, 1873-03-15

regard doath with nt,y dogroo OF apprehension or
reluctance. all. mon know that they must die,
md they know 1t more positively than Driver
know llo would dto ut q o'clock. They nlao
know that Driver woud do in fow years oven
II ho woro pardonod by tho Governor, 20 TINT,
M wo havo aaid, tho public lntoroHt did not at-
taoh to thomero matter Of tloath,-wlicll Ia fact
accepted by all mon as absolutely cortnin to occur,
perhapsin tho noxthour, porhnps In the next yoar,
10 muoh nj to tho fact that Driver know tho
precise timo Of his death, and consequently must
! have ondurod great mental suffering.
II is highly probable, however, that by far tho
largor number Of those WHO expired yoatorday
! nufIcrod far moro bodily pain than Driyor. Tho
mode Of his death was loaa painful than that Of
ordinary dissolution. In this rcspont, tho law IL
morcfful. ofphysical suffering ho know but lit
to- Probably tho most OF those who died
yesterday expired aftor long phyaical torture.
Tho lato Lord Lytton suffered intonso and PRO-
1ongcd bodily auguiah before teath ca,no to his
roliof. somo pooplo eufrcr go intensely that they
sock to oHcapo pain by autcido, and ttoroby n11-
t1cipato tho slow proceasos Of naturo English
morallsts are to-day agitating tho question Of
euthanasia, and aooking to logitimatlzo suicide,
aH relief from torture, in the case Of incurablo
dfaeasos, the moro radical Of them ovon atlyo-
eating the removal OF such unfortunates by thoir
rolatives undcr tho auspices Of the clorgy Of
tito dtocoso.
In roviowing tho execution Of Driver, tho
religious aspect Of the caao must bo considered,
as from tho pcculiarltiea Of the case many ro-
ltgiouB pooplo undoubtedly lad q greater or loss
degree OF sympathy for tho criminal. Tie
granting Of d supersededs in tho oases OF Peri.
Perfect, and rafferty,, Ind undoubtedly pro-
ducod hopo In tho mind Of Driver TINT tho
aame writ would bo granted In hls case. By tho
unfortunate error Of Ills counsol, this hopo bo-
came certainty OF beliof in tho mind Of tho
doomed man, and then, whom tho mistake was
diacoVorod, but two days remained be-
fore hfa execution. The refusal Of tho
Governor to Interfere with tho execution
Of tho law ortinguishcd tho Inst CLEAN
OF hope, md but ono day remained, which
many religious pooplo will claim WIS too abort o
timo for preparation for death. Repentance,
howovor, is not mattor Of days, and wooks and
months. It is not measured by timo. Tho thief
on the Cross repented in the throca Of dissolu-
ton, and was promiaod that day a seat in para~
disc. II, undor tho circumstances surrounding
him, tho solitary reflections upon the enormity
of the crimo which le had committed, tho NOM
ory Of the yeara Of abuse and cruelty, and tho
hnal murder Of the woman whom Ao had aworn
to love and cherish, tho ministrations OF clergy
mon showing him tho way to Heaven, and tho
cortninty that tlero waa no escape from death
if, under those circumstances, ho did not re-
pont, there is no probability that ho would havo
ropensed had lle lived to ,bo century old. II
he did repent, then tho demands Of religion were
answered. In other caHo. We do not 500 TINT
the religious features Of tho affair wero in
auenced at ali by the brevity Of timo which ro-
manned to him.
The opponents of capitnl punBhment will
sympathize with Driver on account Of their
theory that capital punishment dooB not ofror
any safeguard to society, aud is only barbar-
oua relic Of the old Mosaio Inv, wheroas
tho old Mosaic law, which provided that the
mhn who nhodaeth anosher's blood should
mako compensation by tho shedding of his
own, was contemporary with capital punish
mont, and not tho origin Of it. Tho theory Ia
but an assertion, md III not susceptible Of proof
We are prepared to admit that when public
execution is made public show, and hanging
day ia made q holiday, It can only
have demoralizing effect upon tho
which is usually half-brutal and
that hocks to witnoss it.
Tho execution Of murderer should bo as pri-
vate as possible. The public should know no
more OF 1t than the fpet that the law has beon
carried out and Justice has been vindicatod. It's.
terror should lie in it's very mystory md secresy.
Tint this undue Tenderness Of heart and gym
pathY with criminals doprivds society Of a aafe-
guard againRt crime, is clearly shown BY what ia
now transpiring in New York. While these
tendor-hearted people arc moving heaven and
earth, and almost canonizing Foster, in the
effort to got o reprieye from Gov. Dir,
tho desperate rutians and murdorers OF
New York City are holding perfect
carnival OF violence and murder, prosumlne
upon tho aid and comfort which prominent NOM
bers Of society are bestowing upon one Of their
number. These.peop1e who are so golcitous for
the communication Of Foator's puniahment do not
stop to think TINT, IL Gov. Dix grants it, 1t ia
only certain Of execution during Gov. Dix's |
form, and that when d now Governor Is elected
Fosters chances for pardon are as good Us his !
present chances for commutatiou.
The people arc to be congratulated that Gov.
boveridgo has not Hot himsolf up as wlaor or
more humane than tho law Tie power to par.
don Or commute was not given to defeat tho
law, but to suspend its operation In
doubtful cases. The Governor is net response
Die for the taking Of human lifo, except when ho
nterposes his authority to shield murderers.
The law alono ia responsible for tho gnllows, and