, 1866-06-19
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

DEAR aIR: Through the public journals OF
the metropolitan city OF your State. I learn
that, at G recent term of the 9augamon
County Circuit Court, Judge Rice presiding,
one Bar ey Van: n cell aud one James Lemon
were duly convicted for the crime of murder,
one John Saunders being the unfortunate vic
Tim Of the fatal attack. which occurred On
the 9Th day OF March, 1866, In the said county
of Sanenmon.
l have no official information Of the judi
-cia1 proceedings of this trial, nor Is It im-
portant to the object have in view in ad-
dressing you. only 30 far as 1t Is ever desira-
BILE 10 late iacts In d published commulica-
tIon. II, then, the public journals have cor
rectly reported the proceeding OF thej trial
referred to, We arc given to understand that
the men who have been sentenced to die On
the gibbet on the 22d Of the present month,
are quite young, neithtr having attained the
age Of tssenty years.
i have never, on any occasion, nor Under any
circumstances, appended my name to petit
ton asking the Executive OF any State to par
don or commute the sentence Of any indivld-
ual convicted for crime. have assumed this
attitude, not trust, from any lack Of benny
oleuce In my composition, but simply from
tho stern conviction that IN order to eIectu.
ally secure the speedy ameloration OF our
penal code, odious laws equally with good
ones should be TigidlY enforced. The thor
oueh enforcement OF all lava Is tho best test
Of their efficacy and virtue, and when fnhu-
man and cruel laws are thus enforced they
speedily become 90 ahhorrent to the public
mind that other etAtutes more benign ID their
operation ure thereupnn substituted. An
unjust law II not enforced, In consequence Of
1a1ity Of purpose on the part Of It's admins
traitors, Induced, perhaps, by dislike of It's
provisions, fs often retained for many years,
yYha II h~r fn~ * :
come 80 repugnant to tha public sense that
Its repeal would bc thereby insured. In this
aspect ol the case, and believing that bY. sub.
mitttpg to temporary evils that final and
lasting good may come, have hitherto de-
clined making Efforts in special 1uetauces for
either pardnns or communication OF sentence,
believing that every extension OF mercy. in
either capital or other crimes, only ,retards
progress In the cause Of penal reform by the
retention OF cruel laws which If uniformly
and Ilgidly enforced would be more speedily
abolished from the very repugnaucs which
their execution iucites.
1t is, nv dear sir, the Ynuthfulness OF these
condemned criminals that hns arrested my
attention. and SO far enlisted nv sYupathies
as to lead me thus publicly to address yon,
trusting that, in the clear light of Executive
duty. you may be enabled to commuka the
sentences OF these young men from death on
the gtbbet to Imprisonment for life. We're
there no other motives to Prompt my action
than simply asking, In behalf of these young
men, continuation Of that lease Of life which
God has given them and to which they ure
entitled by virtue Of their creation, should
have remained silent, but, there are higher
and more sacred considerations involved In
this question. fou, elr, Laye the honor Of
filling the Executive, chair of great and
prosperous state-a commonwealth ofneafly,
!! not quite two millions Of people, = very
gent. moral and upright THIS large class OF
your citizens cannot be unmindfi1l or the fact
that Capital Punishment has not accomplished
the object ior which It Has primarily instf.
t1ted-that In endeavorirg 10 preserve hulnnu
life, 1t has only engcndercd and begot the
| very crimes It has sought 10 preyelt !; that
instead OF becoming The .ropresser Of crime,
It has become the pr.,genltor Of evil.
The unconditional ahrogation of the death
peraltY has taken place IN several OF the
States Of this Union, and with the most crat-
13inS and happy results. Indeed. 60 highly
satisfactory has the experiment proven ia
the people residing therein, that there L.
scarcely possibility that capital punlahment
ELL ever again be revived where the modified
law has been 80 thoroughly tested. Michigan
abollsbcd tbs death penalty in 1916, and for
t.reniy yenrs has successfully demonstrated
that the Lives and property Of her citizens are
just as secure 1ritAouf a. trkA the 9tbbet.
Rhode Island abolished the penalty OF death
In 1852, and for fourteen years has been ridden
Of the law Of Demonstration and death, md
has never shown any evidence Of retroRres-
sion IRON the position she 20 nobly assumed.
