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1 The Death Punishment 1 (1844)

handle is hein.death/depuns0001 and id is 1 raw text is: THE DEATH PUNISHMENT. TOWN MEETING. A large and highly respectable meeting of citizens of Philadelphili, City and County, opposed to the DEATH PUNISHMENT, was held at the County Court House, corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets, on the evening of Wednesday, [)e- cember 20th, 1843, in pursuance of public notice. The meeting was called to order by Dr. John A. Elkinton, upon whose motion, the following named gentlemen were appointed officers: PRESIDENT. GEORGE M. DALLAS. VICE PRESIDENTS. Of the City. Thomas P. Cope, Dr. Charles D. Meigs, Henry C. Corbit, Robert Morris, Richard Vaux, Isaac Barton, Joseph C. Neal, Dr. Caspar Wistar, Henry M. Phillips, Jacob Senneff. Rev. William G. E. Agnew. Of the County. Hon. Richard Rush, Nathan R. Potts, Rev. Joseph Castle, Samuel D. Patterson, Thomas Tustin, Joseph Feinour Jr., Richard Gardiner, M. D. SECRETARIES. Benjamin Matthias, Dr. Henry S. Patterson, Dr. Jesse W. Griffiths. THOMAs EARLE, Esq., from the Committee of Arrangement, then submitted the following resolutions: Whereas, the question of the abolition of Capital Punishment has for some time attracted the attention of the people of Pennsylvania, and will probably claim the consideration of their General Assembly at its approaching session, we deem it proper publicly to express our sentiments and views in relation -to the subject, that they may have such weight with our fellow-citizens and our legisla- tive representatives as they may justly deserve. Therefore, Resolved, That we disapprove of taking human life as a punishment for crime -because, 1. It has not unfrequently happened, that the innocent were convicted and executed-and, to remedy the defects of human judgment, the power to cor- rect error when discovered should not be wholly abandoned. 2. Its excessive and irreversible severity creates a feeling of pity, whieldis.