White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1867-07-18
MnXfmillan.

The death penalty is the prevailing
law in the United States and Mexico.
This being the case. on whet criminals
shall this law be executed? =? Shall OBJ
scure culprits taste ths bitterness of bit.
ter fate. and illustrious offenders 60 free ?
Shall 4. erea. nation. in melting out tho
spuu;.bment of death, say to the world,
THE murderer Of a mau shall be hung :
but the assassin Of Q nation shall be par.l
doned 2"
The tvo greatest criminals Of the 18th
century have been Jefferson Davis and
Ma,;mili.u. The one was guilty Of trss-
son against his own country: the other,
of usnrps pstion over an alien people. If it
is ever iusti6abls to punish any criminal
with death, the American government
oueht to have executed Jefferson Davis.
as the Mexican government has executed
Maximilisn. The only vindication pos
sible to the American government for Its
release of Jefftr on Davis is a consistent
policy by the government in future. OF
non- punishment Of any and all criminals
BY death. The escape Of Jefferson Davis
ought. ipso faeto. to abolish the death
penalty forever from the republic. Since
the greatest of the American criminals
has gone free, then hereafter. while time
shall last. let no other and lesser wretch
ever suffer death.
We deprecate in Mexico. as in Ameri-
cs. ,hs taking Of life by the State. We
believe that. morally speaking. 40 Gov
ernment on earth has right to stretch a
mans neck from a cross beam. or to
shoot at his Heart in a pnblic square.
But. such being the law of Mexico. if any
man under it has ever proved himself en-
titled to feel its edge. that man was Max
imilian. II the Msxicsns were justified
in hanging or shooting any criminal,
they are justified in the execution Of Max
imIlisu. Not a villain now lying in any
dungeon in Vera Cruz. for whom the
laws halter ia now waiting. could eveI
r have been justly hung in Mexico il Max
imilian had been psrdoned. A-
This ambitious foreigner was no douh
an accomplished and smiable gentleman
he was shot for being q brigsnd. q Gill
buster. q pirate. a usurper. despot. HI
, was an alien who entered Mexico with al
invading army. and sought Herewith t.
: overthrow the Mexican Republic. and OF
its ruin erect an empire. The crime whicl
l. he committed against Mexico was just a
. heinons as If he had attempted j, agsins
: the United States or Canada. We al
I nit that, if his villainy bad been perpe
/ trated against our government, he woul'
probably hare been 5ailed but it it ha'
e been against Canada. he would probehl
e have been blown. like o Sepoy, from tb
l. mouth Of a gun. T
d If General Washington had any rigt
It to hang Major Andre. the Mexican gov
If eminent had ten Thousand times MOI
l. right to shoot Maximilisn.
e The crack OF The ten rifles which uttel
N ed this Austrisn's death warrant. an
ID which, we hope. has forever put an en-
l. {, th, "divins righ. of kings" on th
l. continent. is neelful proclamation t
e the Old World that crowned heuis Al
(, iotrnders on North American so'l an
.e that foreign bayone,s. poin'el ag,nst
:, North American peopls. Shsll bs thru
,r back in the bo>oms of those that bs
,o them hither.
q The army of Maximilian ..esprvai 81
feat and its leaders deserved desii
=, Sic semper tyrannis. s.-New York Ind.
:. pendent.