Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-06-02
2Relieio,rs department.
CAPITAL PuNIsuMENT.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
ElO9uent and Sensible Discourse By the
Rec. Dr. Ryder-Does Hanging
Quality Murderer for Heacen Eff
1T is a Means Of Grace. the More of 1t
the Better-Hoac the Condemned
should Be 7reated-The Material
Idea of Heauen and Hell.
The Rev. DR.. Ryder, pastor of St.
Paul's Universalist Church, preached
practical and sensible sermon yesterday
morning on Capital Punishment. The
large congregation which listened to it,
doubtless possessed views similar to
those of the learned divine, and they
were not backward in expressing their
sentiments when dismissed. The rever-
end gentleman took as his text:
Whittier shall 60 from thy spirit ?
or whittier shall | flee from thy pres
ence? If l ascend up into heaven.
thou art there if | make my bed in
hell, behold thou art there If | take
the wings of tho morning, and dwell in
the uttermost parts of the sea; even
there shall thy hand lead me, and thy
right hand shall hold me- l39 Psalm
z, 8, 0, 10.
THE SERMON.
The discourse is given in full below.
He said: One is surely acting in har-
mony with the spirit of the Gospel when
he interests himself in the welfare of
the criminal classes. No man can be so
low as to be entirely shut out from hui
man sympathy. 1t matters not of what
offense against the law one may be gull
ty. he is to be treated as human being,
and to be subjected to no needless tor
ture. Gods mercy is extended to the
vilest; His grace is free to all. So
should mans sympathy be; and we
ought all to be actuated by desire to
do the worst of our race as much good
as we conveniently can. do not hold,
therefore, that a man should be suffered
to go to the gallows, as if by the act of
murder he had shut himself out from
all human regard.
By common consent, the civilization
of our time has pronounced against many
of the forms of torture formerly employ.
ed to deprive one of his life,-such as
quartering man. burning him in the
use Of green wood, pouring heated leaG
and oil into his ears and eyes. AL
such instruments of death are utterly
set aside as inhuman, and, even wher
we employ hanging, we demand of tn,
sheriff that he shall apply that penalty
without needless torture. This much
say on the side of humanity.
And 1 think, also, that one is acting
in the name of religion who seeks to of
fer to the culprit the benefits of relig
ion, and, as far as possible, bring hin
into proper temper to enter the eterna
world. Far be it from me to condemn
the efforts of clergymen in this behalf
l commend them for it. But this sym
pathy which is offered to the criminals
especially those of particular class
may be injudiciously expressed, and S
harmful to the public morals; as ma
be also the efforts to promote the spirit
ual welfare of the criminal, and so init
rious to the cause of religion. Unde
the former head l place all attempts t
pardon criminals out of regard for thel
or for their families, or on the groun
that the penalty is severe. I condem
all such interposition in behalf of Grim
nails as that employed by DR.. Tying, {
New York, in the case of Foster. 1t
no matter whether Foster went to D
Tyng's church or not 1t is no matte
whether he belonged to respectable fan
lily or not 1t is not at all pertinent
the case that his family were the frient
of the pastor, and the pastor wished
be the friend of the family. The simp
fact in the case is that the man Fost,
was VIGOROUSLY guilty of murder. AM
being so, deserved the penalty of IL
law. 1t is mistaken compassion ar
mistaken sympathy that leads clerg
man to try to save from the gallows
man clearly guilty of murder who m;
happen to belong to family in who
welfare he is interested. On the 9th
hand, we are not to seek to save Of
from the just condemnation of the la
because, in our judgment. the penalty
the law is needlessly severe BEGAN
some of you may believe that impriso
ment for life is proper penalty f
murder, and not hanging, you arc n
therefore to oppose the execution of t
law so long as hanging is the penalt
but rather remember that your jud
ment with regard to what ought to
the penalty is not to interfere with t
just execution of the law, so long
hanging Is the penalty. The like
true in the case of recent murderer
this city, and in the case of almost eve