The Portland daily press., 1866-01-10
A Question Suggested.

a question Suggested.
In the case of Green, the Maiden murderer,
1t appears that all efforts to secure commuta-
ton of sentence have failed, and the poor
wretch will doubtless suffer the penalty of the
law. We are not disposed to question the
justice of this final decision. The crime OF
Green was an atrocious and cold-blooded muir
er, unprovoked on the part of the victim,
mere boy, and instigated only by the Dasest OF
all motives, avarice. Yet nevertheless there
are circumstances connected with this affair
which suggest contrast not easy to account
for. 1t was alleged at the trial of Green that
he was of feeble intellect, not gifted with sufi-
Gent force of character to be held to the high
est accountability, and the evidence introduc-
ed to prove this was not so completely invali-
dated as to remove all doubt in the minds of
the community. 1t is therefore matter of
grave question with many whether he is a fit
subject for the extreme penalties of the law.
On the ground of public safety no one can
pretend to say the community could in any
manner be imperiled by the Communication of
his sentence from death to Imprisonment for
life. f9 1 f-t9
Moreover, owing to an irregularity in GER
tain legal forms connected with the trial, Gov
ernor Andrew has felt himself not fully justi-
fed in ordering the execution, and his opin-
ion has had the sanction of high legal authori-
ties. Yet spite ofal these considerations, SO in
tense has been the feeling against the crimi-
nal, SO fierce the thirst for his blood, that at
meeting of the Executive Council, held on
the End inst, the vote on the question of
Communication Of sentence was decided in
the negative. 1t stood three for imprison-
ment and six for hanging, and the man dies.
Having contemplated this picture let us look
upon another. t'A --{ '''- s-114"
There is at present lying in Fortress Monroe
man charged with crimes Of such magnitude
and atrocity as cast all mere murder entirely
into the shade. They are crimes involving
blackness of moral rpitude beside which that
of Green, all blood-stained as h, Il, pales and
fades till shows almost like the whiteness ofin-
nocence ITSELF No one doubts this mans guilt.
Not for him can be set up the plea of irrespon-
sibility on the score of mental in; .iority, for
he brought one Of the most powerful, acute and
subtitle intellects of his time to aid him in the
gigantic crime of his country's destruction
Yet no eagerness is manifested for bringing
him to justice, no intention is even apparent of
putting him upon his trial that so much as the
brand Of a legal condemnation may be set up
on him. The impression is gaining ground
g that no punishment will ever be melted out to
him. a si2-aa .''a-iil-1s -f Y as7A 5ij
II any one can see the consistency of all this
his visual organs are better than ours. ms -
We would not be understood as camoring
for the death of Jefferson Davis. We believe that
the history of the world can show few crimi-'
mails who can equal him in the magnitude of
his guilt, or in the absence of extenuating cir
cumstances; yet even in his case we are far
from being prepared to say that no better use
can be made of him than to hang him. But
why pursue with such vindictive and blood
thirsty severity the lesser criminal while this
infinitely more guilty one is allowed to go un-
whipped of justice? Why send the weak
witted Maiden homicide to swing upon glib
bet while the author of ten thousand cold
If the former deserves hanging then most GER
tainly hanging is not too bad for the latter
And, on the other hand, if to put Jefferson
Davis to death would be an act which would
leave stain on the record of great, magnan-
imous and victorious nation, then indeed we
cannot see how the great Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, can hold itself free from re-
proach in hunting to the gallows powerless
wretch like Green. 1t is plain that there is
something wrong in our social and political
organization when such monstrous inequali-
ties can exist. five have really got beyond the
idea ofcapital punishment, then-let us be con-
sistent, and oblterate that relic ofthe old DAYS
of brute force from our statute books. But if
tits still deemed necessary to the safety of our
modern society, why in that case also let us
be consistent, if we can, let the consequences
be what they will. ~