Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-11-25
REMARKS OF ME-. WARREN CHASE.
OF Foa dn Lac, IN Committee ofxhe Whole,
on the Report TO abolish death as a pea-
u.

Mr. CHArRMAs-k 10 with selucisnce
that | arise 10 detain the committee. for
even few minutes on this important sub-
tJect. am aware OF lhe vast amount of
time nsclcsSly spent on ihis 6oor il. long
Ispeeches, eten on tin ng as we'll as im-
Iporlan subjects. Blu, | cannot cast INV
vote on this subject without craving The
iprsnege ol expressing my earnest desire
tl'ai the long cherished hope of The phlan-
'hroplsts OF the age on the subject oi caeital
punishment can be realized in the new and
prom sing state of Wisconsin. now cau
upon every friend OF hu,nani,y-every
m,rn wle feels wi,hia his breast the least
spark OF human brotherhood 10 do his du,v
by attempting 10 prevent the most shocking
and heart-rending of all scenes in the his
tory OF American goveramemt-iega 1ize6
mutder. could have hoped, had not
seen manifestations otherwise, that eye-y
member of this convention was prepared
10 express by his vote, appTohaton Of that
/ principle long since settled in moral piloso.
phy-,hat oil punishment should be rs.
iormatory, aud not revengelui, and also of
that well established principle of political
government that the law should take noih-
| ing .rom the individual which it cannot re.
store. ,leve, sir, it is we'll estab-
lisbed principle that man has natural and
naena6le right 20 llTe-a right derived
| lrom God, and of which he can be Justly
deprived only by the author of his exis-
tence-lhat the government is none the
less guhiyef ma der, Of cruelty, and Of
Vi laiion of the laws of God. when its vic
tim is gu lily Of the same crimes. Cline
IN the victim can never Justify crime in
! The law. Long have tie friends Of Justice
| and humanity in the easterh States of this
1 Union struggled TO blot f;om the laws of
| the land, the long cherished rect of tho
"a. barous ages, and IS source of Joy,
10 be able to say the work has already be-
gun, and to entertain well founded hope
thai II VIII not cease until this stain is
wiped ont Of the criminal lazy of our
country. | have. and i'll do hope that
! the laws % the State of Wisconsin will
never sanction or approve the crime OF
| murder; will never establish within its
borders that horrible picture, The very
| thoughts of which produce g loom in The
Soul--lhe gallows or the dropping block.
| have, and d. hope, that one state will
enter this glorious Union of states with a
law forever prohibiting lhs wicked, ,indic-
tive, and worse than useless mode of pun
shing crimes-l say worse than useless -
! Yes, soone. would set n mark upon tho
victim, as God did upon Cain, ana let him
go 10 NEE, The bl Ching cu5e and wiiher.
ing gaze Of every human face, but let him
live TO say 'my punishment IS greater than
can bear" Let no one suppose me to
be opposed 10 Furnishing crime, for am
not: but do contend that all punishments
should be TO reform the criminal and not
TO revenge the injured. | am aware, sir,
that many Of the advocates of the death
penalty deny its principle of revenge, and
claim that il should be instituted 10 excite
and arouse the fears of community-,hat
the fear Of speedy death may prevent the
commission of great crimes. Let us ex-
anime this reason and see if it will NOT
fade and vanish entirely. Have not the
Clergy already ceased TO preach the fear
of he'll as luslfiable motive for repent
auce.. las moi the principle been fully and
firmly established, that in This enlightened
day and age Of humanity, man cannot be
governed by fear, even though he be sulii-
Cienlly wicked, corrupt, and depraved 10
take the life Of his brother. Who does
not repndiale the very thought that man,
like the brute can be kept in The path Of
duty by the fear of The lash or the pilory
or even 1.-The fear Of hell and Inc hang
mans rope" know, sr, that our child
rem are sill taught that "the idle fool is
whipped a, school" Bu, even this species
of corporal pun shmenl is fast fading before
the philosophy of he age, in the schools
of our country. Shall not The luws Of our
our country 10 the government Of man
keep in advance Of the school~boy dlsci-
pl he Of the age! The fenr of the rod
does not restrain the rogue--the fear Of
death does not res rain the murderer
There ara some who join with US in at.
tempting to remove this evil, and wicked
! law. from our land, promp cd by motives
entirely different from those which prompt
my action; believing The object 10 be
gle i aud good one, cordially and cheer
! fully cooperate with them 10 accomplish
! it, never stopping by the way to enquire
what motive prompts their action al
/ iuda 10 those who believe that solitary coz
I hnement is much more severe, and much
mo to be blended punishment than hang
ing by the neck un;iI dead! To some, Il
nav be so: bu; to me, confess it seems
much better to allow the criminal ample
/ me 10 hold communcnt on with himself
to reflect upon his course, and 10 prepare,
If he will. a. we as he can, 10 meet that
eternal and universal law of Divine Jus.
tice which he cannot evade, and which
we must all ob Jc, and ty VIII CT all our
actions and motives must be tried
Let us then, have one State 10 grace The
national Union with a banner inscribed by
her code of laws unsiained by the crime Of
murler-lel Us acknowledg &c by our acts
here. that he who giveth life, alone hath
The right TO take it-ihat we are in adj
vance of that aye which required an eye
for an eve. and tooth for tooth, and he
who Stays with he sword, must be slain by
the swold Let US acknowledge The time
already come, when
"The pen shall supercede the sword,
And right, not mi ght, shall be the Lord.
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SOLAR GAs.-'Fhe editor Of The N. Y.
! F,rm,er and Mechanic, describes an appa-