The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-01
To What End Should Treason be Punished

We have already law against treason, by
which, If enforced to the letter, a large ma or-
Sty of the adult whites il: the insurgent States
would be hung. But it would be a very wild
anticipation to expect such a wholesale hang
ing, and Senator Colllmer very Justly said in
his recent speech, that the great mass Of the
rebels had no apprehension of any such result
So far as that particular punishment is concerned
it has not, and probably will not, deter but few
rebels from pursuing their mad war on the Gov
eminent. And so fur as furnishing the traitors
that are now amenable to our laws is concerned
in such way that the penalty they are COM
PEELED to pay for their crimes may be whole
some example to ali coming time, the plesen,
law is utterly inadequate, inasmuch as it would
not be enforced. Indeed we doubt if fifty rebels
will ever suffer after trial and conviction before
competent tribunals the death penalty for the
treason which has cost the nation so much blood
and treasure. But it seems to US at once APP
parent that punishment that reaches no far
Their, and affects 40 more persons, than would
sucA al exhibition OF the ayeuging power CT the
Governments would be utterly inadequate as an
example. The law makers must devise some
milder penalty, and fines, coniscaton, and i'm
prisonment ere naturally suggested, less obnVx-
ious to the charge of cruelty OR inhumanity, and
more serviceable to the Government, by bring
ing something into the treasury, and compelling,
US should be done, those who have rebeled
against the law to reimburse to some extent -
and it will be small at the largest, the enor-
nous outlay Of treasure expended by the nation
in combating treason. To this end various
confscaticn bills are now before Congress-
But, while pushing the punishment Of treason
in this direction. there are still limitations, both
in the Constitution, and in expediency. We
believe. however, the constitutional limitations
are no barrier against law which shall entirely
strip every traitor of every dollar of property
he possesses, provided the law is enforced. The
first section Of Senator Coamer's bin is broad
enough to give the judge who tries the criminal,
the right to fix the fine SO high that it shall take
the whole estate real and personal except the
slaves--to answer the demand of the sentence.
We believe this bill is as severe in its penalty as
any that would be likely to I've enforced t, any
great extent and, IS it is unquest!onably free
from constitutional difficulties, we deem it bet
ter than many Of the bills before Congress, and
really much better designed to reach all the ends
which are desirable il the punishment Of trea-
son,
The erpedicncy OF passing some bill that shall
severely punish treason, cannot be doubted, I'M
less we abandon the idea of furnishing crime as
IL means Of discouraging it in future. But it
isn't quite easy in this respect 10 separate the
punishment of treason from any influence in
suppressing the rebellion. 1t is urged by those
who favor mild penalties that the rebels will
not so readily yield to the United States author
ities if they suppose that they are to lose their
properly, or their lives, as they will if they are
in some degree free from such an apprehension.
There is, no doubt great force IN this sugges.
ton, although it at the same time confesses The
inability OF the Government to put down rebel
lion by force. But, 81 far as this consideration
should enter into the idea Of adequate punish
ment, we believe it to be a matter better left
where the pardonng power, or the power to in
stignte the utmost rigor of the law is left, t.
the Courts, and to the Executive IL Congress