Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-10-04
NnN.REslSTANCE.

civil rewards and punishments, we an
swer him, that they ought to be award
ed as encouragement TO virtue and dis
couragements to vice, rather than as
infections of what is called retributive
justice. They are to be regarded in The
same light as bounties and prohibitory
duties forthe encouragement of manufac.
lures and the encouragement of certain
injurious branches of commerce. The
authors of code of benefcent laws
would say to their fellow citizens, There
are certain actions, called vices, injuri-
Gus to the welfare of society, which
must be prohibited by assigning what
are called punishments to those who are
guilty of them. Yet, as these offenders
are often more to be pitied than condem.
ned, inasmuch as their bad education
and the demoralizing circumstances in
which they have been placed, have rem
dered them necessarily vicious and Grim
inal, we inaict upon them no more than
that amount of punishment which is
necessary TO constitute motive to deter
others from committing similar offences.
Vlndictiveness is no part of our CODE
We would deprive criminal of his lib
erty only so far as this deprivation is
needful to restrain him from the commits
sion of other acts of vice. Hence penal
laws should not exist. All punishments,
properly so called, ought to be expung-
ed from the statute book, and their place
supplied by restraining laws. But it is
an error to believe that these aqCords
should be distributed with reference sole
ly to the criminal upon whom they are
inflicted. While we aim to procure his
reformation, and to restrain him from
doing further evil to society, we aim
likewise at making him an example to
deter others from following his evil
ways. ..
We agree with the Editor of the Tel
egraph, that we should regard the feel
ings and happiness Of the poor offender
upon whom we are obliged 10 infiict the
stantly to study the art of modifying the
penal code in such manner as to as
sign the least possible amount Of suffer-
ing to the offender, which will serve to
restrain him and others from evil doing. =
And as fast as the oblect can be made
practicable, we would so modify other
laws and customs, and the circumstances
of education, as to form habits and furn-
ish motives for well-doing, which should
gradually render needless very many o.
the penalties which are now necessarily
assigned to criminal actions. Proven.
ton of crime by reforming the present
circumstances of society, would be fa
better than the punishment of crime al
ter it has been committed; and the rear
ing up Of virtuous citizens is better thai
| filling penItentiaries with prisoners
Y But we cannot fully elucidate our view
, of this important subject in the space o
! a few paragraphs. ILL. -. IT,.
| The doctrine of non-resis,ance, we cor
slider mere phantom of the imagination
and neither benepolence nor justice re
quire the exercise of it. We ate SO ia
from recognizing such doctrine as th
means of promoting universal peace, thi
:, we believe the attempt 10 reduce 1t
e practice would have tendency 10 encou
d age disorder and RIGHTEOUSNESS. We car
e not protect virtue. except by resisting VIC
we CANNOT protect friend, except by r
q sisting those who are disposed TO lnju
him. Ii we have d right, therefore,
protect. we have a right, also, to resi-;
'e lnasmuch as>protection, implies resislane
d, We are willing 10 Danish all hatred al
he vengeance from our moral creed, but 7
$ siStance is law of nature instituted
re self-defence, aud the individual or the S
!. ciety who should literally and complete
> refuse to prdctlse it, must soon perish.
We can suppose MANY cases In Will
~ one might be induced to Inhict great boz
I'D Iy injury upon a friend, for the sole pL
I'D pose of protecting another friend from
d, unjust assault and all this with no i'll W
be towards the former, but with sole rega
n for the safety Of the latter. The nome
A airy indignation or anger which one m
necessarily feel, when induced TO strike
- man TO prevent him from doing evil, N
nc exist without any enduring ill will agar
on the object; end q benevolent man wol
lat use all persuasive means which he COZ
think OF, before he would resort 10 mea
oh which, as lhey lnfict injury, are alws
ZEE apparently vlndlcllve, and often really
~ Any man who should carry the pr
tciples of non-resistance thoroughly j
SUI practice, would be regarded as insane W
DIN enthusiasm. But such man cannot
The found. The Qnakers, with whom t
arm singular paradox originated, have ne
of been thorough. practical non-resistal
lev Il is true, that they refuse to study or pr
lice the arts Of war and that they retus
oiu la war either offensive or defensi
ah Ii is true, also, that when attacked by
, 10 OF the worlds people, they walk away,
be stead of fighting against their antagor
eth But if we were TO infer from these