The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-05-13
Editor & Proprietor.
NEW SERIES, VOL. 8 NO 6.
Rufrs Greene

The Mobile Advertiser Of last Sunday
morning contains long letter written by
this unhappy man, who was lately convicted
at Mobile and sentenced to ten years impris.
onment in the State penitentiary for forging
% signature to his official bond as Secretary
of the Firemen's Insurance Company
There are many other indictments against
him for larcenies and forgeries but after
his conviction on this charge they were dis
missed. This letter is addressed to his coun-
sci, and appears to have been drawn forth
by the communication to him of inability Of
his friends to do anything further for him
at present that is, we suppose from the
sense of his reply, that they are unable to
obtain any remission of his sentence before
it has gone into effect. He treats this as
the consummation of his fate, and treats TIE
prospect of any future rnlnasa ol.on if = V,-o~s
certainty, rather than a mere hope, as no
alienation of his condition, and declares
that life will be Of no value, and existence
intolerable, after having submitted to the
penal infiction.
He asserts "before God" his innocence of
the forgery of which he was convicted, and
solemnly afirms the signature to be genuine
But then a witness to the signature also
whose name was fictitious or forged, and no
explanation was given at the time or in the
letter of that singular circumstance. He
admits that testimony was sufficient to justify
conviction, and gives general confession Of
having done other acts for which something
was due to 'the outraged majesty Of the law
But he argues at great length and earnest
ness, that the law has already taken "terrible
revenge" for his offences, and he treats the
consequences of the discovery of his crimes
, in its destroying effects upon himself and his
!, family, his wife and children, the loss of
J position and consideration, the breaking up
; Of associations, and the utter extinguish-
: ment of all hopes and enjoyments in life as
t if these were the infections of the law, and
f not the moralfruit of the crime itself.
2 He seems to infer that the rashness of the
l risks he ran in departing from the path of
integrity, and the terrible losses that distress
has entailed upon him, should have been
considered as enoug il for punishment, and
e as sure guarantees Ofrepentance and reform
r alton. It is most affecting appeal to SEN
r sibility, in the case of a man like Rufus
: Greene, whose fall from the highest social
: consideration to that Of a convict is an awful
e spectacle of human frailty, and of the penal
e ties of transgression but society has not
!, found that these moral restraints are sufh-
: cieut to restrain the passions of men who
: have the most to lose by indulgencies; but
has found it necessary, in order to proven
n offences, and deter from repetition or imita
e ton, to add penalties of human infection IL
" the contents of concience, the terms Of re
morse, and the proof of the fOolishness O
crime. The mercy which relieves these pen
T alties must have something else to sustain
its action than general considerations of tht
moral consequences and moral punishment
4 of vice-sometbing which shall take the par
At ticular case out of the general principles Q
re the law, and exhibit grounds for particular ia
t. vor or particular merit. It is not for US t.
), say that there is not something in Mr.
" Greene's case to give him this benefit Of sucl
is exceptions; but his letter contains notbin'
Y which may not be urged with equal force il
al favor of any man, upon whom the law pro
nounces judgment, who can show that tn
consequences of his transgression have bee
: revenues to his peace and fortunes.
= NJ o. Picayune.