Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-11-04
For the journal.
Capital Punishment.

ally, advance the following arguments
First Divine Authority shown in the Scriptures.
Second That the forfeiture of the murderers life is the
only compensation which be made to offended justice
Third AS precautionary against the commta
of future murders by the criminal
Fourth, As warning to oilers lest they commit the
crime.
Now the first. That much quoted text often used
those who endeavor to bring scrptural argument their
''Whoso shedde bood by shall his blood
be she'd is the least susceptible of very read
ngs. take with the context, the hand of
beast will require it, shall find ourselves obliged to in
ic the penalty vicious horse who kicks out his
groom's bains would the groom, had he killed
fellow If one part of the text e., by man shall his
blood be she'd be taken literally why not the whole there
by making capital offence the opening of vein, or
puncture which blood to flow 1t seems little
strange that if this was the intention of the Divine mind
the crime of Cain should have been captaly punished
he the first murderer who stained the infant earth with fra
tricidal blood.
slain Cain gnal warning to all others who might here
after commit the crime especially as we know there
the instant with death And even the Mosaic Law which
almost draconan in its characteristics provided cities
OF Refuge that the murderer had chance by superior
speed to bis pusuers and escape The whole
of this Code terrible lea taOniS, eye for eye
tooth for TOOTH but of which Blessed Lord
have heard that hath been said in old time &c. but say
unto you that ye resist not evil " and again, Whose is
angry with his brother derer The whole tenor OF
the New Testament The doctrine of seeking and saving the
lost restoring those WHO weak but not sending them to
their dread account with all their sins upon their heads
Again. how suppose that God gave man the
right to punish sin EARTH for is the and not the
act of murder punish else would not jusabe homicide
and WIul murder be equally punished that the Almighty
would put his sword Of divine justice errng hands,
without also giving the of Omnscence, by which alone
the thoughts ntents of our hearts are made visible and
the truth clearly revealed Life the supreme gift of God
and such only be recalled by him He has sent each
the world for a special purpose assigning to each
an individual pos to from that interference
with the divine pJan which do not believe God per
ms the part of ms creatures In His sight are all Grim
Bench to say to the criminal in the Dock Brother you
have slnned, and you must die? -
The second argument is That forfeiture of the muir
derer HE Is the only compensation that be made to
safe all the injury! Ii man with family has been killed
by single man, will taking the life of the latter place the
be tered by It's toreiture be evenly balanced
pensatlon, both parties must be in similar position and
could never be sure Of it. Why only to murder that
TINS Homeopathic remedy of 4" like curing like is
aPpl ed; why not test its efficacy in Burglary Arson
bgan or any OF the other nfractions of the moral law
man Killed there is corpse in the scale of justice
to balance that another must be thrown here
hes he sole compensation Indeed there lesser chance
OF perfect compensation with the len atiOnlS murder
Er IN murder than IN any way that could be devised
of this and see how would work. Suppose with
only one eye las been deprived of the of the
ing organ, by eyes, according to the ter ia
o"S he should give of his eyes compensate that
he had put out yet then he would be better of than the
have still one eye le and unless both his eyes were put
out the balance between them would be equal Still
could justice demand much? Nc injury can ever
be entirely compensated until every contingency grasped
and meted and as this possible hold that legal
GERS are, so far, useless.
Then g AS precautionary measure against the commit
Ia! OF further murders by the criminal
This take to be one of the most impotent arguments
that could be used have moral certainty that
the murderer would take another life therefore
right to kill him a supposous case.
1t Is without doubt the sore way prevent it. though
imagine equally could be found shall endeavor
to show one too which possesses other points in which this
remedy is deficient.
Again AS warning others lest they commit the same
crime. should like to ask any impartial person what
moral good has resulted the from witnessing
public execution morbid curiosity seizes the yulgaT
mind and the exciting topic the wretched fellow whose
moments are numbered Gay clad soldiers with nodding
pumes swords flashing in The sunlight make spectacle
almost Dantesqne in its antthess the covering who
sees the tall tees and the waters sparkle and the
eecy clouds float across the summer sky for the last time
spectacle SO pleasantly ting that delicate ladies
steal turtve gances threat from behind convenient
agreeable details Little children join eagerly in the ranks of
OnIOOkers e:evng their frat impression of moral degreda
ton, which nothing in the future eface.
The State Wltds parental authority told. This
may be but has parent the right sacrifice chds
life to save the other children from committing crime p
hardly think As a warning to others. think this mode
OF punishment Is amentabe failure. have heard
OF single instance in which any murderer was deferred
from the CRIME for fear of the gaows but the contrary
many leave the place of execution quite disappointed that
rs such an easy DEATH the most comfortable way of
dying the vicious Lord N0rbuy say when pass
ing sentence with nbald jest on his lips he who called
the hanging Judge and who died violent death himself by
Punishment is that almost all evidence is crcumsanal and
we only look back own lives shall what that
worth Which of US say hat there has been time
IN which appeared guilty fellows circumstan
evidence, but clear il the sight of God and
hearts Then again the number executions which have
taken place that afterwards found have been un.
Just murder was committed on Hounslow Heath near
London for which five different patches of people
cafed and to this day knows for certain if the real
murderer was among them.
But this the question: Is the murderer to 90
free is he not to be punished Most certainly to be
punished and in way short taking his life Sentence
MIN 10 perpetual imprisonment, and hard labor But he
may escape and commit more MURDERS. dangerous lu
mario may escape from his asylum and commit many
GERS and do much injury yet thinks of taking his life
as precauton. ct be question with the
and The blacksmith to walls of sufficient strength
and put on secure bolts that escape will be impossible
But above ALL let not the law be full of loop
heS that he be pardOned after the fashion Sing
Sing, that aristocratc retreat for disabled maeacors-
society.
But you will say, there many to whom this would be
no punishment whatever. and reply there many to
whom death would be punhment and there are those
also who would dread infinitely Imprisonment for
life with hard abour than the tightening of rope round
the jugu2r.
Penitentiary and modify the laws and imagine shall
continue conservatism We town galows and
suppose shall keep them.
remember reading French story in which two
travellers represented being what they sup
posed was an unGhabited place. They wandered until
they came to lbbet, when piOusy exclaimed, thank
deny the christianity of Wilmington, though some
might wish it differently proved.
Had not tTespassed at such length time would
wish to quote from Sir Samuel ROmiy who NAV called
the father of reform In this particular who heads his
list OF judicial errors, with long train of pale spectres the
Gidoa of those who the victims of
dence but feel that have carried this letter far beyond
the proper limits though without more than touching on
several leading points. L. G.. NJ.
az CASKS NEW CROP RICE.