New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-09
oNEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE GALLONS.

There are many who will concur in Mr., BOvee's
main conclusion who viii revolt at some OF his ante
cendent positions. In homely phrase Mr. b. goes
the whole hog" He condemns all taking OF human lie,
even in the ccarest sefdefense--even IN defensive
war. He denies the right of any man, or body of
men, to take the life of human being He regards
criminals as morally insane persons, who should be
tenderly but firmly restrained from harming them
selves or others He holds that the Gospel OF Christ
has repealed the Mosaic " eve for eye, tooth for
tooth" and substituted the dviner rule Resist not
evil His view is very fairly summed mp in the letter
of Wendell Phillips. written for and embodied IN ms
wOrk-as follows 49,. I'll, % 1870
DEAR SIN: what We need in this country is Llga en- h
d9resme1t OF law Ie S S I ose n his liberty aud
live on bread and water ct hard abGT I nc b sTS
unframed seut from abroad makes tns s'ill
nt tSo term 'I panshment shoud be baned from
all discussion as how TO treat crime Criminal though
offender in order to protect society and reform the
Tineeentences should be abolished. man should be
restrained until he Is ut again to mnge IN society no
matter how long an Imprisonment that may require OF
The gallows therefore, abolish altogether Il never
Soute necessity in order 70 protect society u would DS
absurd make any such plea for II nOw since we al
know that with the resources Of modern times can
Keep a man within four walls long see ht
punish &iS IN order 70 deer Others from Joogq his
steps The moment aman violates law he torelts ms eiy
duty, of subeetng HIM 10 the best moral Influences u
oltjzen this is all the right society acquires him.
and tbs does not justify the gallowSS;; ,,,s
Hon ~ q. Boyee wisconsin
TO the sauna q. neral purpose is the following:
81 NEw-YoRK, Sept 2s 1868.
Hon NJ H. BovEE-ly D., onesfn lr5 nm article en-
e iVuo Soui it tt Dnris MT cannot prob
ably, add anything 10 tie force OF what NJ crime of
already said by your contributors against TIA. @ogd
srimecapal punishment AZ regard az, t moy 6aS
murder Is worse than the trSt Ior the Jm.s s
been attended with extenuating circumstances-no'
believe ali crime to be insanity and that until j. shall
Pc treate; as such, we shall hlo 10 =" e''
Wishing yoa every success am yours very truly
Alarger number will be able to concur heartilyin
the view of this subject taken by John Bright. 1t
reads
DEAR SIR; do not think the punishment Of death is
necessary the security and well being of society and
which it supposed by many persons to pre-
vent The security and welbeng Of society 90 MOI de,
promotes barbarsm among those subject TO the law
and acts Of cruelty under the law become examples for
Tue real security i9E human Ie rs 70 oe oEhI "a "
then the people would begin also SO 10 regard It, deep
executions the prevention of murders and is In fact
the great security for human life. The law of capital
punishment while pretending to support this reverence,
docs. in fact, tend TO destroy it
Ter from crime it is of much force in iessenng
shief security against it, procams the fact that
when and how men may be put TO death by Violence aud
familiarity with this idea not strengthen the reveT
10 put men death for civil political, is to
barisn rather than Christian civilization.
If the United states could get rid Of the gallows it
izo7 our Institutions and hope, in all that good we
am, very truly yours, JOHN BRIGHT
NJ, II. BOyee, Eagle, waukesha Co., Wisconsin.
Some, again. will find their own convictions tersely
expressed in the following
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION,
ALBANY, y. Y, sept 70, 1867. }
De summed up "A few words. They are:
hate vengeance II am ever revengeful hate my
ienaSt passion which Would not teach my children,
any children The ggllows goes teach always ala
hung, viii be taught thereby seek to iuure every
or wronged him This is Pagauisn-pOssibly Judaism;
it is not Christianity, as have learned that religion
revere the cross. aud detest the galows
Idreaa human flLlibittty Men are prejudced pas
'HosannaW and tomorrow howl "Cruciiy him.
would them from the harser consequences OF their
stses Cicr9 sir Waiter Raeieb EIgr1o S s R'
John Hnss Michael Servetus, Louis XVI, tho Due
dEDghen, Marshal Ney RiegO, Macy Sander Macmillan,
law Of blood We have recorded instances Of iaBocen
convicted Of murder their own eonfesson-of
convicted, sentenced and hung for ofenses whereof
they were nowise guilty Men may suffer uDustly,
though death be stricken from the list of legal
penalties but to be imprisoned aud stripped OF property
Is quite endnrable compared with the infection Of an
lion of a bowling mob OF exulting human brutos. So
long man is liable 10 error would have hun reserve
the possibility OF correcting his mistakes and redressg
the wrongs he is msled into perpetratng
8. / would affirm and incncate, widely and impress
sively possible, the Saletty Of human tps Unke the
tary example believe that legal executions neite to,
rather than diminish, murders. Yours truly,
NJ. H. BOYee, esq. HORACE GREELEY
That this last objection is founded in fact the fol-
lowing letter from the Prison Inspector of the first
Western State to abolish Capital Punishment strik-
ingly attests
Hon. NJ. H. BovEE-Dear Sir: The death-penalty
abolished In this State in lslGthe law taking effect 10
whole number OF CONVICTIONS for murder in the first de-
Free, from the time the law into effect this date
n m -tv, as follows:
- 'I IN ia conviction I'm 1885, convictions.
In iSls, s con ,'etions IN 1884 convictions.
IN 1919, conviction. ~ go go oo ii
~ HI SSonyisons Inn ISL SOnSiSions
In 1852, convictions IN 1855, 2edAYIeIionS'
OF this number has pardoheo, ones sentence
COMMITTED 70 hard labor for life (IOt sOi,..@rvl Que
escaped, six have died. and are In solitary con
As to the questions "Has crime Increased since capital
punishment a5OsbedG can only say, that II Is the
opinion Of t1e gdersgned that will DO found,
narsOn Qt the lumber OF eoDycts in our prison at this
equal p5b6la0u that ours VIII compare favoraby with
them We have population IN TINS state 0l not Tar
from 10000 IL Is estimaIeo ny ooS1 b mo ~ oes
murder In the first degree since the 4eatb enay was
abolished not more than ha dOze, OF them would have
been convicted had hanging been the penalty
TO the question: s public sentiment N favor OF the pres
ent g. would refer you 70 .epoFt Committee
Of the Senate q te5 e;ate Gs5g, 70 whom was |
relates 70 criminal Jurisprudence and the State |
Prisons, in which the Committee say; I'VE |
abolish the Feaatoy and baroarous code OF blood for
blood that twelve or more years have now passed away
with the blood OF eRalzed murder We not persuade
ourselves 70 believe tha the mass OF our ana