The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-02-19

~ IN any casei Assureaiy not; LOT Hhen
Gods law would be chageable with un- /
ighteousness's To the first interrogatory /
Ne answer. it proves that capital punish-
mentis not authorized by The law OF God:
For the law of God never did, nor can it,
inAct death on the innocent. II is perfect.
And more than this is proved, and that is,
that all the arguments Of Mr.. c. which are
based upon the assumption that the law OF
capital punishment is of God, are false.
We affirm the truth of the second ques-
ton, but charge that the conclusion is un-
premises being wrong 1,i'l
Mr.. G. is Of the opinion /" II would be
more merciiul 10 the soul Of the maleiac-
tor'' 10 hang him by the neck till dead,
than to imprison him for life, for the rea'
son that he would be more likely to pro.
crasiinaie the time Of repenting o! his sins
and Of preparing for heaven and happi-
ness. than if he was informed "that his
days were numbered, and that he cannot
step beyond the fatal hour appointed Tor
his execution" This, "with the advantage
of malelactor's cell for reflection" Mr..
C. thinks would be more certain TO arouse
him from his stupor, and make him trem'
BILE for his SOUL" and "with all the cner-
aies of a sound mind inquire, "What shall
I do to be sayedl' We doubt the logic Of
Mr.. c., and are of the belief that to be in
the possession of erery adrantdge TOR re-
aecting upon heaven and happiness, a
person should have the free use OF all his
faculties, both of mind and body, and not
in the cell Of u felon, DEATH staring him
in The face. Our view Of this subject seems
10 be in accordance with the Providence
of God lie has not favored man with
the kaowledge Of the ,fa!at hour OF his
death; and the advantage Of a feloa's cell,
to aid him 10 secure future bliss, which un-
doubtedly would have been done, if the
Almighty had not known what was most
merciful for mans soul, better than Mr.. e.
The argument is still continued by Mr.
C. against the substitution o! perpetual
imprisonment for that of punishment by
death, OH account of the many causes thai
may conspire TO let the prisoner escape
and the certainty which will then follow o.
his gIutting his avaricc and revenge upon
society-adding murder to murder, lie
says that ''the murderer who escapes the
penalty of his crime, invariably repeats it;
and that repeated cases OF the kind have
occurred even in our own state" We
know OF no such cases of escape and mur'
der, occurring in our state, as seems te
have come to the knowledge Of Mr.. G
His organ of destructveness and revenge
or his over zeal to make strong cast
apainst the murderer, and his determine
ton to floor his opponents. right or wrong
must have led him astray in this instance
as well as in others, and especially tn
following. Hear him: "Well do remem
ber of reading an account in the public
prints oil Judge in one of the western
states, who, before sentencing crimina
to die for murder, reminded him that h
was then for the fourth time about to con
denim him to the gallows. On three seve
raj occasions the officer Of the law hat
, consigned him TO the murderer's doom
but the pardoning power was exercised
and he was liberated. Call you this be
terolence, ye pretended friends Of human
( ity, so loud in your declamations agains
the barbarity Of capital punishmentF'-
Who can believe that such case as thi
ever occurred! 1t must have been creatc'
sin the delirium of disordered fancy,
, for special purpose. 1t will take NOR
t than the assumption of one, founded upol
his recollection Of having 'read it in tn
f public prints" to enable us TO give cred
ence to it. II, then, our conclusion b
, correct, Mr.. C. might have saved, for som
r more appropriate purpose, the sympath
he so lavishly, eloquently and patheticall
bestowed upon the poor widows and OIL
S phans, and upon the gray hairs of the age
e fathers and mothers, who were bowe
| down with sorrow. and brought to untimel
b graves, by the cruelty Of the assassin, Ii
!, loose upon society so frequently by tn
y pardoning power; and the ridlcule a
S tempted 10 be cast upon the pretende
$ friends of humanity, might also have bee
e saved for some more appropriate occasion
y Mr.. c. says: "Some men, in the dell
81 ium of disordered fancy, seem to im'