New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-19
CaDttal Puui.hmenr.

An attempt s nOS making 10 Michigan 20 pro-
care the repss Of tie isw s5oli.hlns Cspita Punish
n-nt the ground that murder h. been rcnderei 4
mOre frfQlea, BY its influence Tho fs scy Of ,hs a.
sumption "a shosn In tae foilosias Memorial 10 the
Legislature Of the state. the sgners which
Of high respectabuty. We have doubt that the
.darsuous here presented all have lhsir full weight
Michigan 10 great danger Of returning TO the bloody
aIi unchrssn code which the advocates Of the Desih
Penalty bold up a. the only sufficient preventive 81
murder We copy from he Deiron Ffss Press
10 iks Hon S.as aad H7ase Of Representatives. of the
Sac ef MichiSGns
Tae undersigned citz zen. OF Detroit being convinced
hat the sboon OF the death penalty for the crime
OF murder IN the trst degree. u exists IN this
State IL measure 20 be- approved by an enlightened
.nt benevolent community 90 st respectfully pre-
sent the f1ilowin. why in their opinion, tn,
same should oe regarded as blessing prom 1--WE OF the
best interests Of society
First The increase OF the crime Of murder 10 our
STATE since the sbohton OF capital punishment has
leen less than 10 other states where such sboton has
NOT taken place There no increase OF crime here
t time after the law tor such abolition went Into
Elect and hence should not be SLOWED 20 weigh against
such .aw, since 10 7piosers claimed an immediate out
break Of crime upon rs adoption whereas. no such
outbreak occurred. nor does there now exist more
alarming of crime here than IN other states where
such abolition has NOT been had.
The records Of the Court OF this County show that
conviction and punishment invariably follow murder .
State orgsriratlon. no conviction Of murder has ever
had oy any Of the Courts OF our state although
murders have been committed with impunity.
These facts We regard a. proof Of he sal1tary ten
dency ~ The presentlsw
S,eoud The design Of the desth penalty we presume
"a have been good with those who enacted Il bot ts
hold 90 BE- IN direct c0ntrsyenton Of the Law
,nd Prophets, summed up by Jesus Christ, Matthew
xxi 37-i0 lt was never given 10 Noah-never threat
ened indicted from Noah 10 Moses period ot about
500 wears. IN which murders most foul wers committed
Il fuIfa nm nf M
perpetual OblgatOn for murder tnsn for twenty other
crimes and 10 finally revoked by Christ. Matthew
Y. a." Love your snemies-oless them that curse
you" sc.
The gres, moral principle of overcoming evil with
zoodof rendering good for evistri<e. a. the root
IT the Death Penalty and n Il be true that cannot
b-n 1 Ourselves by nlung others, no good can come
% Capital funshment since TIA, Is inluriny others Tor
good Nor this objection also valid against other
| punshments. All other penalties may promote the
good 0f those suffering them this never neither can
Il the value Of life with those who see u thrown
away upon the gslO~s but, on the contrary the wore
passions stirred Al executions and many have gone
| Z 0m them snd committed murder. Neither can pri
vste executions have any good effect, since all tho ct
iect they have IL OF the same kind With that o
public Onfa Beside experience proves that II IL ex
tremsy difficult 70 convict and hang men-,hus render
lng mJst nugstory the terror of law. 1.-the Death
penaltys not the guard OF Ito it mas yet sue
cseded Ia rendering lifs too sacred TOR the d-prsvee
| and Unprncpled a. touch Not an instance can o.
shown OF = yroye who have abolished murder by th'
| g-iiOWs and N has been t-ied Tor ages
Shall Michigan now pause IN her glorious ex pertinent
T4ird; The s~ sf retaliation prevails among corrupt
and selfish men therefore, good legislation should dis
cOuuienance II
Fo4yh, The assertion that the commutation OF
penitsntary incarceration for the death penalty, will
and fail - render the prison aocus OF Danger o
tbe keepers and prOgOcstiOn 10 the repetition OF
croes. Is false In principle II ii De true that kindness
begets its Ike, snd who'll, unsupported BY facts
! rytk: Facts have occurred In our midst proving
threeourths of all murders occssoRed BY In.
| ioxicstng drinks and almost all murders CON.
mied under circumstances that preclude the influence
] of law.
Sizth: Wherever Capital Punishment mas bssn sbol.
/ shed 10 has worked ~elL Tuscany now stands before
the world, the proud example o people .bulsniog the
death penalty the second time sitter II had been forced
| upon thsn By a despot; and Tuscsns trumphantly
sealed The fate Of the gslo~s every where IN pfospec'
i've by holding jubilee over the demolition Of the i'm
| plemeuts OF death.
snail we ask second abolition Of .he gslowsl
These are some OF the why ss< you not 10
repesl the present law for tne punishment Of marder
| BY impri.OnmenL Let not the experiment BE- aosn'
doned hastily Give II but ons-hslf the time the gsl
! low. mas had and will rot complain. Be not panic
struck the prevalence Of crime. You must os aware
that ever 10 the history II crime there bsye been
marked perods II u. increase The pspcrs of The day
inioru you that Mchy gan 10 not tnsn her sister
state. Wax At esst smother year, I'll statistics can
be gathered, showing tne comparative prevalence o
crime IN TINS sBd other States
Tie experiment % governing by the nigh and holy
principle of doing good ~ the uDknf and tns lnthsnk
iu without resOfuEg 10 the low and srOveilDs spirit
Of retaliation, IL too momentous, too uooie and God
ike, 70 b. gwen up prematureiy
Al OF which 10 respectfully submitted.
sAML WEEKS. MlSOT T. LANE,
JOS SMITH. PHlNEAs Holman,
II : NICHOLS, J. STEBBlSs.
John ELLI4 &. GAkkErT
PLlNY POWER s. p THhfER
l.. C. ROSE, 7 Il ARMSTRONG,
TIL WELCH, LUTHER WOOD.