Delaware gazette and peninsula advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1820, 1818-12-16

&VVSA WI ~ utCUs
2 The punishnieuts prescribed IN
this rode were cais ulatedto tie up the
hands Of the rrimi,,al-tO retorm--,oI
repair thu wrongs Of the injured party
and to bold up All object Of terror.
.suffi ient TO check Il people whose MN.
ner he endeavorel' to fashion by pro.
visibas interviewer in the same sys
TEN. lu this humane system. murder,
wilful and premeditatcd. is the onI,
crime for which the punishment of
death is prescribed; and this is de !
clared to he eusete0 in oDeGienre 10
thu law Of God, as II there had been
no political necessity even Iur this
punishment apparent to the leg'sla
ture.'
These laws we're transmitted to the
neither country for ratification. auh
the queen. forgetting the naturAi
mildness Of her SIX, made "A wick d
attempt tn crush this offspring Of be-
.nevOlenre and mercy in It's birth io,
the laws 0r Penns. lvania were. wilE-
out exception, repealed. and the for-.
mer system re csts n!ished. H.ppil,.
however. the sanguinnry code w.. ~
exotic which would not take root IL
thu soil. The 'adepenat"', e.-'sla'ue.
Of Pennsylvania. 90 their homer he
it spokco) Immediately re enacted
thu former laws. which continued il
fGree until the year 171s. when tbs
death of their founder put an end
this interesting experiment. nnd tbs
bloody statutes Of the perent country
were finally imposed On the rcluct"u'
co rDisis.
From this prrioi until our scparn-
ton from the parrnt country, it does
not appear that any reform Was AZ
temp,cd. In the year 1856 laws
We're enacted, having for their prin
eipaI object, the degradation of tln
criminals in order tha, others behold
ing their condition, might br deferred
fr"N the commission OF similar Of
fences. The hea,is Of the convicis
were shaved i; they were distinguish
ed by clothing, denotias infsr,y !:
eumnrous iron collars were sas,en.@i
roand their necks. and dragging after
them chains attached to bomb she'll.
In this state they were exposed in
the public highways. cleaning streets
and amending roads.
If no other evidence were furnish
cd than the result Of this crual expert
meat, it would abunhantsy su'ii e to
stau,p conviction on every rational
mind, of the futility Of snch system
for the prevention Of crimes. or the
reformation Of morals. The number
Of criminals under this treatment
rapidly increased the keepers were
obhseO I" go continually armed. and
srtncs took place which would irave
dis Traced the must harbarOas people.
Violent and repeated alta Ks wer,.
made on society by these degraded
beings. viii h in severa! Instances re-
suited in murder and the publi,
safety was adjudged to be in danger.
At this time, society was formed ~
the citizens, TO remedy, If possible
these munstrous evils, which in onn-
Junction with the rorporatInn Of the
city Of Philadelphia, made Applicant, ii
to the legislature Of the state, for An
alteration Of the penal code and in
1874 an act was passed. aboiish:ug the
punishment by death. except in the
first degree Of murder; thus reviv
Ing the system instituted near 400
years before so slow is the march OF
reformation The so iety obtained
also an art Of the legislature. b.,
with the prison was placed under
the inspection of citizrns appoiute6
for that purpose; solitary cells erect
cd and a plan instituted for its govern
ment and here we behold the first
buildings of the Pcnitcn.iary Syste,n,
and We hasten to give summary Of
its principles
The reformation introduced by this
plan appears to he founded on the fol-
lowing Propositions
4. The prevention Of Crimes and
the reformation OF the criminal is the
sole end of punishment.
/. Every penalty which is not NJ
cessary for this purpose is a cruel and
tyrapnivat act.
$. Every punishment should b.
proportional To the Oifen"e.
i. Evidences of reformation in cri
minals should be accompanied with d.
proporlionate mitigation Of their
punishmcnts.