The Liberator

THE GALLOWS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

New Ipswich, July 1, 1849.

Friend Garrison:

It will be seen, by reference to the proceedings of the New Hampshire Legislature, that the subject of capital punishment has been considered and acted upon, during its present session; resulting in a vote of 149 in favor of the gallows, to 86 against. This vote, when contrasted with the vote of the several towns three or four years since on the same subject shows a gain on the side of reform ; not so great, to be sure, as the progress of the age demands, but for benighted New Hampshire, it is to be considered encouraging; slow indeed, but sure.

Prominent among the defenders of this relic of barbarism stands the Rev. Samuel Lee. pastor of the Congregational Church in this town. He, it appears, was the Bible champion of hanging on the occasion. Thus it is that the Bible, in the hands of the chief priests, is construed to sustain and uphold any crime or barbarity which happens to be popular, or will serve to secure them the high seats in the synagogue, which they delight so much to occupy. If the poor abused book could but speak, would it not address them in such indignant tones of rebuke. that they would never again dare to press it into such infamous service? Slavery, War, the Gallows, and, in fact, all the sins and crimes of the age, are defended by the clergy from the Bible. They could take no better course, it seems to me, to multiply infidels by scores. How long the people will suffer themselves to be led blindfold by these deceivers is for them to determine.

But to return to Mr. Lee. He is our Free Soil representative in the Legislature, and was elected by the fragments of the old defunct Liberty party, once quite a formidable body in our town. but now dwindled down to a few church members, zealous for nothing but the 'bulwark of slavery,' supported by a few stragglers from the old Whig and Democratic parties, who, having lost caste with their old comrades in sin, leaped from the frying-pan into the fire. This is the clique, led in town and represented in the State by the Orthodox divine who is so zealous for neck-breaking in our Legislature; and a more bitter enemy of the abolitionists does not exist in the land, probably.

Last March, at our annual town meeting, the town voted to petition the Legislature to abolish capital punishment. Four years ago, the town voted to sustain hanging Now the tables are turned It gives me pleasure to announce this gratifying intelligence of the result of the 'sober second thought' of the voters of New Ipswich. It was entirely unexpected to all, very many of the friends of reform being absent, thinking it out of the question to get such a vote. Mr. Lee, it appears, does not choose to obey the vote of the town, but goes up to Concord to misrepresent us on this point. Whether the voters will send him there another year, remains to be seen. How faithfully he has represented the Free Soilers can be seen by his advocacy of the bloody gallows; likewise, his approval of the resolution passed unanimously by the Legislature to the memory of 'that single-minded patriot,' James K. Polk, whose career is represented as one of 'glory and honor,' brilliant as t was short'!!! Such is Free Soilism in New Hampshire. Whether we compare favorably or unfavorably with other States in thist respect, is not for me to say ; but if ours is a fair sample of the party in the country, how can any man, calling himself an abolitionist or reformer, consent to remain in its ranks ? It seems to me impossible for them to remain there, without losing their virtue, and compromising their principles.

EDWARD.