Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-20

singular speech from she GaIIowx.


The Leader says:
At twenty-five minutes 10 one o'clock,
Hughes, accompanied by the Sheriff and his
Deputy, and Professor Thome, assembled the
scafiold, with firm step. Advancing TO the
edge Of the platform he essaysd to speak;
but his feelings oy-rcame him, and turning
to Mr.. Thome he remarked that he should
be unable 70 proceed, until after prayer from
Prof Thome. The two accordingly knelt
down upon the scafold, when Professor
Thome offered up pathetic and affecting
prayer. During its delivery, Hughes was
exceedingly agitated-a perceptible tremor
overcoming his frame.
Before arising from his knees Hughes
made brief prayer himself At its concur
sion he rose TO his feet, when il became APP
parent that he had been drinking, and that
he was considerably under the influence Of
the stimulants allowed him.
He then made the following speech:
My FRIENDS: This is indeed sad fate, /
would wish you 70 remember it, not as an
example, but as the acme Of human justice
Do you suppose that for moment / think
that the law Of man is just in taking my life?
No. mans law is but the law Of murderer
like me. Who made that law? Moses. And
who was hel The greatest murderer we
ever heard Of. Look for the second chapter
Of Numbers, and you win find some example
of murder, with premeditation, and purpose,
and deliberation, all combined in Moses, in
taking the life Of an Egyptian, and then he
comes out and proclaims himself priest,
prophet and king, and by his law / suffer,
and every other murderer. / will admit
that life L dear TO all and ought to be pro-
tected. But If man takes the life of another
il is the greater madness TO retaliate upon
him in this manner. If the people of Bed
ford had taken my life at the time / commit
ted that awful deed, j would have said that
is natures law and comes from the heart
but when, after six months Of preparation
and deliberation over the matter, by those
in Official position, say then they murder
they murdeh Gentlemen, what IL the ad-
vantage to society to take my life or any
mans, in comparison 10 employing him for
the rest Of his days in some useful employ
ment. IL ]. w. Hughes has any ability for
anything, then keep him in confinement and
employ him on useful labor and make q
good man Of him, and turn him out a re
formed man, and give him an opportunity 70
atone for all the evil he may have done so
ciety.
This death penalty is ridiculous, and il
You will consider over il you viii find il is
wrong. One life is as god as another.
What advantage is it 10 take my life? None
il Is a5t an example TO deter others from
the crime. Did / remember pointing that
pistol? No, don't remember il to this
hour. Yet it is the law and we must abide
by 1.-THE law Of man but not of God. j
am convinced Of it. For six months now
have had every sect OF religion TO visit me-
and they come in TO tell me which is the
way 10 heaven. Do / believe them? No
What is mans way TO heaven? The same
as his way on earth. Do unto others as we
wish TO be done 10. have thought it all
over, fully and conscientiously, and have
come TO the conclusion that my life in an
other world will be the same as in this, with
the difference that there all will be pure.
have considered this over for six months,
and intended TO give my own life up to my
exit out of this world. / intended to take
my own life, but did not succeed. took
enough to take me out of the world, but il is
the great Spirits will that ! should not (;
and have not done it. Since have been
in this prison have had every sect Of re-
ligion TO visit me. You cannot tell me one
that j have not had 10 talk to me. argued
with them on all their opinions and learned
all the secrets Of their heart on the matters
Of salvation, and dare / deny them? No.
have talked with my spiritual adviser, moi
because believe as he does. i love him as
afather, but at the same time my mind is not
his mind fattE .lIM
don't believe to-day-.God forgive me il
say anything wrong-that Jesus Christ was
the Son Of God. My anatomical knowledge
and everything says that the Immaculate
Conception was not right. 1t is against
nature and philosophy; il is against human
nature. / believe that that no purer spirit,
no better man, ever lived on earth than
Jesus Christ, and that in the spirit-world he
Is next 10 the Great Creator himself-as far
as We know. Al the same time, will tell
my experience, tell what know in my own
soul. i know from my own experience that
there is communication with those who
have departed from this life. am to-day
about TO suffer the extreme penalty Of the
law, but, at the same time, am sure / shall
be with You after the execution as / am now
don't believe in spiritualism particularly
because / have never seen any mediums, MOI
haveI ever seen the indications this. Attic
same time every creature, do not care who
he is, will know that at some time in his lif,
he has been influenced by some peculiar ides
or sentiment he never would have thought o
himself So far as / know, i believe th,
doctrines OF Spiritualism. j thank my spir
itnal adviser, who has spoken TO me in re
lafion 10 heaven and the sufierings Of Jesu
Christ, and believe in his miraculous birth
believe in him as being the purest man
the purest spirit that ever assembled on high
And I have taken the advice and counsel o
81 "a III
came here in a moral way TO reform every
one, and he laid such foundation in my
mind that have finally taken the belief
now have given.
If ] thought for moment that l was goin,
TO birthstone and hell and that kind of thing
for all eternity / should fear, or did thinl
was going TO Heaven and sit there for al
eternity, and do nothing but sing, / SHOULD
be fool. They can kill this body, bat the
cannot kill this soul. This soul scars alof
20 the great Being that gave il being. 1t ha
its work 10 do, and i believe this momen
that shall be as much here after the exc
cution as now before il believe am here
/ 20, gentlemen, not to the land of perdi
ton, but 20 the land Of progression; an,
while admit the justice Of the law Of Obi
to-day, say il is foolish and vain. And j
YOU should say 70 me that because that rop
goes around my neck and chokes me to dealt
that il is going 10 prevent any crime, l "a.
it il foolish and vain, for in the condition il
which John w. Hughes was when he com
mitted this crime, no example on cart
would prevent any man from doing just a
he did. submit 10 the law Of the land, be
lieying Il is a cruel murder 20 take my Life
From the time 1 fired that pistol up 10 thi
hour, l don't remember the firing of tina
pistol. Do you think all the examples OF
earth would have prevented any man i
that condition froa doing as did? No; ]
Is mistake. No; hope my example vii
not be remembered as an example Of III
death penalty, but Of the folly Of IT.
Gentlemen, goodbye.
The Sheriff now told him that his tim
had come Hughes coolly took off his cola
and cravst and threw them TO the floor be
low. Just before the halter was placed upo
his neck, he took an afiectionate farewell {
Jailor Smith, who stood, with ex-Sheri
Spangler, upon the topmost stair.
While the rope was being adjusted abou
his neck hegazedup the crowd before hin
while pleasant smile Lit up his countenanc,
and said: "0hl grave, where is thy victory
Oh death where isthy stingg" Are 20
ready ?" said Mr.. Nicola. q am II
turned Hughes, and in the next instant
was dangling from the beam above him. tn
drop fell at precisely Ia O'clock. He die