New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-25
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

To the Editor Of The Tribune:
We should take every suitable occasion to
expose the nhumanity and uselessness OF Capital
Punishment The recent horrible occurrence IN
France, made so notorious by the trial OF NJ.
Charles Hugo for his manly remonstrance and
the noble plea Of his father, Victor Hugo, pub
U.hed in your paper few days ago, must have
arrested the attention of some who may not have
thought much upon this subject before.
To such allow me to address some of the rea-
,ons WHY think Capital Punishment ought to
be abolished
| CAPITAL Punishment should be abolished,
because IL IS coudrdy and mean 10 'nf'ct 1t. Inc
wretched men who can be made to suffer 1t, are
already subdued, already in the hands and at the
d,sposaI of the State. There is nothing more to
be feared from them and the safety OF no one
requires their death ia bloody-minded person
were at large, doing harm to all who came IN his
way "scalteTng about HIM hre-brands, arrows
and death " if he evaded, or successfully resisted
all attempts to take him If the civil power could
not get possession Of him, so as TO restrain nm
and prevent his depredatlons upon soclety-there
might be some excuse, some appearance oi ne,
cessty for the States sending out us agents, ana
shooting him down as he fed But when the poor
pons Of offense-securely lmprlsoned-loaded
with irons-enfeebled by close confinement and
snare diet.-then TO take him all helpless as he
istrembng and pale with iear 10 take him and de-
hberately put him to death Oh lslt not coward
ly. is If not mean whole community, state,
so afraid of a sing e lndlvldual-an naiVldual 700
that is imprisoned, and II may be chained hand
and foot that they dare not let HIM 1--we Is not
this cowardly, mean "ln countries and IN
times, IN which the construction and discipline OF
Pententiaries were unknown; among savage
tribes, whose modes OF lite and rude imperfect
institutions afforded them no means OF sell pro-
lection against the repetition of crime, there
might have been some excuse for mterpOsng the
impossible gulf of the grave between the crlml-
nal and themselves But with us, who have well
constructed PRISONS the execution OF the criminal
can never be necessary as an act of seli-delense
against the repetition oi his crimes
IL. The Death Penalty ought to he abolished,
because the infiction Of erer has been, and erer
must be cruel and demorai,zing. Is 1t not cruel,
extremely cruel to take a human being, one who
like ourselves can feel so exqulsltely physical
main and mental angulsh-One IN whom, as IN us,
the dread of death is instlnctlve-is 1t not ex-
trcmely cruel to take such a one deliberately,
lie his hands so that he can not relieve the agony
of his feelings moment by making some effort
10 same himself, to take him. and III the full con-
sclousness of what awaits him, bring HIM
slowly ut used to be by the beat OF the mulied
drum or the tollmg of the funeral bell) to the APP
pointed place, and there, after sundry prelimi-
nar,es cut of his head, shoot HIM, or hang him
is it not cruel If tins deliberate murder be not
cruel fam would know whatact would deserve
the epithet Ii II were not cruel, why are not
humane, Kind hearted men willing TO be the
agents for the infection of 1t II 1t be a deed
which the highest good OF society demands,
~. .,x.1, hn. f.l
will approve, why were the ministers OF religion
so incenscd at the suggestion that 1t would be an
appropriate work for them TO do Surely, II
they lie the holy men they ought to be, standing
nearer to the Most High than common men. 1t
would seem most fitting that 10 them should he
committed the solemn office OF taking away that
life which God only can bestow. But no, do not
believe there ever was an unsophstlcated lndl-
vidual-one unperverted by his theories about
the demands OF Justice, not blinded by his love
OF excitement or his thirst for revenge-who
could view an execution without feeling that II
was cruel thrill of horror, murnur OF dis
appreciation, OF disgust, always runs through the
throng assembled to witness 1t, the momen, the
unmerciul deed is done, and the love OF excite
Bent Is gratlhed.
That the sight of such deed is demorallzing
thousands OF facts might be adduced TO prove
But there is no need that | stop TO argue tins
point Ii Is now pretty generally conceded IN
most Of the States of our Union. Executions
which used to be always enacted in public for
the good of the community, have everywhere
Leen found 10 I've 90 mlsehievous IN their effects
that they generally had In private Thus
change is based upon concession, that demands
Of the commonwealth the entire abolition OF a
law which il would be dele,erlous 10 the people
70 see executed Laws which Inflict death for
murder sand DR.. Franklin, are, IN my opinion,
as unchrlstian land therefore as demoralizingl as
those which Justify or tolerate revenge.
"The sight
OF blood TO crowds, begets the thirst for more
As the hrst VINE cup leads 10 the long reyel "
The mfllcton of the Death Penalty teaches di-
Iectly "too low an estimate OF the worth of life ;
and by hardening the heart, benumbing the finer
feelings OF the soul, famiharZing men with the
thought and sight OF man. killing, prepares them
for the commission of crimes OF violence" The
sxecuuoner is the indirect cause Of more muir
ders than he ever avenges. Sow an execution,
and reap a crop OF murders" Is a proverb whose
meaning Is as true as It is terrible. "All the ar
guments, SAYS Mr. O'SullNanl In his report, all
the arguments OF policy and humanity which
dictated the abolition OF the pu5tc spectacle com
Mand us TO abolish the execution itself"
Ill. Capital Punishment, ought to be abolished
because generally falls upon those whO hare been
Seprared b. the customs and installations wkich sect
CIV ma,ntaias, A very large proportion Of the
murderers are found 10 have been brought up in
ignorance to have been driven TO desperate
courses by oppression, or made insane by intern
perance. SO long as the State neglects 10 pro-
vide Observation-Disclosures and moral culture
for all Its children, II should consent to suffer
all the evils that may be inflicted by the viciousy
ignorant excepting SO far as 1t can avert these
evils by such a course Of treatment as shall have
oenehcent reforming influence upon those
who have been left, II not trained TO commit
crime,
So long as the State licenses the sale of in
toxicating cnnks, and men of the highest re-
spectability coun'enance the use of them BY their
examples, and make themselves rich by the
manufacture, importation and retail of the liquid
damnation, so long no one should be held 10 paw