New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-13

will be reflected upon the jury, who will
scarcely care to convict them; and, even.
after a long delay, should verdict OF
guilty eventually be arrived at, and SEN
tence be passed, they may still hope for
Communication.
Reasoning after this manner, what won
der that they should do evils without
teart' But the knowledge that their con-
victiOn will bring the absolute certainty u
lifetime within the prison walls, leaving
no hope of escape ON this side OF the gTaN0'
would i1npel them to pause before hitting
their hands to commit crime, auu relIcU
ance which the Jury would naturally leel 10
convict them, knowing the pehaltS we
death, would have no existence "hen IheII
verdict of guilty consigned the ohendeF 70
. life of imprisonment.
Another evil attending capital PUNISH
ment is the law which leaves the pardonl9g
power in the hands of one man. Inc di-
vine prerogative of granting life or death
is a responsibility far too great for single
individual to bear This was htly lllLs'
trated by the circumstances attending the
fate of Foster, when the appeals Tor mercy
and the clamor for the execution OF the
law forced upon General Dix duty winch,
however cOnscientiously discharged, must
bring upon him the direct disapprobation OF
a large class of the community. This over
whelming responsibility should be divided,
by placing the power Of pardoning Grim
inai in the hands Of body of men-a body
which would be well called COMMITTEE
OF Mercy
II was much to be regretted, Mr.. Beecher
said. that such publicity had been given to
the case Of Foster. For two years many OF
the newspapers, doing what they conceived
to be their duty, have been printing column
after column. dwelling upon not only the
minutest details of the crime for which
Foster paid SO terrible a penalty, but com
menting upon every portion OF lite which
at best was mis-spent. Foster was never
good man or desirable citizen, but the
crime for which he died was the only one
with which the public has anything to do,
and the detailed accounts again and again
reiterated of his sinful career could only
serve to render Gallons the minds of the
readers.
In conclusion, Mr.. Beecher spoke very
irnpressively of the cry which had in many
instances been raised against the doomed
man. "DO you think" said he, that
when you have inveighed against the law
for its delay, against judge and jury for
allowing the pleadings of mercy to have
part in their cOunsels when you have ex-
hausted every argument against pardoning
the criminal, clamored for justice, and
shouted yourselves hOarse with urging the
necessity of indicating the socalled
outraged majesty of law, and bringing the
unfortunate man to condign punishment;
when, finally, when you have seen him eX-
plate his crime upon the gallow; when you
have done all this, do you think you have
done your whole duty! Had you no
duty to perform before the deed
was committed! Have you as patriotic
citizens done all that lay in your power to
prevent the crime which you were so eager
to punish Have you tried to abolish the
squalid dens where men are maddened with
liquor the filthy streets, the disgraceful
demoralizing boarding houses, and the I'M
numbered sinks of inlquity where crime is
fostered and bred and when it was rep
resented to you that good schools and sound
education were the great preventives Of
evil deeds, did you do all that lay in your
power to make these blessings universal?
If you have done these, then, indeed you
have contributed your share to the safety
of the community; but duty is i'll done
which looks only to the punishment of
crime, and gives no thought to its proven.
ton