Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-09-02

e'ush'ai expenses OF a criminal prosecution. We Tnss
oV.f a sg1ai Instance in Virginia, IN which, the General
, o"r', '9fa Valuable consideration in the shape ola pen
any IN bail bond, dismissed the party. We have ano
'her Instance lately in the City of Washington. \
young man, OF highly respectable connecti ms. & of same
Individual fortune, committed a robbery oil the mail The
evidence was direct and conclusive. yet he was bailed in
me sum oi SJOoo-and, of course. has made his cscape.
ne Magistrate aud every one Else knew when this bond
was taken, that the young man was committing his pun
lsl'neht Tor a sum OF money ard a removal from the lis
'rlc' OF Columbia. Wealth has many privileges every
"here-ent. IN no country more than in ours, d MS il Sc
cure It's possfssor IMMUNITY in the commission Of crime.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.
The great and coed Lafayette said, in The French
, hallioer, that he would never cease To ask Tor the abo
Iillon ol The punishment OF death, until lie saw that hu
man judgment is %lntallitlr.
Punishment Inflicted. not 10 reform the offender, but
Tor The sake OF furnishing hun, such a punishment ls
mere revenge.
Are the interests of the Commonwealth guarded an,
more efirciually, or are the lives Of the people any more
safe, Under the law which denonnces the Iunlslmen1
OF death, than they would be under a law which should
substitute therefore solitary imprisonment for llfc2-
Would not the guilty prisoner bo more likely 10 be con
vlcied under the latter law than the lurmerl Does not
all experience for the last thirty years prove this
True, occasionally. when some poor man. without
lIlthus. without means Ia lee pow crtnl counsel, Is
suspected, there Is a prospect that he may b., convict
ed. But IN thecase Of a man of influential family, how
ever daring his crimes, ii is exceedingly difficult to get
a conviction. The jury hesitate. They mean to do
right, we have no doubt but they fear that they may
do wrong. They know. ia man be hung unjnsily, there
is no remedy. lie cannot be restored to life. They feel
that cases are numerous IN which men have been unjust
" executed. They will not convict without evidence.
hat can very rarely BE- produced. There are no cases
Of crime over which some log, OF doubt, may not be
thrown. Rich friends will turnish the most talent,
ed. and influential counsel or, If they are in moderate
circumstances. they will &c Inhinc lccctIc r and raise thou
sands oi dollars, rather than a member Of heir famll,
should be hanged. The counsel will be richly rail in or
der To bring out all his power. The friends and relatives
Viii be put upon the stand as Witnesses. aud will be sure
to 60 as tar IN their testimony tending TO clear The pris
oner, as truth will Justify. will not say anything fur
TIER Than this, although il. is impossible To tell how far
witnesses under such circumstances miyli be induced to
90. In this way, the greatest criminals may get clear;
but the smaller ones have much less hope Of escap pc.
Abrogaie the death penalty. Make the Iunisllment Of
murder, solitary Imprisonment and a much larger MIN
Der OF CONVICTIONS will follow. Let the convict be as
dead but let him live. Then. If the verdict be ever
ascerlained to be wrong. he may be sci free and have
compensation for his suferings. The large roeues then
VII! not be near so lkely to 90 clear aud the interests
OF society will he more flliy projected. w cannot come
TO any other conclusion and AS long as tie death penalty
continue, we shall e. pect all The reckless. abandoned
murderots criminals, who have frit uds 10 aid them. will
escape all punishment. The law is too saneuinary.
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