The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-05-03
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY.
wooDsrIELp, MONROE COUNTY, OHIO,
Fiday, May 8, 1874.
For the Spirit of Democracy.
MIR. EDITOR.

This Is truly an age OF developement-eacf suc-
ceeding day unfolds something to mankind which
the day proceeding was shrouded in mystery. This
of itself is sufficient to teach them the fact that
they have not yet arrived at perfection either in
progressive being-formed by his creator with
faculties susceptibleof infinite improvement
that as the mind becomes emancipated from the
shackes Of the tyrant custom. the barriers and
landmarks that superstition and prejudice have
erected in reformation's path have been uprooted
and broken down by reason as she gains her UNI
plre-the forms and customs of by-gone days,
unless consistent with the natural and revealed
rights of man, will be banished from the land as
legion of tradition, and such only adopted in their
stead as will not derogate from the rights of ind-
viduals 1t may appear strange, but it is no less
true, that in every country-under every form of
government-in every age, from the earliest peri
cd in the worlds history to the present, there have
been certain portion of the people superstitous
enough to believe that the government under which
they live has arrived at the highest pinnacle of
human perfection, and they, like the Jews, the
chosen people of God, among whom your cores
pondent who advocates capital punishment might
Justly be classed.
How many there are who are prepared, from a
prejudced education, to bow passive obedience
to the rant custom, (even should ii extend to the
taking off of the head,) without once inquirng
into the primary causes which entered into the
composition of making it custom. Government
II has tad
rial Slavery is riveted down upon US, and because
our progenitors tolerated it without remorse, our
American planters--the slaves to custom-clasp it
to their bosoms, apparently as the one thing need
full; and doubt they expect to be justified, and
conducted by angels into Abraham's bosom, when
they die, on the plea that their forefathers were
slaveholders
Legal murder is custom of still greater anti
quity than slavery, though never Except during
the Jewish Theocracy) without its advocates and
its opponents,- the antiquity of which constitutes
the premises from which its advocates in the nine
teenth century claim the right to, and do, draw
their conclusions that it is yet strictly consistent
with the principles of justice to deprive their fel-
low man of that which his creator bestowed upon
him, telling him at the same time to ''occupy till
l come" The TACT of punishment with death
being inflicted by government, time out of mind,
and the custom being advocated by persons of the
most exalted talents need not be adduced to prove
that il is ght,-ths does not form any part of the
proof that the principles upon which the custom is
based are predicated upon the principles of phian.
thropy; on the contrary it only goes to show that
the individual who resorts to such argument de-
pends entirely upon precedents-that he is one
across whose brain an original idea never strays.
1t is believed that Justice can be satisfied fully with
out resorting to that kind of punishment from
which the mind of man Involuntary revolts. If
this hypothesis be correct would it not be prefer
BILE to that of drenchng our hands in human blood?
The only true end ofa punishment is, land ought to
be, reformation of the offender and to secure
community against the attacks of such persons as
are in the practice of committing such misdemean-
ors as demand severe punishment. The former
capital punishment prevents, and the latter is only
preserved at the expense of blood. Certainly that
period in the history of the world has arrived,
when individuals and governments ought to con-
slider whethershis is the only way that justice can
be appeased Punishments of any kind are just-
fable, and ought to be inflicted, only when they
are absolutely necessary for the preventing of
repetition. They must mot therefore, be severe if
milder means will answer the same end OF pre-
venton. Let the violator Of justice be placed in
solitary confinement for life, where there can be
no possibility of his escaping or committing any
further depredations upon society, and the same
will be effected, that would be by launching the
individual prematurely into eternity-justice will
be satisfied, and man guiltless of his death. God
has said he 'delighteth not in the death of the
wicked" If this be true, and it is presumed none
who believe in the authenticity of the Bible will
doubt it, it follows most conclusvely that He does
not delight in the capital execution of the mid
night assassin, in his unconverted state, Qor it
can not be denied that he is wicked who can calm
ly and deliberately take the life of his fellow man,
but says, he "would rather that all would turn
unto him who will have mercy, and to our God
who will abundantly pardon" All will admit that
they, whose hands are stained with human blood,
are sinners, and being sinners are unprepared to
meet their God in judgment,-and further that
there is possibility of their repenting if they are
permitted to live out their days. We have the
evidence upon record, of the most abandoned
sinners during their confinement within the walls
Of prison, repenting and lfnding favor with him
who says, "although their sins were as crimson or
scarlet will make them as white as snow" As
well might "Philos" undertake with his Puny arm
to beat down the everlasting hills, undertake to
prove that justice requires mana worm OF the
dust--to interfereI between Him and His creatures,
to cut the thread of life, and thereby prevent
the offender from repentiDg of his sins and making
peace with his offended God. The idea that Deity
has different modes of administering justice in
different ages of the world, is looked upon by him
with apparent astonshment, and concludes that he
who holds toIsuch. doctrines must have very per-
verted conception of God and Of the Scriptures