The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-13

rendered upon them, they will naturally und
] prnpery 90 ~ increase the iHinishnieHi
righlly due 10 The criminal urt wlirh iinH
! lnrn iudicinhY proYe,l ngnnst hinl,n ,nnd wilirh
/ he himself coniesses.
! il may ba Justly said that d.. Wehsler's inlol.
! ieciuHi mud HuriHl Hdynutnre- aud rilHinHenls
/ ihcrearc lis moral responsibility fnr his acts
| mud renior Il more NJ that his p'uishmeui
shndf be severe. But iliiH idea should uOt
he pushed too hr II unir be reuuemherrd
/ ihHi the taue punishment, uf iniufisnuiueui
/ for instance Involving inliiny nnd priyuiiun
must he fell lnulold more toenly lhnn u
nasild be liy n man Of iulrfinr culture aud
position. Aud tlJiH - hfIrr'ucr enough II,
rHust hini, Wllhout IHnirTtUE UTTUn trttt ~
sequence aeverer in ternir.Which tie govern.
incnt have no legal or moral right 10 do II
II sometimes said Ia lhHl reply, ihnl 'Dr,
I Webster must hH executed, ureOrdnR "a his
~ entrnre, because n will not de- 10 relax tho
! rigor 0fJhr law IN favor Df one IN lis posi-
ton. lie musi die, whoever cleo uay ho
spurrhh This " n cturl rcnlinchi and
-uhver-iye of every prircipio of humanity
und ofright The magistrate iuu-trrcorI'iza
40 rnsirE, nnd must iuko care lest Ar brcOJng
too conscious Of hsir.
/ DR., Wchslors cnsa like every olhet, must
: lac determined Rpnu iis en- uicfiie. and up.
on no other consideration Whatever. Fobo
at his iricuds hive all uioug believed lliai hs
cnirr lns hrcu seriously Iurludicrd hy his
social pu-iiion--nnd that lhe AnXiciy not 10
.hnw him any undue favor on account 1f II,
hn- unruusci0usly operated 10 deprive him
ofSnmc portion of that fpYor which might he
Hrcordrd Ia criminals OfH different rnuk,-
God lprhd ihai Ibis should be ~. know
. IL II not so with regnrd TO the Treatment ho
-feF.T.s ffeH, tie "ih1erS who have ,li.. rI,s-
'ody Of his pcrsuu. Dr Webster crriuiriy
unghi NOT 20 have his sentence uiiiipalcd be.
cause hc IS what j. called IN uur hurst aisrinl
distinctions. n gentleman. aud ccrniniy
his case ought tot tu ho shut ont ifnui eau
/ dd nud mcrcihl consideration, bcrHusc hg
!, thnt. II u uejrher more nor less MIRO SVry
or figbt lhbt h' rhoHld he executed oR tliai
cnilnl C"n.ideraiinn- OF cas- .. bn~ryer
= llsA mas .hccl d portion of Iho uuhlr uuih-
lNumlIN Tor IiiW uOsi ccrininly VII nni INFECT
1 tie deliberations 0i' Ito r0uuoil, either way
--hu hc brushed aside ~ ouly ftio be rus-
ioriHinrd 10y narrow nud lifnid minds OF one
socinl cln-r, or jealous aud malignant ininds
nf nnolhrl,
/ Happily. The executive is not reducod To
/ the ulieruhtlyo of The scntenrc NJ a. siunds or
! u full pardon. There n another mode of
/ punishment, whirb, tn n man of DIR. Web
strr's habits md arsnraiiouS, VAL opefnic
! with a severity snilicrnt, IL may ie believed
tn satisfy even those who Ihink that he il tho
! greaIrs monster of drprnviiy on whom tho
law ever laid its hauds. Mgking due dis
] criuihHiion Rmobg the vn,,0us grudr- oE
pullt, imprirnnnont IN the slnie prison uouid
seem ~ bc the punishment most appropriate
I tu The ncluH character of DR. WcbSlrr's Of
icurC. Aud ! mny hr allowed - suggesl
/ thgt iiia - no rgnisnI,rut which, in this
raHa, viii hrsI Huswrr ih.' public ends ni' jus.
| lice. Punishment tails.or ils moral effect up.
on n community, Hud even, produces u con,
trary effect from that intended, whenever
lit ~ felt to hc dnproporlouato TO The Of.
: +,-trt-e-
When Dr.. Wchs,rr's statement shall hnya
gone u1u 20 the public, IL II shall hc bcIirvrJf
a. ~" may expect il will hc believed hy null
/ tiudcs, even hy great majority of hc mill
6ns who hnvc becouc interested in the caso
--hclleSed on account Of IT, consistency, It's
inherent probability, rid thn circumstances
! iayornhe To trih under which IL war first
/ nndc, aud II, then, the extreme sentence az
/ lNc law Should iie CNucutci upon -hlm, h9
Will certainly Toe thouphl IN have been dealt
I with with unnecessary rigor, aud to have cx-
/ plated his deeds too SEVERELY. And then ihg
( pubic synpnthies; by an unaiterabie law NJ
/ The mind, must pnss over from tho side of
I law aud Justice To- him, us wrougcd man
wrungcd with that last wrong, which Is ina,
! lIu feG ihal the inH0pani aud discapsolaio
! inulF OF the conticl--ile most distressed
/ family, think, on cRrih--hnd hnd their ina-
I quHllcd anguish increased Que lut hey ond tho
| hounds Of Justice and the rcquistions of tho
sOciat wcttdrU, rhg Vuhiir hrGr; ruUiri tArrtiy
pardon tlnt Let the puulsl Ineul TA gTndu-
nied "a The guilt proved aud hclioycd, and tf
/ the exact line uf right rEnnOi lie certainly
( l"uud lei tie penalty Gall t,Ule short oril
ITHrlirr iltah 90 hair's breadth hcyoni It. lf
: the imperfect srnlrs' nc public r,Sice cannot
hc exactly PGsed, let that ia which the pris-
olcrs interests are placed Le clearly seen to
-. 's--c~nd~lhough l'y she sk-1iios, degree of
| propnndcrancr. Otherwise, tho example is
lost, und HE public feeling aui conscirneo
came into icriul Hutagonism against tho
administration uC the law. Let eotttaysun
Rnd charity lliluig ihn criminal in hA p.nish-
ment however dgservcd hnt take care Ia
keep all rniionnl 'ssaihptlics fast bound on
fIhp side orhw aud juSire.
Tho present question, interesting to ruul,
tltudrs, nnit uasr5utututy -rrrutrtr'rtous ~ a
few, IS in the hands pi body 10 wi,nse Wis
dom, rcctitudc, nnd clcnnnry the phiiic md
the lirisnucr look with equal confidence for u
decision at once righteous, mercif such n
decision MS shall have him debror-to the p
commonwealth whose peace nc has violated
aud nt the same time shall uphold the law.nl
ts majesty aHd make u terror 10 evil I'D,
ers,
Having concluded the reading of his ad.
dress, Mr. Putnam expressed wish, thnt if
the council was prepared 10 grant the prayer
ufthe pctitiouor,tho layornhe decision would
ha announced at nm early day, bpt if they
were no; so prepared he hoped ihoy would