New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-12-05
crime and RESPONSIBILITIES.

forming No. &C Of the Library Of Select Novels.
Crime and Responsibility.
The following extract is taken from Bureigh's
Thought on the Death Penalty & work Of near
$50 pages for sale price IS cents, az lao Fulton
stree; second floor and at Greham's, Nassau-street
Tribune Buildings-It abounds in the most con
vincing arguments in favor OF the Abolition OF
Capital Punishment, and shows up many OF the
faacies and misrepresentation of Rev Geo. B &.
Cheever's Work in favor Of Capital Punishment. B.
What las Society done for The Criminal?
HAS it surrounded their childhood with healthy
moral influences, or done aueht to prevent them
from drawing their first breath in a tainted moral
atmosphere, and being moulded TO vicious tasles
and habits while yet too Young 10 choose any cir.
cumsance OF their condition! When choice seemed
in their power but the second nature already
wrought into them, inclined their choice TO evil has
it then been diligeRt repair The wrong of It's for
mer neglect? w hen they had wandered far in the
way oil vice, wherein their feet had first been set
has il sought them out and, with kind words and
deeds of love and wholesome counsel and instruc
ton labored 10 lead them 10 the better path Has
il been careful so 10 dispense its wealth that none
should be shu, out, by AFFECT poverty, from the
means of moral culture; tempted TO crime by
pinchng want and sore distress? Have its laws,
and usages and institutions all been fitted 10 inspire
|
TO cherish gentle and loving spirit, and so 10 make
men heartily averse 10 evil-doing
" Far otherwise. Instead Of doing what it should
for the prevention Of crime, by improving the char
acter and condition OF those most likely 10 commit
it, and thus hinderng the growth OF criminal dispo
sitions, and removing the temptations TO their in
diligence ii is 100 often working the very oppo
site results By its too unequal distribution OF the
good things of life, some deprived AZ OF bodily
comforts and necessaries, ond the means of improve
ment for mind and heart, are made reckless and
desperate by ignorance and suffering; while in
others are nourished all the vices bred of luxury
and over abundance lts gross neglect, too, OF the
ignorant and wreched, for whose wants OF body and
soul it has made no adequate provision aggravates
the evils of this inequality.
"Nor is It's mere neglect The worst. II has open
schools of vice, potent agencies of decentralization.
For its Stacicensed grog.shops its theatres pulled
by the popular press and patronized by the gen
tee" and respectable. us well as the vile. It's
gambling houses irequented and counenanced by
those who nevertheless wear its civic and social
honors and stand high in public esteem; for all these
not 10 name other fountains OF corruptlon-and
for their influence in training for crime, society
is as truly answerable "a individual offenders BY
its artificial distinctions. also which rate birth, and
possessions and outward appearance, above moral
worth and prefer cmnence in comparatively use
less and even positively hurltul employments, 10
skill and industry beneiciay directed; clarifying
the spirit of slaughter embodied in military heroes,
and holding the peaceful virtues and honest toll OF
artisans and tilcrs of the earth ignoble II per-
vers the sense of light lessons the natural horror at
the thought of shedding human blood and by insen-
sible degrees prepares the mind to yield, when I'M
propitious circumstances evil passions beset il
with temptations. Moreover as has heretofore been
shown the penal code itself, while it retains the
stain of blood teaches doctrine and sets an exam
pie which help to form men for the commission of
murder. And the treatment meed ont to less offend
ers but too often tends deepen their depravity
and fit them for yet darker deeds. After suffering
some ignominious penalty, perhaps Imprisonment
among older and harder, and more expert trans
gressors, Of whom they learn new arts OF wicked
ness they arc sent forth friendless and destitute,
with stain on their characters which makes it
difficult 10 obtain honest means OF support, con.
sciousness OF disgrace which robs them of self
respect and n sense Of Encouragement which pre-
vents almost the effort thenceorward 10 do better;
summed bv the virtuous for fear of contamination,
and left il not driven 10 the companionshiP OF vice
and crime so that reformation is hardly TO be looked
for, however sincerely it may be desired. A change
for the better is indeed beginning to appear, aud
convicts have q brighter prospect than in former
times of winning back their way virtue, useful
ness and peace; but still society is very far from
having done its duty toward them, either before or
after their first false step. Such being the case,
ought il not first 10 make amends for its own faults.
whether of doing or not doing, before il claims
right 10 punish for the sake of retr,5ut'on those
very crimes which it fosters at least ii not creates