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The uncollected poetry and prose of Walt Whitman
The uncollected poetry and prose of Walt Whitman Author:Walt Whitman Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: them to live schools, forming American youth to become model men and women. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT1 Probably most of our readers will remember the ardor with w... more »hich the question of Capital Punishment was discussed, some years since. Every city and large town had its association, respectable for numbers and ability, holding frequent meetings, to put before the people the arguments to abolish hanging. Speakers were invited—the Legislatures were memorialized—books and pamphlets were issued in great plenty. It was about that time that the Democratic Review, a monthly magazine of a profounder quality of talent than any since, was largely impressing the public, especially the young men. This review was among the most eager of the opponents of the gallows. Its corps of writers2 were all enthusiasts—believers in " a good time coming." They made some of the most powerful attacks yet seen, against the orthodox theory of punishment. We recollect the meetings for discussing this Capital Punishment question, which used to be held in New York in a moderate sized room in Broadway, near Lispenard street. A visitor there would have found a remarkable collection of "heads." The Democratic Review writers were frequently quoted—some were present to speak for themselves, or as listeners. We allude to Bryant, Judge Edmonds, O'Sullivan, Whittier, Hawthorne, old Major D'Aveza, and others. The result of this agitation and discussion told very largely —and is telling to this day, in the benevolent reforms, and in an increased sensitiveness on the part of the public, toward any useless harshness in the treatment of criminals. We have often thought that the real good resulting out of the opposition-talent against the theory of hanging for murder was [in] diffusing more benevolence and sympath...« less