Butler endeavoured to avail himself of the delay afforded by
these circumstances, to turn the people from their desperate design. "For
God's sake," he exclaimed, "remember it is the image of your Creator
which you are about to deface in the person of this unfortunate man!
Wretched as he is, and wicked as he may be, he has a share in every
promise of Scripture, and you cannot destroy him in impenitence without
blotting his name from the Book of Life--Do not destroy soul and body;
give time for preparation."
"What time had they," returned a stern voice, "whom he murdered on this
very spot?--The laws both of God and man call for his death."
"But what, my friends," insisted Butler, with a generous disregard to his
own safety--"what hath constituted you his judges?"
"We are not his judges," replied the same person; "he has been already
judged and condemned by lawful authority. We are those whom Heaven, and
our righteous anger, have stirred up to execute judgment, when a corrupt
Government would have protected a murderer."
"I am none," said the unfortunate Porteous; "that which you charge upon
me fell out in self-defence, in the lawful exercise of my duty."
"Away with him--away with him!" was the general cry.
"Why do you trifle away time in making a gallows?--that dyester's pole is
good enough for the homicide.
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