The Morning herald., 1877-05-14

Aaence Of, Christian teaching are the excuse
we make ior OR appeal. u II
! The liis Of John Rhoades is forfeit I'D
We law, his dsys willis b numbered,
81 II the first flnsh 81 hls manhood he will be
cus dfFs sothis judicial ki|li9ssEz "a ses4
minds repulsivs ssisnss is some
sbs,sf ve viii not debsts tsafl
!, earnest 5s,sh " entertain strong, snd
q mont. I Wspns sgain,t capital punish
verdict under tao wordof fault with 4 tbs
tsnos in palliatiol,it v+ju@, not . sen
write; but of the modsbs crime do vi.
af,er sentence, ve ask svss ssingris0nnmeD'
: and woman in the eomMh " Fstlan Ian mar
ehanssI and modify. John RE % heif T.
upon the threshold feternity, VIZ vi 1'.nas 9.
u, the Judgement seat Of Cid /; fisnn
for repentance Is brief why Should fPs
manacled with iron bars? The sherih
not to blame, his big kindly soul grieve
at the woe of his prisoner he but follows
J, custom; the unbroken custom Of the
State, in it, way Of imprisoning capita
fslons. The dungeon, the rack, the thumb
screw, the masacleN have all besn laid
/. away, as every Christian Stats in Europe,
asrelics ofthe barbaric past, when punihh-
ment was the corelative ofvigilance. The
State Of Delaware stands among the people
ofthe land, for the virtue, and lofty Chris
ton morality Of its people we .ak the
press, pulpit, and people Of this sminent.
y Christian State, to pronounce At once
against, relic of cruelty, which unnoticed
exists among us-the chaining 81 . doom
ed prisoner. Ttefew days remaining tc
John Rhoades, should not be rendered
irksome, and intolerable, under the min
istrstions Of those Of his choice, he ough,
tobavs such full and perfect freedom in
his cell-as is consistent with the saft
keeping ;aaN hen he slumbes at night, no
Aanacls should disturb the short hours
preceding the great sleep Of death. When
awake in contemplation Of his past lite,
in reading the, word of God, and, Joining
in holy prayer to aliment his soul, the
painful and coyroding manacle, should
not be . means Of distraction from the
great work Of his eternal salvation. W..
are sure that no man in the county
would be better pleased to release the
prisoner Of his "leg bolts" than Sheriff
Grubb, or the excellent and humane War.
den ofthe Jail Mr.. Herdman; ii authority
orpublic opinion would direct or or sustain
the change. We implore public attention,
to the mode oftreating doomed man in
our prisons. 1t is relic of the hard bar.
baric past-and we have taken too man,
strides in the full noon Of Christian civil.
sa'ion, to be any longer conssnting partif.
to such cruelty. 81.
Il was in prison and he came unto me,,
Ih's does not mean, the mere visitation
1t means the carrying of comfort and
consolation to the prisoner. Such ID the
spirit Of this text of st. Mathew. Gre.
member the words Of the Lord "Amen ID
say to you, as long as you did it to, one Of
these my least brethereD, you did it to me. .
The difficulty in the principal part Of
the matter is not easily solved, the sheriff
p, custom and intendant of law, has the
sole custody ofthe prisoner, and is respon.
sible for his safe keeping. Certainly the
country will pay for the construction Of :
spacious cell, lined with: oak. and ;ro,,,
ifthere be not such an one in the ;ail e q
-'ewcastle-as may be seen in many prissns
known al the condemned cell, in which
the doomed man has the freedom Of hi.. ~,
limbs: without which, his faculties are
numbered. Ifhis safe keeping il assured. MI
; acre is no need Of the torture .of ,hs
manacle. The Court may rightfuIly direc,
the Grand Jury now in. session to INQUIRE
and present the whole ease with recon-
msadasionA for ~ ccuntenancs, or aboli-
ica q tbs practice y chainiss 4 ptiseusyii
thsa 4 Wit prObAiy Co. apiSs iisu..
slsa - s.1l!s.sss Z Ia!G ! Z I! 4