The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-22
LYRIC HALL SERVICES.


RulioG and Foster-Sermou by Rev O. II.
FrOthfnRhRni.
lt would be curious study for an artist to Sit
some Sunday IN Lyric Hall and scan the faces oil
men and women there gathered. The peculiar,
thoughtful and philosophical appearance OF the audi
ence, visible even In the pose OF hcads the appa.
rent determination to take nothing for granted,
but u examine all things. and the gene
raj intellectual cast OF the many upturned
heads impresses one In very different manner
from the congregations OF the more fashionable and
orthodox churches OF the city. Yesterday all these
thinking ones had furnished to them plenty Of food
for thought
was, as usual. very fne though Mrs. Gardner Is the
only one remaining OF the old quartet, and the
place Of Miss Gibbs ana Messrs. Haw and Clapp
has been supplied by Dr. ana Mrs. Hill and Mr..
George w. Herbert. The selection given was
Farmer, ST. Rudolphson, 29S; Germany, @. s., "a
and $685. America, G. s., $780, and Mendelssohn, page
80. "Tne Son OF Man Is not come to destroy mems
lives, but to save them," was the text, and MIR.
rockingham said:-It is not necessary to dwell on
the circumstances that suggest mr. theme this morn
ing-the execution OF one man and tile trial for life
THE BLOOD OF RuLLopF
Foster no effort is spared and political influence
neglected. shall not dwell on the lives OF these
the one who has peel Killed, who had so much Of
intellectual acucness and So little OF moral strength
nor on the Ii re OF him who now stands pleading Tor
that poor boon. do not think That Ruon's punish
nent Is too severe nor that Foster will suffer too
Aarshly IN the punishment ny death. The popular
feeling on these things, where 1t exists, is morbid
"' EXECUTION Is NOT SUFFICIENT
as punishment !! do n { wish to 60 into the sub
come when men W Il consider the hanging OF n man
Nv the neck as unnecessary aud atroclous crime
e se s omy IN sSs
English Parliament bin to abolish capital
punishment for shoplifting when the amount
cases where private house was entered or goods
stolen from on shpboard to the amount or twenty
but was defeated In tho House OF Lords. In 1916
Sir Samuel Romilly again introduced the bin. ana
by the e N i' Wnen eaae %
In 1918 he asked that disembowelling should no
more be practised
but that death should suffice. When In 1915, he
was told that crime was on the Increase and the
that the severity OF the penalty rendered conviction
dinicult and bred crime. Macintosh, ON whose
shoulders the mantle OF Romtlly fell moved several
bills, and obtained concession OF capital punish
ment In 1922. Hero In tho United States, where
capital punishment Is in some States abolished, we
find crime lessened.
WERE IT PUT TO VOTE
throughout the Union the people who stand most in
fear OF capital punishment would vote 10 perpetuate
the system. Tie Ignorant VICIOUS and brutal would
retain II, while the thoughtful, tho student and the
good man would use every exertion to abolish it.
There Is certain class. ana great class 1t is VINO
VIII ever In our time exclam, II We
IMPRIsoE MAN FOR LIFE,
eve will find him let loose again In ten years.
Politicians will release him, or those who always
pity the miserable Put him not in prison, - they
say, but put HIM In the ground. Dead men not only
tell no tales, but they commit no crimes, and they
cost taxpayers nothing for support" They tell us
that capital punishment 10 not severe, that the pain
Is not great that OF long illnesss and, they
add, II the victim Is q Catholic, the priest will
stand by his side and
SAVE HIS SOUL FROM HE'LL;
IL q Protestant he will fntercedc for him at the
Throne OF Grace ana II an atheist, ne VIII pass
quickly from an Ill life to the nothingness OF the
grave. IL is sad confession for a Christian to
make, after two thousand years Of Christianity that
there Is no better use Tor man than t. put him
under the ground; to say, II 40 not
know what 10 do with u human lile.'
Jesus was on his way TO Jerusalem
said "Call down the fire from heaven because they
reject the Master;' and Jesus said, II came not
10 destroy; came to save.o Yet for hundreds OF
years the Church or Rome has burned men because
they do not believe In the Saviour The trutn-and
II Is painful me, minister, to admit it's that
SECULAR LEGISLATION
has been struggling Tor o long time to counteract
the evils and the horrors born OF ecclesiastical law
making. To the common sense or the human race,
and not TO Christianity, do we owe thanks for mercy
TO must speak the truth, though 1t IS bitter
now 1t well Tor to counteract In our puny way,
the will oil Godf Is It well for to put man dow
in the earth whom God has called from the earth to
the Sunshiue?