The Portland daily press., 1864-06-27
What IN do with Mrrderars.


Before "B.'-iu the Courier-shou'd wei
come discussion upon capital punishment.
he should learn to state truly cur argument or
At least not to forget his o@r. IL was he and
not we, that quoted against the propriety OF
ordering Spencer TO bis execution, what he
now depomi ates "the bloody code OF the
:, mi-savage Israelires." Oar answer Smpl,
was, ,on mi.understand the laws which you
cite They are less humane than our steruesi
modern codes. They not only did not pro
trct. but expressly required tue taking Of liz,
as sjadiciai panishmtn,, and permitted it IN
certain MODE, for even accidental homicide
10 this b" has and can have no answer; SO
ne falls to abusing As ''sapdgc" the principle
OF the code With which he had sought to arm
the conscience Of the Chief Magistrate. "B'
denies that his thought WAS TO soften the hearl
OF the Governor to desist from or defer stern
official duty. Ofcourse he has right TO state
his own mental purposes. But he knew yer,
well that for nearly twenty years our Govern
IRIS had been dsterred from ordering exeeu-
aons by the presumed existence OF just such
sentiments as he gave expression 10, and that
our present Governor had pointedly complain
ed OF that Influence and asked to have 1t EN-
bodied In some positive and Ineligible iegis-
l.tiun. Ifhe had not thought ofsoitening the
hsart Of the Governor, or at least OF reproach
ing him for an act he might not wish hereafter
% repeat, why did he speak OF the "Unseen
teiRges Of c0ascienc several days before ia,
c,nsumm l,ion OF the act aniinadycrted upon Z?
L. is easy TO call all punishment 'jadieiai
vengeance aud II by vengeance is meant
arengeRan', redress, recompenSe, the tern
viii not instead. Is" must certainly beilev,
thst u ishInenl j. necessary, il part OF ever,
perfect system fnoral government. To "a,
ina, you shell not punish the completed Grim
thst you mast only morally cultivate the d, :
eraved hear, out OF which crime grows, is t
ay you must not medica'e the agooiziag dis
.ase Of which the patient is dying, yoa mus,
bnly reg llate his regimen aud exercise, s.
hat disease sh all not bs developed at all. 5 >
eiety has in fact to perform DO b OF these fnnc
ions. La doing one II is not to leave the Lee
undone.
IL does not seem TO rs In the best taste, no,
At al, pertinent rs an illustration, to like1 Ia.
sober, sad, and plying unanimity with which
IN beneyoitat peoils of IL .iae had admitted
hat here va. case which exceeded he
bounds OF their charity, and deiisd all the !
ontrryaaces oI mercy, TO The rae of NIT
= eninding he ex lJction of the most b ans
loss lite. The people OF Maine AZ jurors, lud
- or sh. r.d,, inciu ling those whose m4taTt ]
Thoughts has compelled them TO revive earlier
| p JUDGES abou. capital punishment, are nol
adjective or oiood- thirsty, bat forgiying, Lu
arine aud teuder-hesrled.
1h.t can hardy b, considered "a little ir
! isl circumstance" which turns the innuenc,
II a Nsw Eng and home into the fruitsge D
huid,r. OIt OF the same soil The rose anr
nst,le, growing side By side, suck the one fra
srsace and he other poison. Z .ch assim
Iaies according to its kind. Terrible must b,
| hat prueiIviiy 10 evil. which turns to ban.
d harm iii. juices ou. of which are +, o q.
pounded the sweets OF all ;chun and the TIA
graace OF social aud personal virtues. Til,
| Struehtr Wirely Judges that ihs FERTILITY Oi tht
SSH is wssled ou ruh gro sih.. hat the thin 1
{, 10 !, to hoe them ~ aud let the sun or Dir,
| ourn theif too slsa To0ts.
60 terrible il the problem OF evil, go inf c
iious is It's influence, such ages lranspire be
re the wisesI experiments OF reformation be
gin 20 show g'od resuits, that even ,nen, VII,
are sianers themselves, ,nty say this is a type
ar al ans ra a development OF seed wLi,l
we are not obiig d to endure. al a. re ar,
We can agree tat We tcM not murder ,dcJ
other that he who becomes guilty. OF tina.
snail b., not vengefalJ but prudeuiialiy, sep
back. where he came from. as case little 10,
tough for our reioin&.ory agencies,-ae, no
a. s9oilrss aud holy persons 10 great horror q
/ his sia; but as ourselves, 50 liIls wise TO irca
him, II fact SO dsgli-hiy fascinated, IL 70,
pease, wi n his sin, that for fear OF indus,
evil 4, well fro n him as from our clumsy lnt
foolish handling OF him, we send him wherr
we hope the methods are more perfect, At I
the resources + saving. or, ii that be beti
for etlectuAlly suppressing such miscreatiol
are believed TO b. better than among Us.