Wlsconsln abolished the death penalty in
1855, and for sh.rteen years has discarded the
idea that life can be rendered safe only
through the judicial murder Of the criminal.
and persistent efforts. hayo been
for blood" but each and every effort has
been attended with signal aud complete fail
urc. Frequent reports from the State Prison
Commissioler ers and Inspectors OF the several
States referred to, which are In my possess
sion, besr concurrent testimony to the beuef-
crime Of murder by imprisonment rather than
death, and would here Say that tho State OF
Illinois, with but about twics the population
of Wisconsin. has far greater number OF
murders committed within her borders, ac-
eording 10 h<r population. than the State Of
Wisconsin referred to. This statement Is
made not With q view to disparage or under
rate The virtue or morality OF our sister State,
In whose prosperity and advancement feel
just pride. but simply to illustrate the lm-
portaDt fact that crnel and barharous pun
ailments, when inflicted by State, are not
the best modes Of encouraging or perpetu-
ating virtue among It's people. II tbs taking
u
termed = rirtnot 1fs elate can r,s.n,su er.l1e
in no other way than BY initiating the crime
committed, then indeed its penal code has
no other foundation except In vengelul retail
iation-
II Ia said that the punishment Of crime Is
thrsdo1d In Its nature, contemplating In Its
application thrte specific objects, first OF which
is the reformation Of the criminal secondly
the protection Of society, and thirdly, the re-
stratnt imposed upon tbs crfmtua0y inclined.
If these be the objects OF punishment, then
indeed, has the death penalty fallen far, short
Of accomplishing either one Of the objects
named, for capital punishment dtttrous with.
out reforming the criminal, while all history
proves that In securing protection to society,
or In dete1rfng the commission of crime, Its
failure has been most marked and conspfcu-
Gus. Accomplishing but little good and vast
fajury, 1t is, indeed, strange that 50 R6horrent
aa,aunishment should still be retained upon
t:, tae atute books Of many States protesting
nlgI Christian civilization. Ny theory OF
pnnlsnms~t would be summed up IN these
leW ords Penalties that do not eorlenplate
.me e,; r;|9,'eso g,, the criminal are not tsh
II Is but q te" yers since public executions
were authorized b. the laws OF Illinois.
These exhibitions Of t.7al murder. once Wit.
nesacd by Thousands, ar. now someW hat AZ.
elusive and private IN thel nature. But fow
us Ao" au4A!ttSu ~ "lluesA the ingenious
process BY which human soA is launchcd
from time into eternity. Why ne abolish-
ment Of these public spectxcles! Tle answer
Is plain: the State Of -Hllues lost Confidence
Ia the moral efficacy Of public e1ecnjons.
and by ita abolition taeiay adnaiited Its Gnurs
to minister to the moral welfare of ner
people. And yet, aiz, If the death penalty,
Is some al1eGe, Possesses q. restrnhtns in1n-
ence upon the vicious, why MT erect the
gibbet IN your public marts ard beside your
churches, that the rising Seneration may
profit by the moral lessons @hich the friends
Of the gallows claim that + incnlcatcss. But,
sir, We are al too well asare q the debaslng
executions. and what 5 true Of these public
executions Is also t't.e Of private executions,
Il the penalty Of death shall be inflicted
upon Vaaansda and Lemon, what will have
been gained or morality or Justice, The
execution ofthese young men stmE1y destroys
not the spirit which controls and makes use
Of tb,se physical organizations; neither does
thef execution blot out their crime, nor the
remembrance of It; nor does It restore the
unfortunate John Saunders to life, family, or
friends. Doeb, then. the execution Of these
Young men accomplish nothtng?, On the
evil, but no good. The gallows Is the brutal
qssailant Of public virtue and private feeling.
It disturbs The moral element Of society, by
It's assault upon the feelings Of the vlrtnous.
the sympathetic. the noble and good, while
II Whets the appetite and a1onses the bloody
The gallows essays to perpetnate virtue, and
strikes 1t down IN the self same instant. It
mocks at Christianity, By destroying the
physical Organization Of tho criminal, while
urging ita religious agents to labor for the sat.
walton Of the immortal tpirit which 1t has
just forced from ito earthly te1aeu,ent. Mdeous
spectre OF the past! Born In barbari!y. era
died In hate and nursed with blood, II has
erown giant tiend, whose power, onccgrc.t,
DOW nearly gone. IL eoon to be dlsp!lied by