Daily gazette and comet. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1856-186?, 1860-02-07

the face, caml y-.as passing strange
If not altogether an anomaly, that
that class of people who claim TO be
followers Of our Lord aud Master,
preaching peace aud good will for the
pleasure II does them TO enjoy II
that they've mean this class, should
take the lead in the cry Of nm eye for
an eye. and ask murder for murder.
II ia right in the eye Of the many. be
cause Il Is, and has been but there
are others who think not thus. and
have hope that this remnant Of bar
batism will by aud by leave us and
pass out forever, as an obsolete usage
without Divine authority. II should
have done so st the inauguration Of
the new era. under the Christian dis
pensation but ss history proves
warfare aud the thirst for blood receiy-
ed ftesh allies at the inauguration Of
each new acct. We premise that IL
Ia right for nations Of people to Fight
aud murder by wholesale, and crown
the captains "a they come from the
wars with victorious wreathea they
who stand Mt distance aud command
the war dogs. The people who fight
under them never saw each other be.
fore aud know nothing Of the terms of
quarrel, yet they are special heroes
Let them quarrel among themselves
for real cause Of quarrel and let one
knock another In the head aud kill
him, aud he must be hanged for it,
True II ia. he may have the advantage
Of holy water and under tho direction
Of a. minister Of religion, may have
the way to heaven pointed out but
this makes the serious matter of talk.
ing life by law, very iarsioal. In lat.
ter years Louisiana has put her right
foot foremost In this matter, aud the
jury has right which few jurymen
are aware Of, to qualify the verdict of
guilty" by appendiag thereto with
out capital punishment" Did man.
kind grow better under the hanging
pyetem, or did the sins Of tho world
diminish, we should say hang on
but that such Is not The fact, there Is
abundance of evidence derived from
practical observation aud experience
to prove.
From tho New York Express we
obtain the following facts in reference
to the death penalty;
Amagst the reasons given by
those who are opposed to taking
life for life, are that there are
prisoners where murders may be
safely confined for life that The
divine command, Thou shalt not
kill, Ia as probibitofy upon the
judges, jurics and Legislators, M
upon individuals aud that the In
nocent often suffer instead of the
guilty. As evidence of tho fact
that crime has not increased IN the
three States Of the Union in which
capital punishment has been abol.
ished-namcIy, Michigan, Rhode
Island and Wisoopsin-we have
official letters from these States. --
The Secretary of State Of Michigan
says that, seeing that crime has
not increased, "it would he impos.
siblc to assemble u Legislature
that would take the responsibility
of restoring the gallows." The
Secretary of State of Rhode Island
says that, from inquiries he has
made, "crime has not increased
since the death penalty was abol.
ishcd." Mr.. McGraw, the State
Prison Commissioner, of Wiscon
sin, speaks enthusiastically of the
results of the abolition of capital
punishment. 0cthosc cutprits found
guilty Of murder, aud confined for
life, he says that as general thing,
"they are much better men, Of more
integrity, on whose words | can
place more rrliancc-who have bet.
ter moral perceptions, aud are nj.