New-York tribune., 1867-06-28

with the hot iron tho law; there is lacking
respect for the hot iron. The guill0tine is the law
Wen, 1t is true admit there is lacking respect for
the guotne. - -"'
Do you know why, Mr.. Advocate General win
tell you. IL ls because would throw the OuilIo-
tine into that gulf of execraton into which have al
ready fallen, to the applause of the human race III.
hot irOn the cutting Oft of hands the torture and fhe
Inquisltfon. 1t is because wOuld Danish from ths
august and luminous sanctuary of justice that sinjs
ter object that Is enough TO ill it with horror and
darkness, the eXecutloner. All and because we wish
that we could cOilvuse society ALI yes, it is true,
we are very dangerous men 1--WE wish TO suppress The
guillOtine! II is monstrOus
Gentlemen of the Jury. you are sovereign citizens
Of free nation and. without ignoring the nature ~
this trial. 1t is privilege and duty TO speak to Won
as to men OF political existence. Well reflect upon
1t, and since we are passing revolutionary times
draw your inferences from what shall say IL Ioni.
xvi had abolished the death penalty as he abolished
the torture his head would not have fallen 93
would have been dsarmed Of the coupeet there
would have been one bloody page the less in history,
the fatal date of January 2S would not have BEEN
For who, III the face Of public conscience, in the
rebuild the scaflold for the King, for the man Of
whom itcould be said it was he that overthrow iti
The editor of EreRement is accused of having lacked
tie death penalty GentIemen let US exaIt rS,
little beyond a controversable text; let us exat
ourselves to that which is tie foundation of all leg
lslati0n TO that tribunal in the heart OF When
Servan-who was Acknowledgement, nevertheless
when SeTyan affixed upon the criminal laws of his
time this memorable brand Our penal idics opea ali
the issues for the accusation and close Redr[g al Tor ~
dccBSe when VOltaire thus characterized the Judges
of Calais oh do not speak peof those judges kdD
monkeys and hdD tigers! When Chateaubrisnd, In
the COnsGrdtelr, called the law of double vote a
foolish and guilty lape when Roger-Collard, openly
in the Chamber of Deputies, in allusOn to forget
what law of censure, uttered this celebrated cry
you pass that lao suedr 10 disobey IL! When those
legislators when those magistrates when those great
philosophers, when those mighty spirits when those
men, llqstTious and venerable spoke thus what did
theyf Did they lack respect for the local and exist
nglaw9 1t is possiblef The Advocate General says
am ignorant of the fact. But this know--that
they were the religious echoes of the law of laws the
universal conscience. Did they offend justice the
Justice of their day, the transifory and faIbe us
tice know not but, this know, that they pro-
claimed the justice that is eternal rf.- -
1t is true, that, in our time-they have been
gracious enough 10 say so, IN the bosom even OF the
National Assembly-they would arraign judicaliy
the atheist Voltaire, the immoral Moere the obscure
LaFOntaine the demagogue Jean Jacques Rousseauf
That is what is thonght that is what is confessed il
is to that that have come. You will appreciate,
Gentlemen Of the Jury.
law TO criticise it severely, and particularly, and
above all the penal law, that can so easily be i'm
pressed with the customs Of barbarism this right TO
criicise, that goes side by side with the duty to
ameOrate like the lamp beside the labor to be done
that right of the author not less sacred than the
right of the iegisl latOr-that necessary rght-that
imprescritbe right--you will acknowledge it In
your verdict, you will acquit the accused.
But the public prosecutor in his second argument,
pretends that the criticism OF DErenenent went TOO
far, was too severe. Ali truly, Gentlemen of the
Jury the facts that provoked this pretended oenso
with which they dare to reproach the editor OK
LErfnmeat-those. appalling facts, approach them.
look at them closely.
What! q man a condemned, a miserable man. is
dragged one morning to one Of our public places
There he finds the seafiold He revolts he strnggies
be refuses to die. lie still young scarcely ~ years
Of age.
