Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-03
soutL Cnroliun Freedom.

The independent nation of South Caro-
lima has defined what shall constitute treason
in that nation, and provided the penalty
thereof Treason is to consist in levying
war against South Carolina, or in adhering
to her enemies and giving them aid and
comfort. OF course all who adhere to the
national Government, and oppose secession,
will be traitors to South Carolina Thepen-
atty to be "death without benefit of clergy"
We presume our readers know what death
without benefit of clergy is. 1t is to de-
prive the condemned of those means Of sal
vation which are usually so efficacious in
saving the souls of the subjects of capital
punishment. 1t means that South Carolina
wishes to sentence her citizens to perdition
in the next world, as well as death in this,
as a punishment for any suspected luke
yarmness in the cause of secession.
Very likely South Carolina imagines that
her jurisdiction extends into the next world.
AS her clergymen have all informed her that
God is for secession, and will confound her
enemies, it is but reasonable that she should
suppose that those she binds on earth will be
bound in Heaven.
Usually, when criminal is condemned to
death, he becomes the subject of special
means ofgrace, and clergymep vie with each
other in waiting his soul from n murderer,
eallows to the realms of bliss. This is one
Of the virtues OF capital punishment, which
its opponents do not sufficiently take into the
account and we would invite the attention
of one of our city clergy, who is exalting his
horn against the. death penalty, to the eff
cacy ofhaDging as a means of grace.
A sentence to Imprisonment for murder,
however prOtracted the term, does not prick
the conscience; nor does it seem to the
killer any special means of salvation; but if
the murder is uncommonly atrocious, and
legal stratagem fails to save the murderer
from a sentence TO be hung, straightway he
becomes the subject of special spiritual
effort that rarely fails to send him off from
the gallows in the triumphs of faith straight
to Heaven. 1t is shown by the statistics that
larger proportion of the murderers who
are hanged, give evidence of a saving con-
NGIbuut ludu vi buOcC nhO ilNC huO AhOSb
moral lives. Thus, to commit murder here,
almost insures ones happiness hereafter.
But such is not going to be the case in
South Carolina. She is not going to send
Union men to Heaven while Secessionists
have to stay and fight and pray for and pay
for her national glory. And really the au-
thority TO consign people to perdition is ex-
ercised by SO many, and for such a variety
| of causes, that it would seem unnatural tc
deny it to the sovereignty of South Caro-
lima; and for the crime Of adhering 10 the
Union, too.
These are the times that try mems soul
in South CaroIlna, and when both the word
and grass of temporal and spiritual mean
fail to arouse the patriotism of her citizens
it becomes necessary to try what virtue ther,
is in the stones of eternal damnation. He
moneyed men have failed to respond promptly
to the call of the nation, and already sht
has had to stimulate their ardor by direc
assurance that the neglect to subscribe 81 ,OOl
each to the loan for war expenses would b,
regarded as evidence of disaffection. Wha
would follow that is we'll understood. Thi
reasonable law Of treason is probably in
tended to cover the same case.
South Carolina is exhibiting a brillian
capacity for a separate national existence
Savage penalties are invariably the work 0
weak and cowardly government. A revo
luton which begins by forced loans from he
own citizens, and by attempting to terrif
them by savage penalties, has only to be lei
alone for six months in order to play itse
out, and create a demand for coercion fror
her own people. '-'.