The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1857-07-04
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The Penal Code Reviewed.

lie design Of the Penal Code, is de,
clard in it to be, "to define IN plain Ian.
guaesvery offence against the laws Of TIL.
Sta'eand sfiix to each offence its proper
punisNent.' The first branch o. ,hii
design seems to be mere enterprise OF
wofds-a war upon the vocabulary of the
common law. Undoubtedly tho law
should bHplsin, no, only in respeo, to the
lsnguaeeand style in which il is write,
but also II the harmony of its rules aud
principles. There should be no conflict
between tom. Whether tho Code, in
these par'ic'ars is superior 10 tho system
OF laws whis It has totally superseded, is
question Nlch the I.ench and Ear will
decide. To luiiy the Code on the ground
oi an eNlsilnalecessity 10 define IN plain
language, eve, offence AGAINST the laws
OF the State, aumes III there was an
obscurIiy Ia shlaugIag Of the previous
laws, winch out to be removed. But
was such the ist' /, is not true, for ia
acial in.erp'e,sln and construction had
already impaired fixed aud definite
meaning to everWord. lice, aud page Of
.hs law, which wiwell understood by all
who would read ID understand. though
its language and sle had been "a simple
and plain as tho alabe,. Men who ara
in tact lawyers, or he the CAY scily to be,
have had no cause { complaint against
the law IN this re.pec 1t i, ouly the dem
sgogue, who would 'Ne the world believe
tia, oNiedge OF t law WAS withheld
lrom,he people 10y ,bertltice Of LAWYERS
that complain OF its s's. or vocabulary.
You may abridge the W until II /. con,
deused into gxioms, and Till i. wiil be two
voumninous for any but ,se who adop, its
study and practice as hiesson, to have
anything like ageueral 'owledge Of il.
again, to Justify the Cooh must be Az,
sumed, that the system abshed. WA. =,
imperfect as to demand eeral change
and so totally defective, ths, end, of Jus.
,lcs could be more esslly ai,,ed bv abr,
gstiag the whole body OF t,nina law
both common aud statutory, II, cons,ruot,
my an entirely new system material.
collected from rs runs, than well di>
rected amendment Such WAS the TACT.
rh.t o,,ia, If IN, farms, s,,n,.,
,,J,,.a so,,d y, IN, ,,,ss II
r,on I.w !. cls., aud wall .uu ~
n,in,inIe. and mia. arc collec,ed' i 80
.,an.Jal 10 C.w standard ,,,hh
.ncb na,.nicu,,y aud pow.r of lo,.
-. ,ha,, IRON, do,h, and 90.
Th., oor,io, louud in the statutes. ~.
.en,;hl. NJ ali nrooer CHANCES ~,
Is,iog sruds hand Of destruction upar
vas, 1,o,ss nj inc. o,incinias snd snl.
a,,,I and welI ad,n,ad ,sle, of dse,
anJ ,,.c,ic. which farm, the s,cat h,'
~ 81, .r;n,in,II,w and war, ,ba ,,oJu
Nan moi, 81 ono man -, .,a hut Of ma,
imam ,nd sge. d,.,,n,nished for ceniu. =,
t,i,na,,. and t,l.ni.. NOT a. some woul
.unnnss en,ar.d IN ntonuic,iinr sonl
J .o,,e,,,,,i,,, a,,o,s In, t,i,htnil
.,.,,;,, ,h,.i, mind. and ha.,,. for the Al
.o,o,, NJ ,,,,b and well has il h.,n .ni.
,h., H., o,y.,,i,, of ,b.ir l,b,r il. m. ne,
f.e,ion of reason. Those nuneinles am
.,,l.s L.v. h.,n ies,.d bv almn,t aver
,o,,, Il, hath bsmi,nh.y.s and tbev HAY
.,,..i a., e.i,hf,t .,,o.,.,, with ,,a,,i,,
..,.i,,, IN nj. cls,t'. c,,ss and lnag.
,h,on.h III. mos. ,,o,t,c,sJ and eycI,s
ni.Is IA ina and, NJ u,tice IN. u.nr
saJ p.r may now ia .J,sn to hon
"a, ,o,.,L., with ,uneh al THAR .,,lo.
II ,,,,d Il,.t,s,,o, ara swami .,ya
-. p.n,l CD and n,ada IA ei,a olsa
il. a,h;,,.,y .,ac,,,au,. which ar. .,
- ha a,n,,,d,.J h,rmonif.a and annl..,
Al what delay Of ustice and eynsnditur
At l,ho, TINA ,rd l.,ruinc ON the mar, +
,t.. a. a,,d n.,,ch ,,,a Ga, f,,.s.re
~ g., ,ho,, IN con3sn, mo ,1o,,in, {
H., C.4a -. Ia ~, ,.sel, n ,bs exna,
-, .,i,l.J no hi,,L., g..t.,n-
,t..
,;n.,io, ., tho ,,ov,.jon. ,els
G,r - ,hs ,b,lo Cods viii .pstsin All ,hs
,a' s.it sh,,, !, II, ,e,naot IN Il.
'a,...a i.w /, !, ,bs,e e,,e,ed tba
49,, -, ,h., ,ha sysl.,, Of peo,I Is,y ,
l. ~. sat, MAJ, La ro,c,Js,s viii
~, NE a.a ,b., ,o sy.,.o, of f,,.ie
t...s ,,s,,e, or ,nv,i,tsn may he A.
na.lad IN II !. declared that no per.o
.h,u i, runi.hcd for ,ny ac, or omission
a,l oe,n.o ,,ls,. m. sam. ex
49,. d.aneI and Ina pen,l,v a6ixad b