardships of prison,
and TIE anxiety, as an atonement for my
awful crime, this would make me exceed
ingly happy
"Of course / officially assured him that:
the intimate mercy Of God. He reads reli-
gious books all the day allowed to himself
ole SAYS he never did anything wrong at
home, and that is borne out by his friends
who knew him from childhood. He is nat
urally kind. In regard to the murder, he
got the one idea in his mind, and it preyed
on him. Eight murders were all one act
to him.
die experiences the power Of prayer. He
says he can pray now three or four hours
without the least distraction. The officers
Of the prison could not refuse their respects
10 him. On account of his behavior in
prison, they respect him.
1t is entirely orthodox to religion that
while the lamp holds out to burn,
The yilest sinner may return
And if ANTHONY PRoBsT died Christian,
having received full remmission of sins, and
was waited by an angelic convoy to the re-
gions of the best we are sure no one will
find it in his heart to regret his good for
tune
How fares it with CHRISTOPHER DEERGNG,
who was cut off with all his sins upon his
head, "unhouseled, unanealed" A nom
professor, though an honest, upright, indus
trious farmer, and a good citizen, has he
gone to join the angelic choir of which the
redeemed PRoBsT is member? We pause
i'm doubt, because the logic of the doctrine
makes il very uncertain whether he is not
assigned less desirable future.
1t may be that PRoBsT is saved and DEER
ING lost We can neither affirm nor deny.
The question arises whether this disposition
of the disembodied spirits, abhOrrent to our
feelings and to our inner sense Of justice, is
not doing the cause of Christianity positive
injury. This effort to make it appear that
murderers have been con-
veried and made acceptable to the Most
Highland scarcely one ascends the scaiold
who does not make profession of that sort,
which is fully certified to by his spiritual |
been carried TO an extreme,
but in no instance more conspicuously than
the one under consideration. We would by !
no means have it understood that Christian
ministers should leave the condemned TO
their fate, without laboring and praying with
them, as it is the:duty of their pious Office |
TO do when required, but we could wish they
were not so ready TO issue posthumous bull
letins, assuring the world Of the conversion
and final happiness Of their subjects.