New-York tribune., 1867-06-28
LNVOILABILITY or HUMAN LIFE.


VICTOR nUGos PROTEST AGAINST THE DEATH PEN
Atty ~ ...
In 1851, the eldest son of NJ. Victor Hugo was
arraigned before the Court of Assizes for hav-
ing protested, in the journal lie EOeaement,
against an execution that had been accomplished
with horrible details M. Victor Hugo wrote
to the President Of Assizes:
"Mr PRESIDENT My son, Charles Hugo, has been cited
10 appear Tuesday June TO- before the Court OF Asst
zes presided over by you upon the charge OF an %
upon the respect que 70 te IN eapn M Frda 70 am prec
tor of lie Ereeme has been cited at the same time with
Mr. Erau has selected for his advocate Mr. CremIeuxe
My son wishes be defended by and wish to defend
him In view OF the provisions o AI 20 oi g Iog1 H
Receive, Mr. President, the assurance of my dstin
June 5, 1851 VICTOR HUGo'
He received the following answer:
"sm In answer to the request that you have addressed
fend your son. PARTARRIEU LARossE,
President Of the Court OF Assizes"
The following is the pleading of NJ Victor
Hugo, which has not been published in his
Complete Works:
Gentlemen Of the Jury, there is, in what may be
called the old European Code Ia law that ior more
all true statesmen, have desired TO eiace from the
remarkable book Of universal legislation; law that
has declared abomnable, without that any proseeu-
ton have been brought against either Beccaria or
Franklin law that particularly weighing upon that
portion of the people still oppressed by Ignorance
and misery il odious TO democracy, but that Is not
less repelled by intelligent conservatives; law OF
which Louis Philippe-whom | shall never name
without therespcct dne 10 age to misfortune and 10
a tomb in exile-a law Of which Louis Philippe SAID:
hare deested all my We;" law against which Al.
De Brogie has written against which N. Gulzot has
written a law the abrogatiOn of which the Chamber
of Deputies demanded by acclamation twenty years
ago. in the month of October, 1870, and that az tne
same period the half savage Parliament o1 Otanelte
banishcd from its codes; law that the Assembly OF
Frankfort abolished three years ago, ana that was
maintained in the Constitution OF 1913 Only WIN te
most painful ndecision, and the most poignant re-
pugnancc; a law that at the hour when am speak.
ing is under the pressure Of two propositions OF
abolition on the legislative table; law, hnaLy, OF
which Tuscany will have naught, OF which Russia
will have nangbt, and Of which it is time that
France should wish naught; that law before which
the human conscience shrinks with an anxiety every
day more profound; it is the death penalty!
Well gentlemen it IS that law that causes to-day
this trial; il is our adversary; l am sofIy LOT ihe
honorable Adyocate-Gcneral, but perceive IL DC
hind him.
Twill confess that for 20 years, I thought-and
who speak have so stated in pages that could read
10 you'll thought. my Godl with N; Leon fancneri
who in lt:G wrote in the Rerie de IGrts thus
quote The scaflold no longer appears IN puDllc
places but at intervals, and as spectacle that
Justice is ashamed to exhibit" tn9ugh' say .aS @
the guilotne since we must call u by ITS name was
beginning TO do Justice TO itself that II felt Itself re-
buked and had resolved accordingly. IL had re-
nouncct the Place dc Gr6re the open sun, the crowd;
n was no longer cried in the streets il longer
announced ns spectacle; 1t bad brought itselt 10
making it, examples as secretly rs possible, away
from the light of day, BdlT6p SAINT Jacques III q ae
s,rtcd place before no one. II seemed TO me that II
began To court cOncealment, and lcohgratula'eo ~
upon that sentiment ol shame ,s NJ -,
We'll Gentlemen ! deceived myselfi NJ; Leon
Fanher deceived himself. IL has recovered % Io'n
that filse shame. The guilotine feels that l5 lsa
ArA bo wal dreams.
The ISiIre Saint Jacqve. is fall from its preroga
tive Perhaps we shall see II some day reappeaf
upon the Place de Grte at midday, IN the mldst OF
the multtudes with its cortege OF eXeenuohels. OF
a. %Id 6 9d PaSTf T SlGt Tom Which Te day. the
alth February the people had the insolence TO assam
and mutilate itl . x -, ~.
society shak en- needs for recuperalon 10 return TO
all ITS old traditions and u Is an Old tiadltlon Al
protests against those deelalmlng demagoEues VINO
aro called Bcccaria Vico, Filangeri, Montesquieu,
Turput Franklin, who are called LOuis Philippe VINO
are called Brogo and Guizot, and who dare to think
and to say that machine 70 CUT on ITn, he1 H -
II is indignant against those nnarchlcal utoplans
and after its most fearful and bloody days II seeks
admiration! 10 eXacts respect! or ii not ~
itself insulted and brings Its action OF damages
IL has had blood; that is not enough; IL must nave
fine and imprisonment -, .L
brought TO my house for my son. thus stamped paper
this citation for this unqualihable trial5We SEQ
strange things in these times, ana we shoulu "Gt"s %
tom ourselves 10 them-well, shall confess " 10
Won | WAS struck with stupor. 1 sald 10 lhyseA
What have come TO tins
What by dint of encr0achnents upon goou Sense,
unon reason upon freedom of thought, upon natural
right it has come TO this that they demand Ol
ms not only material TeSpect-for that IL not CON-
tested we owe il and we pay lt-Out moral respect
for those penalties that open abysses IN our con-
sciences that blanche the cheeks OF all who thlnK OF
them that religion abhOrs db6OrTef sdRgI'hei loI
those penalties that dare to be lrreparabe knoWlhg
that t6ey may bc blind for those penalties that ulp
the finger in human blood 10 Wrile inc colhul'llJi
ment Thou shalt not kill for those implons penal
ties that make us doubt of humanity wheh lne4
strike the guilty, and that make us doupt OF %vu @
when they strike the innocent! MOI no. mo- "o
have not come 10 that MOI =. -, . so,- u
to Won Gentlemen of the jury and you VIII UNDER
stand how deep must have been by em0tion-the Ieal
culprit in this matter If there be cuprlt Is not NY
The real culprit insist upon it, is ], who for p
years have cOmbated irreparable penaitles IN az
their forms who for % years nave Goiciea it up0"
every occasion the inyioabihty OF human liIe. -
That crime-the defense of the lnvlolaDlhty Oh hu-
man lile-l committed it long before my son, mueh
more than my s0n-l accuse myself MI huNoca1c n-
General have committed 1t with all tdle agra
yutiug circumstances, with premedllatloh, Win le-
nacity, with recidivation ut,
Yes | declare it. that remnant or savage penaltlesl
that old and uninteligibe law of TALON that law 9i
blood for blood | have conlbated IL an my hieLan
my life, Gentlemen of the Jury-and 50 long ~ oHeie
shall remain breath in my bosom, WIZ compat ~
with all my efforts as writer, with all my aetS anu
all my votes as legislator, declare III lM. Nlclor
Hugo extended his arm and pointed 10 tDe linagy VI
Christ Mt the end of the courtroom above inc lDu-
nall before that victim of the death penalty VINO Is
there who looks upon us, and who hears us
swear it before that gibbet where, Two tnousanu
wears ago for the eternal instruction OF the genera
tions the human law nailed the law divine!
What my son wrote, he wrote, repeat, because !
insnired him with il from his infancyi because as
the same timo that he is my son in the flesh he Is my
son i'm the spirit because he wishes TO continue tne
traditions of his father. 10 continue the tTaal,Sns