Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-02-20
/ COMMUNICATIONS; !, ".
!, lREFORMI REFORM N ~

d q. NCFOhMI NLTORM u t' ,StfSI
M. Editor !: 1t may be seen by the
papers thu, Short, and Hsining were ex.
ecuted in Gresnup county, KY, on lhe
10Th ult. ~ 4s.aiHea p 'ner/f 5ai
Who executed these men The Sher.
in. BY what authority p The 1aw.-l
Who made The law :? An individual 7 4
No. The county {? No. the State. Has
the State a righ, to take mans life n
Judas murders my brother | swear re.
venge. Have the tight TO take his Iifei
The public cry out against me. "You
have no right, it would be but another
murder for you 10 do it," have no
right !! Well, if my friends join with
me, will that create right lf the coun.
ty join with me, will that give me the
right -? If | have no right, standing
alone, and Of myself, how can the union
Of Q county, or state. or nation. create
the right to take the life Of man. Pow.
er, not right. is created by union. God
was the author OF right, and man cannot
add or diminish. He alone can give
life, and he alone has the right to take il.
All right must come from God. His last
dispensation TO man was through Jesus
Christ This WAS characterised by the
expressions, loving. mercifnI, long.suf.
fering, tender, OF great compassion.-
Capital punishment is the reverse. Its
an assumed riIht. 1t is an unfeeling,
cruel, revengefnI and leealized murder.
For what is Capital Punishment To
prevent crime? Does !: do it? Nay,
verify. The mailman, the drnnkari re.
fleet not on the law--thsy kno,o no laso.
The wlful, prcmeditatins murderer fears
itnot He studies his crime counts
time, measures distance, commits the
deed, aid escapes the law. It'does not
require very great amount Of knowl.
lie to see that the amount OF crime IN
any State or country depends more on its
number Of bal persons than on the se
verify Of its laws. Compare Boston with
New Orleans, or the whole ol NV Eng.
land with Louisiana. s.' ~ '"- ~
Population Of New England Il, 1880 27.stiD
Tcachersin N. u excluding preachers, 9l,23A
according to population as l to 125
Murders in 1854, ~ Fl" ~ %
Population in Iou,sianain 1860, fi .tr8g al7,s72
proro,io'n @ r. 70 population as oAa7 - ~,
Lei every nsmake his own reflections,
If you figure little more, you will ini
that the number Of murders in Louisiana,
in proportion TO the population, are more
than eight times as many as in New Eng.
land. -. "
Capital punishment, in Englan for theft
came very Ear from preventing stealing.
Bad men will do wicke;ly, however Sc.
we're the laws. The only sure AMI safe
way to ptevsn. crime is to rear good cit.
izens. ,e ..5..i.,..
The spectacle of an execution is Of
very doubtful benefit. Executions are
not public in Ohio. In this, as in other
respects she is in advance Of her more
Southern neighbor. In his first battle.
the soldier is filed with horror and al.
arm, but few short weeks make the
groans, and agony and the terrible death
box familiar to him, and he tramples on
his fallen companion aud deals the death
blow without twinge Of The heart. Pa.
rents sometimes imagine it necessary for
their boys to see The wickedness Of the
world, thinking thereby 10 disgust and
fortify them against evil but the more
thinking regard i. as dangerous expe.
fiment. The. human heart is prone to
evil as the sparks Ay upward, and II we
consider its depravi.y, the better way
must be 10 instruct children ii what is
good, and keep them ignorant Of evil ill
the conscience is veil fortified by Chris.
,ian principles, Pope has said '<.. .,.
vice Ia monster of such hideous rnieu,
| That 70 he hated needs but to be s.cn aslitys
Yet seen too of. familiar with, her face. .s j,
We pity frst endure, a'dlhen ernbraca Fts4i''
f. How many, think you, 'reader.a ~snt
10 that execution, the other day, with
hearts fully prepared to "enbracei?"--
Did they not speak Of it ss.somethisy
curious, and with as much ease as they
would ofa circus OF rope Aance.! Think
YOU such exhibitionsare beneficial to the
community !! DO they not give legal
sanction 10 crime! The criminal is ia
fthe hantls Of the Ia ", he 10 perfectly do.
| fenc eiess, and IT, he IL not already, he
| can Re secured SO that he will be entire.
| Is harmless, and to rise up and take his
1-fife looks like rcvenge--iticss,sinly can
not'bs Christian. The most satrocicus
murderer that ever walk Cd The sea rth nv !
mark put uppd him; ~ God timsslf.
| thai AZ man should slsy him. yfe ,'.f'f
| Ana what Is gained BY the 'debsh Of
the csininalfs lfhia dsathiwoula restore
ihs Iils No has TAX On, the case would be
Fdjfeisdt. But no, the cries sOf another
L