The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1850-03-06

rear Is one OF the most powerful affections
TO which we can appeal, and it is the only
motive that can reach the ear OF the aban.
doned wretch, who has murderi in his heart.
The hope fife, is in fact the ruling pas.
sion in the natural heart. We are all ia.
miliar with the fable Of the poor man who
was groaning under the weight OF the fag.
gots he was carrying to his house. Wea.
ried and worn out he threw his load from
his shoulder and calls upon Death to come.
In a moment the tyrant stood before him,
and with dart uplilted exclaims,-"what
wouldst thou have with me!' "Good
Death" exclaims the man in terrified a.
mazement, 81 want thee TO help me get
this bundle of sticks upon my back" The
fable needs no Interpretation. Its moral
is obvious.
The fear of death then being such a
powerful incentive to the mind ofman, and
especially to the man OF blood. if this mo-
tive is taken away by the repeal of the law
which demands his death. the most power.
; full check to the commission of such
crime. will be removed, and Just in pro.
portion as the restraint is weakened, will
the disposition to commit the crime be in.
creased. Consequently the direct tenden.
cy Of the change which is proposed. will
be to multiply capital crimes. And here
permit me in this connection, t, Introduce
the ar sument Of the celebrated Dr..
Schmucker, whose opinion on point of
this kind, ought to have weight with US all.
shall state it in his own words: "The
hree designs Of penalties, being the pre-.
vention Of crime. restitution, and reforma-
ton; does capital punishment for murder
best accomplish these designs, and If so.
do The Old and New Testament give the
right to take life for murder! Now, as
penalties respect whole community, and
their being prevented from crime, if the
prevention Of man from becoming a
criminal, is at last as beneficial as his
reformation; prevention Of crime in a
whole community, is millions to one in.
comparably more important, than either
of the other objects. restitution or retor-
nation, which respects but one or two in
dividuals. OF the two punishments for
murder. then, which best answers the pri-
mary design Of penalties, death or impris.
oamenn After providing against the abuse
of this penalty, considering that the love
of life is the ST. ongest principle Of the hu-
man mind; that the dread Of death in.
cludes also dread OF the awful retribu-
tons of the eternal world, selected by
God himself to deter men from sin; that
all generations have regarded death as the
greatest punishment; that it accords with
the experimental legislation Of Pennsylva-
mia, which has greatly decreased the num-
Der Of murders; that those governments
that have abolished capital punishment
for murder. were all after trial of few
years, compelled 10 abandon it; that the
imprisoned not unfrcquently commit other
murders, and not unfrequenty escape.
/ We are constrained to maintain the posi-.
ton that the punishment Of death for muir
der could not be abolished with safety
That "again," Ito use the words Of the
Report of the Prison Discipline Society for
1885 1.-THE law of God seems holy, jus,
and good. 'whoso sheddeth mans blood
by man shall his blood be shed >" Such
is the argument OF the venerable Doctor
and it certainly embodies in it volume oI
truth
But, again we are told, the gallows must
be hewn down because innocent men have
suffered upon it. The fact itself is noi
denied. Innocent blood has been shed.
This is to be deplored, and its recurrence
ought to be prevented. 1t has, perhaps
been wisely said, it is better for ten guilty
men to escape than that one innocent man
should suffer. But ask, is it wise, is i
merciiul to say, that because an innocent
man may at one time have fallen victim
on account of unfounded suspicion OIL
false testimony, therefore the law itsel
should be abrogated. The innocent have
sometimes been imprisoned: shall we
therefore tear down our penitentiaries. and
! abolish imprisonment in every casel l
the argument holds good in the one case
Lit does in the other. This plea, il admit
ted, would make a mockery of justice
and subvert the administration Of all law
Again, we are told that the commute
ton Of death punishment into imprson
ment for life, would afford an opportunit,
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