The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-06
THE DEATH PENALTY.

There are ten men In the Parish Fri
son under sentence Of death, nine Oh
them convicted OF murder and one Oh
the still more atrocious crime OF rape.
These men have all had fair trials; they
had the services OF able lawyers and q
full, impartial and patient hearing, and
their guilt was 30 clear and their crimes
40 horrible and revolving that even New
Orleans juries, always slow to send
ansgressors to the gallows. convicted
them unqualifiedly.
These men the courts have denounced
as enemies Of society, and they deserve
no indulgence. The sentences passed
upon them should be executed. The
cause Of justice, the good Of society and
humanity demand that the murderer
shall pay with his life the penalty Of his
wicked, cruel and bloody deeds. The
maudlin prejudice which has grown up
CT late years against capital punishment
Is one of the symptoms OF diseased
public sentiment; it has encouraged
crime by emboldening that class OF
human brutes whose evil instincts and
passions can only be, even In a measure.
restrained by the terrors Of law which
denounces the penalty Of death against
the murderer and the perpetrators OF
other horrible and inhuman crimes.
How many men have been slain; how
many helpless women have been butch
cred, by murderous wretches who,
through the lax administration OF the
criminal law, and the maudlin prejudice
against capital punishment, have been
melted and emboldened to give vent to
their hellish fury? The daily papers OF
all the great cities Of the United States
are constantly filled with the most revolt
ing tales of murder. Husbands murder
their wives; women their paramours /;
children their parents; an angry word,
d dispute over game OF cards provokes
stab or pistol shot and an assassina-
ton. In our city men whip out their
revolvers upon the slightest provoca-
ton and begin promiscuous firing
Two or three times week we are called
upon to relate some disgusting cutting
or shooting scrape among the negroes
and lower classes OF the white inhabi-
tants Of the town.
These things are disgrace to Amerl-
can civilization; they iDjure the general
interest Of the community and debase
society. Men whose brutal instincts
and wicked passions are 80 strong that
they do not hesitate to shoot and stab
to death, often under circumstances Of
the most heartless cruelty, are enemies
of the human race. They themselves
are incapable of mercy, and society
should not shrink from meteing
out the severest justice to them.
II few murderers and other afro
cious criminals were hung in this city
1t would have a most beneficial effect
upon the roughs and rowdies, whose
hands are ever ready to strike with
pistol or knife. We are as sensitive to
the claims OF mercy as any man, but
that sentiment Is crime against So
ciety, and not genuine mercy. which
sympathizes with the murderer and
would avert his just doom.
It will be an unpleasant duty, we are
sure, to Gov. Nichols to sign the death
warrants Of the convicts in our prison !;
but we are also sure that he will take
that course which will establish
amongst us a healthy and vigorous
respect for the law and for human life.