New-York daily tribune., 1866-02-12
HANGING.

HANGING.
The following paragraph is peregrinatng 10
the newspapers, aud seems to us mischevous IL
ito tendency:
The laws passed in Wisconsin, few years ago
abOlshng cepltal punishment to be repealed and
the old laws revived Reason-murder rampant
We do not propose to discuss here and now
the right or wrong of hanging, but we may be
allowed to express our regret that in this age OF
popular enlightenment anybody should be weak
or bigoted enough to suppose that crime dimln|
ishcs in proportion to the severity OF pun'
ishmcut. Here and there an individual of tho
necessary temperament may be kept from com-'
mitting murder by his dread OF the gallows;
but the mass of capital criminals may be di~
vided into those who expect to escape and those
who in their rage think nothing Of the cOnse~
quences of their deeds. There need be no limit
to our deterrent and revengeful remedies if We
are determined to stick to them. StrangulI-
ton and cervcal fracture are comparatively
mild and mcrciiul processes The argument
which calls for the restoration of the gallows,
because murder is rampant, is just as good
a one for the restoration of the rack. There
are fifty obsolete modes Of judcially killing, all
more horrible and painful than hanging.
All savage nations can teach our ciyllZt'
ton sickening barbarties. We can starye,
whittle, boil, roast men to death = we can
cruelty them if n terrible exit Is what we most
need. But how is a Wisconsin rough, whisky
saturated aud with a revolver in his pocket, to
be kept from shooting by the consideration thai
he will be hanged if he kills his man! What
does be care for his liie when, in the pursuit OF
private revenge, he is always ready to risk 1t =
He holds it cheap, and certainly II does not
seem more sacred and valuable to HIM because
judicial authority is in the daily habit of taking
il. Shopli.ting was once a capital crime. Did
the galows stop it How could 1t, when lt
simply instructed the light-fngered that lIfs
was of less value than sixpence or u bit OF
haberdashery! In hanging age when there
were scores of capital otenseS on the statute
book, Mr.. Jack Sheppard expected to be hung
sooner or later, and rode to Tybum tree crack
ing Jokes with the chaplain. soldier after
lulLI DultttN EiONS hA'A N'"N"f - ="
were not so. there would be fewer battles fought.
So crime hardened man, expecting at some
time or another to be hanged and yet believing
that this time at least he can outrun Jack
Ketoh, is not in the least frightened by 4is
hempen chances even should he stop to compute
them.
There NAV be other reasons for the increase
of crime in Wisconsin beside the abolition OF
the death penalty. The increase of population
may be one cause.-the influence Of the war
may be another. 1t is certain, however, that
there is no lack of murders in those countries
which continue to hang with inllexible aSsidulty.
Brgands get but a short shritt in Italy, and 1T
is said that n Italy brigandage was never 80
inpudently dourishing. If half the pains taken
to punish crime were employed 10 preven' H. III
Wisconsin, and everywhere else we Sholdd not
have the sorry spectacle of secondhand Seaiio'uS
furbishei up to meet suppoSeQemergenHy. All
ignorart irregous, sensual man, benz upon 'ha
presert qualification of appetite or passion. Wiir
have his wicked way and t:nst to lack for M /,
mupity. Perhaps the best course an WISCONSIN,.
would be there to open mere schools, buiia MORO
cbarches, and shut up more groggerieS.