New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-13
CRIME AND ITS MENT'.
By HENRY WARD BEECHBR.


The New York San gives brief synopsis
of sermon delivered by Henry Ward
Beecher at Plymouth Church, wherein Mr.
Beecher comments severely on the effects
of capital punishment. The text on which
his discourse was the eleventh verse of the
eighth chapter Of Ecclesiastes:
because sentence against an evil work
is not executed speedily, therefore the
heart Of the SONS OF men is set in them to
do evil"
Dwelling at some length upon the ills ac-
cruing from the length of time which was
allowed after the perpetration of a crime
before the criminal was brought to Justice,
he went on to say that among the evils
of which society should be purged were
barbarous punishments. The. brutal custom
of hanging. so far from etiecting any good
moral results, served only to harden the
community, making worse and more reck
less those already prone to crime, and rem
dering the better classes callous and indif-
icrent to human suffering. An all-wise
Providence had undoubtedly given us the
right to exact Il life for a life, but this pen
atty should be demanded only when its
payment will tend to the safety Of the com
munity. In the present state of society this
result is not arrived at. Our past exper-
fence has shown that the death penalty, so
far from checking crime, has produced
Numerically opposite effect.
Men guilty of the highest Otfense known
to the law should be placed under restraint;
but unless absolute necessity demands it,
the law should refrain from taking life
which it has no power to restore. The an
Cieut Jews, abiding by the stern Old law OF
Moses, which demands blood for blood,
punished their criminals with death, and
fha+ tho nr4HtirA not inst.
but their state of society was not ours, and
at this day the horrible spectacle OF
human being in all the VigOr of health and
trength dying on the gallOws is one which
can serve no purpose, save to revolt and
disgust the more refined classes, and to
harden and brutaliZe those OF 4 less delicate
organization. Forty years IN the State
prison, without hope of escape, affords a
far better and higher moral example than
any number of executions.
Another motive shoCld lead us 10 abolish
This barharous practice. Now that the re
action following the recent vlndlcatlon q
outraged law upon Foster has set in, II VIII
be found, almost. If not entirely, impossible
10 obtain q Jury willing 10 convict prs
oneT OF a capital oheuse. This Is clearly
foretold ny the efforts made 10 save the un-
happy man from the ignomiuious death
which he has suffered, and mere than all by
the strenuous eXertions made by the jury
who convicted him to undo their own work.
Knowing that their verdict ofgullty. which
once given can not he recalled, will cousign
to the scatfod, one who however
grievously he may have sinned
against the laws Of Cod and man,
is siH a fellow creature, II will be
strange indeed if twelve men can be induced
to condemn him. And as
a natural consequence Of the door of escape |
thus thrown open, crime viii become ram
pants Offenders vii! have but little fear fear
delays may be secured until the public Will
become apathetic, and public sentiment !