The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-02-01
The Legislature.
The DEATH PENALTY.

petition OF sunury cillLei5 dShin5 eHO 'N'eO
ration Of the death penalty. made very
sensible report against such restoration
from which we extract the following;
Observation shows that the dread OF vio-
lent death is not so great as il is generally
supposed to be- How often do men deliDe-
ratelv court death. The soldier, the duelist,
the suicide, the misanthrOpe, and even the
hardened offender who has committed
crimes a. pastime, meet this great change
without the least apparent fear or appre-
hensiOn, and sometimes seem 10 welcOm II
"a a desirable inflictiOn. In mdny lDstan-
ces murder is followed by suicide. In other
cases the guilty perpetrators surrender
themselves az once and even manifest an
eaoerness to be led 10 the scaffOld.
The night Of society 10 protect Itself
against aggravated crimes, and 10 prevent
the same BY such punishment, even TO the
taking Of life, as shall be most effective for
that purpose. is not denied. II the public
welfare may demand the free sacrifice or
life for the general good, a. in case Of war,
there can be no doubt OF the right, when
necessary for the same purpose, 10 destroy
human monsters who plumber community
and prey upon It's members But we have
vet 10 learn that the infection OF the death
protect society or prevent crime. On the
contrary, we think that the shedding OF inno-
cent blood has discouraged prosecutions,
prevented convictions, caused laws 10 be
loosely enforced and enabled great crimi-
mails too often 10 escape the just merit OF
their crimes. IL has been well observed
"that a single failure to punish excites a
greater degree OfhOpe in the minds OF GRIM
inals than twenty executions excite OF fear "
When the guilty thus 90 free, villainy Is en-
couraged, and the temptation 10 commit
crime strengthened and stimulated BY the
nrPPfrpIs6t etficaieelypg ifS ReAhfifs truth OF
the old adage, that Ignorance is the moth
er OF crime" Unbar the cell OF the felOn,
and IN the great majority OF cases il will be
found TO contain the victim Of neglected
education, Of Incidence, or Of drunkenness.
II a remedy is sought for growing crime
and depravity, provide free schools. and
make them attractive, sharper the fuculty
for discerning and discriminate g between
right and wrong. To-day with the educa-
tional advantages ofthe State far too large
portion Of its childred are growing up in
ignorance and sin. Suppress gambling
establishments, create a public sentiment
that shall discourage the use OF intoxicating
liquors, that shall make idleness unfashiOn-
able, tnat shall not wink at corruption,
whether in public or private places, that
shall make the detection OF vice easy, and
its punishment certain, and you will have
en- effective remedy lessening crime with
out resOrting TO the long-tried and unsuc-
cessful experiment OF terrifying man into
the path OF virtue by means OF private
slaughter pens" or public executions like
that recent one in England, where the Grim
inal was launched into eternity amid the
laughter, jeers and yells Of mass Of nearly
one hundred thousand persons largely
sprinkied with gangs of robbers. rietf,o'k-
Ella and rufIians 81 Every shade, plying their
VOCATION" 'whn openly stopped. bonnet
ed sometimes garrOted, and always plum
dered any person whose dress led them 10
think him worth the trouble"
II is now quite or nearly twenty years
since the death penalty was abolished in
this State. Experiences here has shown
that capital offences have not, since the
abolition of this provision, increased great
" beyond the prOpOrtinate growth of popu-
latiOn, nor relatively faster than in other
States where the penalty is still enforced.
Nor have We evidence that this change has
in any wise lessened the restraints upon
crime. or induced its more frequent com
mission within our borders. Reckless men
have not resOrted here for the purpose OF
INDUCING In propensity for violence and
blOodshed because. thereby they would
not forfeit life. Our people have not been
terrified by a disposition TO lawlessness not
prevalent elsewhere. Nor have an unusual
number Of horried crimes transpired In our
midst, 10 shock and startle the moral sense
of the community. While We admit that
our police regulations, especially in our
l. -. -.
they ought TO have been, and that some
times criminals have gone unwhipped OF
justice by reason Of the connivance and
corruption OF officers, the doubt and hest
tatiOn Of jurors, or the defect and laches OF
law. vet we think we can safely assume
that for the past twenty years. the general
good order and the administration OF JUS
tice in this State. will compare favorably
with any OF our sister States where crime
has been punished by death on the gallows.
A stranger, living where the death penalty
is In full force, passing through the State
at any time during this period, would have
seen nothing to indicate that life and prop
erty were not as secure here as elsewhere.
We say, then, that the actual experience of
these twenty years, in this State..has fair
ly proved that executions Of public or
private nature have not been necessary for
the protection and safety OF society.
But we are told that we are in the midst
OF great war, that. like all war; is demon
allZlng our young men, and training them
70 deeds Of violence: and that when the
war is over. and the soldier returns he will
bring back propensity for blood and n
disregard for life. the qualification of which
can only be checked by the terror Of an in
famous death on the scadOld. We are not
prepared 10 admit the force OF the PROPOSE
tio1- A glance az the past will show that
disbanded armies have not always returned
home 70 increase and enlarge the calender
OF crime. Speaking OF the disbanding of
the army Cromwell, the English his
torian says: In q few months there
remained not trace indicating that
the most formidable army in the world had
just been absorbed into the mass of the
community. The royalists themselves con-
feSsed that 10 every department of honest
industry the discarded warriors prospered
beyond other men; that none were Charged
with any theft or robbery; that none were
heard 10 ask an aims; and that if baker
= mason, or a WAGNER attracted notice bv
his diligence and sObriety, he was in all
probability one Of divers old soldiers"
ine soldiers OF our own revolution. al
tnougn discharged and sen. home half paid
and poorly clad, az n time when the conn
try was embarrassed the treasury exhau-
ted, paper money deprecated. and the
cost OF living enormously high. Ike their
great commander. quietly betook them
selves 10 the pursuits Of civil life. and il
was remarked Of them that the instances
were rare where veteran had returned 10
his home 10 disgrace IT,"
II Is no exaggeration TO say that the men
VINO have LEFT the peaceful pursuits Of life
and have gone forth 10 al the ranks of our
army, and who now stand, or have stood
IA TINS war between us and the foe, as a
body, are as intelligent and virtuous as any
army that ever trOd the earth II other
armies have been disbanded without pro-
duclng an Increase Of crime and misery. we
think Il fair 10 presume that this may be
also Indeed. large proportion Of the men
enlisted al the commencement Of the strug-
gle have already been discharged, and are
now civilians In our midst, vet We have no
proof In their conduct Of this apprehended
reenlessness OF law and life.
We cannot persuade ourselves that IL is
OesS upon mere apprehension or suspi-
eion OF danger, 70 change the policy OF tha