The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1861-07-30
The Criminality of Treason.

WALTER III. BuRroS.
(From Tie New York Evening post.)

From the New York Evening Post.)
Many people apprehend that some of
our authorities, both military and civil,
entertain wholly inadequate conception
Of the real nature and hdeous wickedness
Of the crime Of treason. But the truth is,
we are so unused to the offence in this
country, that we do not any Of us readily
estimate its atrocity, Like children that
have never seen a serpent or wolf, and
who are not aware how poisonous the
iangs of the one or how murderous the
teeth of the other, we require actual ex-
perienee to teach US all the danger and
evil Of the deed.
The ancient nations, whose peace was
often attacked in this manner, gave it a
bad pre-eminence over all other crimes.
They regarded il not only as the grayest
ol offences in its own nature, but as dis
playing the yilest personal qualities on the
part Of the offender, 1t was for this rea-
son that II was punished--frst by inhct-
ing the severesl penalties upon the Grim
inal himself, and, secondly, by branding
his posterily forever. A person 50 cor
rupt as 10 be traitor, they said, must
transmit his qualities TO his descendants.
Besides, he who plots TO disturb a nations
tranquility and TO overthrow its constitu-
ton, commits crime against posterity,
and ought to suffer in his offspring
While humanity shudders at the severity
OF the argument, II is still useful to recall
L.. A., .l.y,.., h. &c tin..
tions who have actually suffered from the
king of malice.
BY the Roman law the traitor was 10
be put 10 the sword and his goods confs-
Gated TO the treasury. !" His sons says
the rescript, TO whom we grant life by
our special imperial clemency, Though
they ought TO perish by the paternal pun
ishment, as il is to be feared that the crime
will break out in them as an hereditary
disease,j can receive nothing by success
sion from any relation, or by testament
from any person. Let them be forever
needy and destitute LET the paternal in
fanny always accompany them; let them
attain TO no honors or offices; let them be
50 sordid in an unyarying poverty, that
death shall be their solace and life their
punishment The theory was that il they
were allowed to accumulate property their
hereditary impulses would turn it 10 some
misuse II was a crime even for any one
to supplicate the Emperor in their behalf
Though the treason was not discovered
till after the death OF the traitor, he might.
though in his grave, be convicted Of the
offence, his memory stigmatized. and his
property taken from bis heirs. His blood
was deemed yiiiated from the time he en-
tertained the accursed design The iu-
ris, Paulus tells US that post norton tri-
Al actually took place in the case Of Drum
cianus, Roman Senator, who was found
guilty and his estate oonGscaied
The same feeling survived throughout
the Middle Ages. Dante, expressing the
public sentiment Of his time upon many
points, and among others upon this, sum
mons all his imaginative powers to de-
scribe the future doom Of traitors. He
paints them as suffering iorments exquis-
sieiy adapted TO the nature Of their crime !;
some lay upon couches Of everlasting fire !
some we're thrust into mire and filth, from
which waichlul tiends never allowed them
10 emerge and below all these. IN the
very depth Of he'll, were the cold hearted
traitors, embedded in eternal ice. frozen.
YET experiencing the inienses, anguish.