Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-05-30
Tor the Herald.

/
Mr.. EDIToR-Permit me TO make brlei
reply TO your corrsspondent"Z."l am rather
an enquirer than fixed advocate for The con-
: nuancc of Capita! Punishmen.-equaly OPP
posed 10 unfair or sophisiicaI reasoning either
for or against it. Charles Dickens objection
| regard as fancfol and only applicable to the
most groiesque and distorted forms of human
depraviiy-an itching for The glory OF being
hung! don't believe il exists in many cases.
Although must commend the humane splfli
OF ~ vet when he left The only tenabe
ground. expediency, and denied mans lndivid-
ua RICH. TO take life, if the supefslrucinre
did not sink with il, il was owing to other
supports, to other considerations. | grant that
man has no power over his o,cn life; neither
do our laws require man to execute himself.
| But are there no circumstances which justify
a man in taking the life of his Jetlow? Would
not Madison ]. Mckay have been justified in
taking the life of his murderer, could he there
by have preserved his own! In a later case,
would not Francis De Lassaulx have been
justified in taking the life of his assailant to
save his own! Were not The Americans jus.
tilted in taking The lives of the British troops
who assailed them at the battle Of New Or
leansl Does The command Thou shalt moi
kill" admit of no exceptions2 The oppo
nents Of Capital Punishment will make bu
/ ca.u at,yta tbav f0r a
position that neither the instinct, reason oI
practice Of mankind will adopt. But if il be
conceded that an individual has RICH, to take
a fellow beings life in self defence, then he
may confer iha. right upon society. and socie.
~ may likewise take life in self jefence-tc
| protect itself as whole, or any Of lis mem
bers. All tina, is requisite is to show to the
mind Of the Legislature ,ha, the capital pun.
shment OF the murderer is necessary for the
protection OF any innocent, member of society,
and the legislator has the same right TO take
life that The individual has, when assailed-
~ explains the reason why The immediate
descendants Of Noah were required 10 innic,
~ for such state Of society. Blu, this ad-
mission is at variance with his favorite posi-
lion; that man neither Ia an individual or so.
cial capacity has right 10 take life. Bu'
now he says, the circumstances of society do
not justify il. This is precisely the question,
and II has a, leas; placed il on the appropri.
ale ground of expediency! If another mode
Of punishment adequate TO protection. can be
devised in our Territory, every bensvolen,
man must desire the change. have no doub,
iha, The hardening, demoraizing effect of a
public execution is hundred-fold worse than
the Spanish bul-6ghs, tiger fights ever were.
A phrenzied curioS,y seemed to have seized
ton. When the victim came from the jail. a
general rush was made, and heard an Irish.
man exclaim in transports. "by Jasus he's
comin' at last A few public executions
would excite morbid appetite. which. like
Moock, would require monthly victims
whether innocent or guiliy. A public execu.
lion is nuisance of the very wors, character
/ In the eastern States. they are concealed by
the walls of the prison--and il /, is expeden
to take life in Wisconsin, for murder. 10 The
name Of all that is humane. or decent. or sa.
cred, lei not the sensibiiIies of the living die
with the felon. but let the deed be done Ia
presence of the officers OF the law. and none
/ other. IT. M.