Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-02-16

r 'ssPing enid fc,vIllzntion to The grey head
ed "nd untuiored savage Uf the Wilderness
lesson which, u all wW.b incuca,e mn,
proctsc, would smooth down the nspcriiies q
NE, mitigate the s0rrows incident 10 hums nj
W. swee'en tho springs Of domestic enoy
'nen', strengthen and beautify the bonds o.
'lc social compact, dispense with The officer,
' justice, den"llsh our prisons, and pull dow
NE last scaiiold that should eyer be erected
Tor The execution of the convict!
H D't instead OF this, we are constantly told
of the dignity and periccibiliiy of human
nature; The noble qualities Of the mind, md
The elevallng influence Of education in the
llllmllablo fields of art aud science, upon the
happiness and destiny Of man and each lee
'urcr ~ his turn. hns lust discovered some
new principle IN nature. or above nature, an
proprla'e to The age in which we live, the nI,-
II plicalion of which IL Ia reclfy all the ills of
l'ie, aud restore TO pristine beauty end hai-
mony The world and all lis inhabitants.
\ When these giants IN human intellect can
tell me whence Moses derived his SCIENCE in
legislation, without admitting the supcrnatu-
fal ana divine authority 10 The ten command
ihentd, shall begin 10 listen with more rcve-
renee 10 The teachers OF human perfectibllIiy.
W 'ha' short aud comprehensive code, we
hn" gwen 10 us perfect rule OF action, coy-
enhg The whole ground Of mans existence: /:
rue, not only prescribing our duty to God
ana man ~ our external behaviour. hut
reaching to the secret thoughts and feelings
OF our hearts, IN every possible condition of
Iie, and in all our relations to our Maker and
our fellow beings. The wisdom %! ages. the
learning and philosophy Of the schools. have
never discovered a single defect in that code
IL AZ fI.nrn A
not wee, ~ its iaost shadowy and doubtful
TORN, out is there prohibited. Whence tnen
! ask, did the great Jewish lawrIvcr derive
MS spirit OF Legislation? If that code was
written by the finger OF the lmi ghly. le, us
Dow to It with holy reverence, aud seek no |
better rules Of life. nor any wiser principlcs
OF action. But If they cinana,cd only from,
Tue capaclous mind, and were dictated by the |
wisd"n of Moses, then Moses was a wiser.
more learned man, than any Of our new teach.
crs ana had rather be under his jurisdiction
'hd keep his commandments, than learn new
rules OF civil polliy and social intercourse
rom The most learned and wise uf the present
lay. H
These remarks may be out Of The usual H
course OF Judicial addresses F; but am per
"aded, geniiemen, ih"y are not inappro-
'r!afe to The age IN which we live the occa.
non upon which we have assembled, and The
lnlles upon winch we are about to enter H
IN lhlS day OF novelty and excitement. when Il
~ thn powers and elements of mind ~ the H
he literary, political and religious depart. H
'en's 81 llie, seem To be IN coInmoion, il Is II 4
vel Tor Us 10 pause, aud rccur for moment
The hrst principles, that we may see where
'e stand IN tins great c"uaict, aud return, I'LL
'e nave wandered, To the good o.d ways oil I
'u'h hhd common sense. Besides, we dol
"t meet here only in the cold and official n
'ghlty OF magistrates. but in the character. y
nj. am sure, with all The kind and friendly :,
elIngS of ncgbors and fellow ciiizens; and ,
'erc Is no reason why when so met, we
lould not coniGnnc together on topics 20
tally interesting 10 Us all as members OF T
ic great social and political family. q
lhcre Is, gentlemen, ns have recently re | b
arked, IN another place. necessity for ~ all. O.
men, aud as constituent members Of the m
'dy pohIc, reDewcdly To avow, aud by CIR q,
hunSt IN all our relations IN li!i,, to manifest -
II attachment to law npd order, A, opposi
~ to that spirit of insubnrdlnailon ond mis- III
IL winch Is evidently spreading itself over 10
0 land-nodrrn codes of Rationale. m md tr
ItcIaled appeals TO the less informed, and d.
The baser passions of human nature, are q,
'senIng the bands "f society, and breaking Il,
wp Tie hroad and Essential landmarks be
cen VICE aud virtue. Criwe seems to be
'ns It's guilty aspect, and assuming the "a
ider features Of mere indiscretion. Its VI
rpetrator, whether stained with human pl
'"d or polluted with speculation and fraud. II
eady shares more largely IN the sympaihies of
the public than do Tia" injured victims OF oc
malice or ungovernabe passions while
ythIng lIkc punishment of offenders ayans, a,
aud justice, has almost come to be- CON -
cred an act OF savage cruelty, and II relic 'h'
the barbarous ages. Instead of being bv
'i>hed, IN the legal sense OF the term. for in;
INJURY he has done TO the community, the Ito
'ndrr is to bc pliled and pardoncd or at me
St, to be comfortably provided for a, the rio
jiic expense, during temporary coninc- A,
mt. 1"
hat am not cx'ravagrant IN these re- W
rks, we have had several recent snG me ma
holy proofs in nelghborng states. II is the
II lew days since jury who found them Is
yes compelled by tie evidence in the Gu
Sc, alter the mos; patient and deliberate or6
of The case 10 declare upon their on
hs, that the accused had given the fatal -,
that Land his victim bleeding corpse nj W
ieci, III the ''phrcnsy of passion, and with. SCI
my e"usc to J"stIiy me HurGerGGS deco, "S
nediately after rendering their verdict, pri
almost as soon as 1t was recorded, united wa
petition TO the pardonlng power, that the vii
Wet might be crcued for what he had ,h..
Z, cxoneratcd i.nm all punishment. and be 49,.
ored, with his bloody hands unwashed. to F',,
the rights and privileges of an Anencan
zen. per
hcsc sympathlcs, it is true, may bc traced 1t C
IN excellent quality of The human heart, the
they deserve our esteem, when got car. nit
To such an excess as encourages crime
shows utter disregard ot what we owe to A.,
majesty of the laws and the well being of .f,
ETY.. But sympalhise as much us we will, WV
g Is such thing as primitive aud rtiribu. -
justice, even III the government of IIIM 1--WE
Sc very name is Lore, aud one of whose five
ious attributes is mercy: aud that philan. \ u
py, which sympathIses more with the con. ,ba,
than It does with an injured, insnltcd, oc /,
suffering community, Is of II morbid and ,l,.,
ly character, and scarce deserves the w
G Of humanity pcr'
Tor one have no confidence in thosc vision 'a"
hcorlsts these pblosopbc and inielcc. S3l
ben"iac'ors OF mankind, who are framing
Is new principles Of association mud gov. cor