The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-09-01
The Qrality OF s5ercy--.Very Good
Comment ThcreupoD.

DO not hang the poor murderer; Or, Il
sou must hang him, be careful to do ii gen
liz. ond cause him ne little pain aa posi-
lie So saws the Tribune. Let there be
every kindness shown the guilty wretch ;
ct him have every possible comfort during
he condemned hours of his life, md every
are that his death shall be rs painless az
possible. Hold up to exeorGtion the officials
who may be in the least negligent in COM
plyinr with his wishes Or unskilful IN hls
final taking off" Give all our sympathy
o the criminal, see that he has fair
rial, able defence, each quirk and quib-
bic Of the law that ingenuity can twist
his favor, and, finally: make sure
that his punishment, If not abolished alto
sethcr, lie as light Us possible. BY com
hitting great crime he has made his bic
20 valuable, he has attracted so much
ou6lic attention, that We should be very
lender with his feelings. Give him com
Portable lodging; the qualification Of
ais appetite BY the supply Of abundant
!aintics; deluge him with sympathy IL
aot with hcro-worship; impress upon him
hat he is wonderful person, and assure
him that his crime is forgiven; let the
papers chronicle his acts and sensation
writer's take down his words; raise him W
% a par with the great men Of the day !;
BUOY I'D his mind with the hope CT pardon
until the last moment, and then be sure
that his death he's no added panG. Let him
.lrop calmly to sleep III the bosom OF his
Maker.
What mnwEiahncss. what false ecnfI-
mentality, what dangerous and bGlcful
-, =
evil is evil, and deserves repression by pun
shmcnt the murderer is villain, not
snint. There ia no word OF conformation
10Y the criminal or dcnunciation Of his
iced. No: oil We hear is Poor fellow,
noor dcludcd darling, precious creature
hang him gently if the cruel law czacis
his penalty" Nothing of the infamy OF
his wickcdness. NOT word Of the enolInity
# his dcreliction, not an expression o. re-
srct for the sufcrings of his victim. The
panrs Of the closing scene on the gall0wS
are depicted in narrowing colora; the heart
less hangman, the cruel rope, the. bound
hands, tic misery Of fear, the twitc!lings
and contortions, the delay OF death: the oc-
casional accidents, md failure to eccurc
immediate inscnsibility-all these are dwclt
Oh III lllc UcaIjuo VI u jlot !Oi ti'~''Ni- I''''
lie, and move the hearts Of q million read
ers with c0mmiSscration.
Not @ word of the secret attack upon on
unarmcl victim, the stcalthy approach 10
the bed where innocence ana honesty lie
sleeping after day Of weary toll; Of the
sudden awakening in the middle OF the
night; in the intcnBe darkness alone. alone
but for that fierce, brutal form that bends
over the PROSTATE and helpless figure; the
quick start the wild alarm; the cry for
mercy; the horror of sudden death; the
bitter, overwhelming terror OF murder. Of
il painful deprivation Of lie with no one 10
whisper n hope for the future, without time
for the slightest preparation tie shrek Tor
help stillcd with the grasp upon the throat
or the fall of the bludgcon; the fierce,
mad, hopeless struggle; the battle for life
Of the unarmcd against the armed; the
cruel blow after blow; the squirting blood
Inc choking throat; the agOniZcd con-
tortons OF the conyulsed form undo" the
prolonged torture the knife seized, perhaps
Before il reaches the heart, and cutting
the fingers to the bone; then the yawn-
ing gashes the bloody gates from which
life slowly takes flight; the breaking OF
bones; the severing of flesh; the crush
ing in Of the skull. All this misery, ana
horror, and suffering, inflicted merely for
some private gain, the possession OF a few
dollars, to be spent in gaming, riot, and
lechcry. Shocking, horrible, mercilcss,
hcartilesB murder, forbidden by God and
dreadful towards men, on which the seal OF
nramy has been set since the world began,
and for which the Deity has proclaimed the
severcst expiration. Not one word Of de-
nunciution Of all this, not sigh of sym
pathy for the sufferer, but every soothing
word, every kind thought reserved for the
cruel coward WHO'S guilty OF it. If this be
mercy or wisdom we do not know the mean-
ing of the crms.--Citizcn and Round To-
he