Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-09-15
! am Dear Sir,
AS ever yours truly,

PUBLIC SENTIMENT RESPECTING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
DEAR Sir: The most important temporal concern
OF the State IS It's criminal Juris prudence. This is the
chief pillar of the public security, and is intimately
connected with the fundamental! principles of morals
and religion. lie who looks patiently into this sub
1ect, will see that 1t has many important bearings;
and that our existing code for the punishment OF high
crimes is one of the last things that ought to be expe.
rimented with hastily, by our legislators. This would
be to unset,le all orr established convictions respect.
ing the guilt of crime, and 10 trile with the most 81.
cred interests of society for il is supposed that the
public safety and welfare depend on the prompt infllc.
ton of adequate penalties on The violators of whole
some law. Punitive justice, thus executed, we be-
lieye to be beneroience to the public.
The hrst fact claiming Our attention, is the recent,
general movement Of the public mind toward the abo.
lhlon OF Capital Punishment. There is growing dis
satisfaction with the penal codes established by the
Pur',ans of New England and by Penn and his asso-
c'a'es, ana by those Christian patriots who conducted
our nation through the revolution, and established a
government Of law and order, These men were rs
much distinguished for their conscienriousness and
humanity as for their practical wisdom and consum-
mate ability. Why are we dissatisfied with The codes
ordained by them, and approved and commended 10
US by the experience of half a century? 1ha, there
f"'' - NV AZ uiu Vi Several
OF our states, the abolition of capital punishment is
The favonte and popular measure of the day. In New
YORK. Pennsylvania and some other states, the popu
lar branch of the LegisladRe have well nigh carried
the point. Other Legislatures are, every year, earn,
s>uy pett!oned 10 act in the same direction. Punish.
ing the wlliul Murderer by death, Is denounced as
"oarbarous," " savage" &c. Our own Legislature
-ihiected with this new species of lenevolence, have
taken one step in the work of reform ana in their wis
dom and mercy, have ordained that the murderer
shall be imprisoned for life, and then hung! This, Il
be sure, looks a little like Observation-Disclosures
Ho~ever, the Doctors of the law have 20 doctoret
.Ai. Bill as - give it a ~tolerably healthy inspect. !
nonsdersble portr,.no OF .he press has taken ground il
favor of doing away all puaisi"en' ~ death
Look which way we will, we en-. SAD evidence o
the relaxation Of criminal law, both in int en- 4efnien
and in the e~recu.ion. Crime is becoming bold ant
frequent and the public conscience insensible to il
cnormiiy.
The seducer who carries infamy and misery into
the bosom of o once happy familyi-who destroy
the reputation and peace Of the very pride Of tina
family, is doomed by law to no punishment. True
by law he may be fined in the sum of a hundred dol
lars or so. But strictly this is no punishment. 1t
deemed no real DISGRACE. For having paid the sur
(which can never be an offsett against the ruin {
character and happiness) he walks, unwhipped an
unscornad, into the anne circle of society and loses n
easte.-It is confessed by oil that crimes of this chal
meter are much more frequent Than formerly. Til
wreck Of Innocence, of character and moral worth
startling. "Itisa state Of things not to be endured.
And if matters 60 on 1t the present rate, The order
society will soon be reversed, and our whole legisli
ton may fall into the hands Of those who believe th'
"eoncealed adultery is no crime"
We have sad evidence of the relaxation of Grimm
law in every department. "Foul deeds, from rufiu
violence upon life, through the black catalogue of a
con, rape, burglary, theft and s%windling of every d
gree and contrivancc, are common occurrences al
while from the halls of justice, a voice proclaimir
the fearful lssrease of crime is sounding in our cal
the executive inssr ms us that there is a morbid syn
psAy with offenders, in,erposing between crime al