The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-03-30
ask, Where is there greater punishment than


solitary cell q! Is not death preferable to the
sufferer! This is what we propose. In
stead Of hanging the offender we propose to
place him in Penitentiary, and there to be
confined for life.
But we propose to speak more fully in
relation to; first, the moral right as assumed
by man secondly the effect produced by the
exercise of this right.
In the beautiful language of scripture
man was made after the image of his maker.
God, the maker Of all things, after compile
ting the work imposed upon himself by him
self made something more. To make this
something, perfection was looked to. A be-
ing was now to be made, to use what things
God had made. This being was to be pos
sessed of animal life, this was absolutely
necessary in order that as animate nature, it
could subsist in the atmosphere already ere
ated. Perfection we say was looked to-
Nothing that divinity had made, possessed
beauty of shape or contour sufficiently ex-
celent after which to image man. All things
which God had made, were created with n
knowledge already maturcd, but man, this
being of life to preside over all, puzzled even
divinity. We say puzzled for perfect be-
ing did God wish to create, something only
a little lower than the angels of Heaven-a
being of mind,-and how did the creator pro-
coed! After the image of himself, was man
81. ia
ship of Gods hand.
This is so, and God has ever loved man.
So much so, that he himself has suffered for
his transgrcssion that man may be saved
But this does not pertain to our subject.
Man WAS made, perfect model of God.
And let the reader pause and give one mo-
merits reflection to the beautiful structure
Of man. OF all species of mechanism which
it is possible for the mind to conceive of,
the mould and finish of man surpasses all.
And God gave unto man a living soul, a
soul to exist after the body be destroyed
The reflection produced by this knowledge
propounds the interrogatory-shall man ar
rogate to himsclfthe right to destroy this cho-
sen workmanship of divinity's hand-more
than all. probably kill the soul also
When We consider that life, the giving
and taking of which belongs to God, we
come to the second portion of our subject
what is the effect produced by taking this
life ! In our first article, we imperfectly
gave our reasons why life should not be
taken by man, us exercising pcrnicious in
ilucncc upon others we intend at this time
to speak more in relation, to the after effect
of exercising this prerogative. "The soul
that sinncth must die" i. e. if man does not
repent of sin he must be doomed to eternal
punishment. Where is sin greater than that
upon the wurderer'S soull lie has boldly
cr's life. he is amsnitle to the Jaws 81" his
country, and with his hands yet rcd with the
blood of his fellow man, remorse and des-
pair but not repentance narrowing his in
most soul, he is placed upon the gallows and
executed. Freedom well may shrek, and
morLists may here stop and pause. The
murdercrs soul is summoned to the bar of
his God, without having had any time for
repenting.
q miserable mankind, to what fall,
Degraded, to what wretched state reserved -
What do We propose rs substitute, that
the aggreived may be comtorted, the world
receive example and more than all the often
der punished and punished vigorously, and
yet the aggressOr have due time for refec-
ton and repentance.
We contend that II Penilentiary will do
this,-quoting from another "of he REFORM
ing punlshmcnts which have not yet oeen
tried, none promises so much success rs that
OF solitary Imprisonment, or the confinement
OF criminals in separate apartments. This
improvement augmehts the terrors of pun
ishment, secIudes the criminal from the so
cicty OF his fellow prisoners,in which society,
the worst are sure to corrupt the better /;
we"ns him from the knowledge Of his COM
P'nions, and froEI the love of that turbulent
prccariOus life, in which his vices had en-
gagged him, is calculated to raise up in him
reflections on the folly of his vices, and to
dispose his mind to such bitter and continued
penitence as may produce lasting alteration
in the principles of his conduct"
To form some idea Of the utter desolate-
ness of such confinement, one need only visit
Penitentiary, and we feel sure, if example
will deter men from the commission of crime,
to know that one who had committed mur-
DER or other ielonious crime was confined
(and confinement to be perpetuaD in one
OF those cells, would produce more desired
effect, than for the criminal to be deprived
by hanging of his life.
A few more observations, and we leave
the subject
For many petty offences committed in this
State, the offenders are placed in jail at an
expense to the State. A Penitentiary would
enable usto avoid this expense; besides, by
givirg the offenders labor to perform, would
increase their punishment And, again
The pardoning power is vested in the
Governor of the State. "A commit MUIR
der, or be guilty Of some nefarious crime, by