Anti Slavery Bugle

"Crime's Lessons."

This is the caption of the following article from a correspondent of the New York Evangelist. What a Christ-like, forgiving spirit pervades every line! How does it exalt christianity as a religion that suffereth long and is kind, and forgiveth much! How closely does it resemble the conduct of Him who prayed for his murderers, " Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

CRIME'S LESSONS.

New-Haven, July 28, 1846.

Messrs. Editors.-My last letter was written immediately before the execution of Potter. I did not then expect to witness that dreadful scene, but finally consented to do so, upon the invitation of the Sheriff, on account of my deep interest in the prisoner, and my desire to observe the whole impression of the scene upon others. I have no wish to transfer to your minds the horrid image which haunts me even in my sleep; yet it may be useful to sketch an outline of the transaction, for the sake of its moral lessons.

About one hundred persons, principally civil and military officers, are assembled in the yard of the prison, which is carefully screened from all without. The clear blue sky is overhead, the bright sun is shining, and yet the air seems stifled, and men breathe heavily and slow. Upon a scaffold some ten feet high stands the youthful criminal, clad in the habiliments of death; the fatal cord-which has already launched two murderers into eternity-is swinging above him from a strong and well-supported beam. He makes a brief address; he hears a parting prayer; he bids adieu to those around; the knot is tied; the face is covered; the trap falls, and all is ended! No; all is not ended-but we must leave him with his Judge.

I shudder while I write of what I hardly dared to look upon. Yet, awful as was the scene, it was not cruel. It was conducted with the utmost dignity and propriety throughout. The Sheriff performed his painful duty in person, and with the deepest compassion for the criminal, whom he tenderly supported during his address. The prayer was one of marked solemnity and appropriateness—an earnest plea for mercy for a guilty, dying man, blended with a devout recognition of the justice of that "ancient decree of heaven " by which he suffered. The spectators were awed by the majesty of the law, while they acknowledged the righteousness of its penalty; and those without the walls found the vain curiosity which had brought them there displaced by an instinctive dread of that which they could neither see nor hear, but which they knew to be a dire necessity The scene was awful, because sin is awful; for the same reason that it will be so awful to hear the sentence, " depart, accursed," pronounced on some whom we have known and loved; and yet it was not so awful as that lone murder to which it was a sequel; not so awful as would have been the palliation of such a crime, or the exposure of life, and the prostration of law in this community by a mitigation of its penalty. Awful-but not cruel: awful-because to violate the peace and safety of society, and the security of life, is such a monstrous crime. I had no idea it could be so awful : but in that very awfulness lies its moral effect; an effect visible upon every mind. The citizens of New-Haven appear to be more deeply convinced of the high moral influence of Capital Punishment. Even the opponents of the "death-penalty" admit that in this instance, if ever, it was justly inflicted. Those editors who have labored to abolish that penalty judiciously refrain from saying any thing to lessen its salutary effect in the present case. One newspaper here, however, has represented the execution to have been " an outrage upon humanity and justice." Poor murderers! what indignities and wrongs must they suffer from an ignorant and prejudiced humanity! When will the time come when they shall receive proper sympathy and protection! When will Humanity and Justice learn that it is their chief duty to seek the welfare of criminals. Not soon, I think; for God's rule of justice and benevolence is not yet done away. Some editors abroad seem to think that Potter's professed penitence entitled him to a commutation of punishment, according to the gospel. But the ground of forgiveness in the gospel is not repentance, but the atonement of Christ. The atonement has a moral effect for the support of law which may be substituted for the effect of the penalty to the same end in the case of believers. But human governments have no atonement-no provision apart from the penalty to sustain the law —and therefore it is idle, it is suicidal to talk of forgiveness. There can be no analogy here between human governments and the divine. " Without the shedding of blood there is no remission." Without a complete atonement, an adequate basis of forgiveness, adequate in respect to the support of law and government, the penalty must be inflicted, or every interest of government abandoned; a penalty which shall be a just and appropriate expression of the lawgiver at the crime.' Let evangelical Christians consider that the same reasoning which would abolish Capital Punishment for the crime of murder, would overthrow the moral government of God. Men would arrest justice because it is dreadful, not thinking that its dreadfulness is excellence and power, that a flaming sword alone can guard an Eden of bliss in a world of sin. I intended to have said something of the admonition addressed to young men by the fate of the once moral and professedly Christian youth. How earnestly did he warn them from the scaffold to beware of the haunts of vice! Oh, that that warning might ring in the ears of every young man in New York. He went from curiosity and looked in at the gate of hell. but though he started back affrighted, he took fire before he could retreat, and that fire consumed him. "Lust when it is conceived bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Let young men beware how they expose themselves to the excitement of carnal desires.

Yours,
J. P. T.