Danforth refuses to postpone the hangings because he feels that, if he were defer them, it would undermine his authority and credibility. Further, it might encourage people to question whether or not those folks who were hanged before were actually guilty. He says, "While I speak God's law, I will not crack its voice with whimpering." Danforth feels that God is speaking through him, that he is God's agent, and so he argues that it would appear to weaken God's voice if Danforth appears weak.
The others -- Hale and Parris -- fear that the people in Salem are going to rebel against the courts because they are beginning to be perceived as corrupt and because life in the town has gotten so bad. To this, Danforth says, "I should hang ten thousand that dared to rise against the law, and an ocean of salt tears could not melt the resolution of the statutes." In other words, Danforth very much prizes law and order over mercy, and this belief also helps to inform his decision not to postpone the hangings.
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