Good Lord know what you viii tell me: He 70
an assassin But listenl Two executloners seize
a,.II I,a hA ahaa
away the two exccutioners. A terrible struggle en-
sues The Condemned tbTusts bis feet through the
rounds of the patbulary ladder; he uses the scaoid
against tho scaiOld. The struggle continues. Hor.
rOr peryades the crowd. The executiOners. with
sweat and shame on their brows pale, painting, ter
rifed, desperate-desperate with know not whae
lie repTObatien that should content itself
with condemning the death penalty ana THAI
is wrong in assaIling the irresponsible instrument
the executoners' strain with savage Efforts; the
prisoner clutches the scafiod and begs for mercy bs
clothing is torn off, his naked shoulders are
bleedIng still he ressts AT tas5 a aIler s ,nLes
a gesture of denial, NJ Hugo resumesh they
cavil with us the minutes-5 minutes If you VIII
OF that monstrOus effort, OF that spectacle Wlthous
name of that agony-agOny for al do you under
stand-agony for the populaee there as wen rs fof
the condcmned-after that century OF anguish.
Gentlemen Of the Jury, they take the miserable
wretch back 70 prison. 1he people breathe agaln
the people with their preJudices OF old humanity and
tliat are nercifnl because sovereign the peCP,s s
ffEf
p1iIlotinc is conquered but remains still there 10
remains there all day long, in the midst OF horror
strickea population. And at night they OBTAIN re-
enforcement Of executioners they blRd and shackle
The man so that he is more than an inert mass,
and in the darkness, they carry hun again 10 the me
public place, weeping, shileklhg, 1asghui al
bloody, begging for life, calling upon God, ealing
pon his father and his mother Tor before death thas
man had become a child again ,
They hoist him upon the scaffold and his head
falls r., -, .o,,-
And then shuddering comes from every con-
science never had legal homicide appeared WIN noie
cynicism and abOmlnatlon; each one Ieels 50 10 oy
identified with that mounful scene each one iee4s
within himself that which would Do eXpefenceI III
seeing in France at midday, civilization lsuteu oy
barbasm 1t is IN that moment thas cIy JSUnPs SnPpss
from the bosom of young man, from ms lnmoss
being from his heart, from his SOUL cry OF ply,
cry of anguish a cry of humanity; and that cry You
would punish And in the presence OF the appahlng
facts that have placed before your eyes, you Wou9
say 10 the guillotine: You right! and you wouid
say TO pity to holy pity; You are wrong!
THAT il not possible Gentlemen OF the yuryl Looa
vo, MIR Advocate General say it without bitter
ness YOU defend not good cause. lu VAIN your IL
forts; you wage an unequal conflict against te sP
of civilization against softened sentnneh' agahss
nroeress You have against you the Innate resist,
ance OF the heart of man; you have against you a.
the principles beneath whose influence rance pt
ON and makes the world TO speed; the iuNlolaolhy
of human life, fraternity for the Ignorant elass9%
the dogma of amelioration that takes the pace 9i INC
dogma of yengeaneel You have against you al tl'
enightens reason all that yibratos IN the SOUL Pnl
Iosonhv as we'll as religion on side loltaire on
tbe ot3er Jesus Christ In vain your efforts tDat
appalling service that the scafold pretends TO Tend
t6 society society at heart holds in horror and rep
dates In vain your efforts in vain the efforts OF ING
nartisans of Capital Punishment; and you see that
do not confound society with them; IN VAIN tne ei,
forts of the partsans of Capital PuniShIment tnes
cannot inspire with innocence the OLD penalty =,
talon they cannot cleanse those hideous texts upon
which has flowed so many ages the blood oI huinAN
beings slaughtered upon the Scalioid. 80 .bo "a.
cipient to-day of great honor you have been JudgeS
worthy TO do battle suier perhaps Tor the
cause of truth From this day you enter upon ~ ~
trn irile life of our times that is TO say INTO NV
battle for the Just and the true: BE proud, you "ng |
are but simple soldier of the idea OF buihali' rh %