The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-23
The Death Penalty.

to expel summary from itself every IndlVidu-
al that endangers its security. Because
man may not kill himself, it does not follow
that AUST government may not lawfully n"
him. He owes his industry, his talents po'. y
society and his own family, and there are -.
ties which be has no right to shirk Du' -.
free to confess that when man mas 'o,
ted crime. the lust punishment Oh wnich Is
death. I see no reason why he may not With
ont infrncing any principle of human justice
antic;rata the sentence of the law, and take
his own life. nor could I ever understand either
the humanity or policy of guarding criminals
awaiting execution from suicide. tn..s
But to return to the right of taking human
life. maintain that it is right everywhere
assumed and conceded not only as to ORGANIC
ed governments, but as to i,,diuiduals Rather
than permit the peaceable disintegration of
this republic, our government backed by the
hearty support OF its citizens, called into the
neid to engage in war, two and half millions
OF men, and put at least one and half mil
hon Of these into the peril of battle. 1t makes
no difference that the most of these men were
volunteers either from motives of patriotism or
gain Behind the operation of these motives
we had our perfect machinery of compelling
it was necessary. When men are put into
war like that it is meant that large percent
age of them shall be Killed. We do not devote
to death any particular man or mothers son,
but clearly we assert the right to take the life
ofnaany mothers sons to accomplish an end we
consider more important than the preservation
of those lives. We effected our object, and the
nation went wild with joy and all the world
applauded our success at cost of 100000 lives
OF the elite Of our population. a 5asf r4
The countrymen of Becccria deliberately en-
hndled and commenced war last year to
bring under their political control frontier
province, and devoted an indefinite number of
Italian lives to effect this object. They thought
the freedom of Italy worth a hundred thou
sand lives, and SO it is. Other wars for less
sacred and necessary objects have been engag-
in with the sanction of the best moralists, and
Of the public sentiment of the civilized world
The right of staying in defence of our own
life suddenly endangered is everywhere recog-
nized, and every well-kept house in the State
has its armament of deadly weapons, to shoot
and kill the midnight burglar who only imper-
lis our property. 81 s.li u-. aasf,l
In every department of human service men
every day deliberately determine to sacrifice
their lives TO the achievement for which they
have been principally living. Sagacious ply
sicians, sympathetic friends, dependent rela-
tives say to the missionaries of religion or
science, the Henry Martyrs, the Judsons, the
Mungo Parks, the Livingstons, the Kanes, ii
you visit these inhospitable regions, if you
tempt these sultry or arctic climates, the
chances are two to one that you will lose your
lives; it is certain that you will shorten them
They take the chances and pursue their work
No one looks upon them as suicides but as
having made the best use of a short life The
sagacious physician does not practice his own
prudence. AT fifty years of age he discovers
that severe study, long and cold rides, irregular
and restricted sleep will bring him to his grave
in five years; but his enthusiasm is excited
ms habits are formed, his career with all its
dangers has been chosen, his patients have
claims upon him that he cannot resist and be
goes on to his foreseen doom. There are thou-
sands of men, who in the enthusiasm of mr.
suing some art or science, achieving some
work, developing some invention or attesting
some truth are called upon to estimate the
value Of their own lives, and to learn that
there are many things for which it nav not |
This excessive estimate of mere human lift .
which Mr.. Wendell Phillips says SO much to en-
nance, is not noble nor Christian sentiment
1t was strong in that earliest dramatic imperson-
alton OF evil introduced in the book of job and
never more sneeringly expressed than in the |
words, "AH Mdfa man has acU he giue for his |
ye. 1t was feeble in Jesus who claimed the
right to lay down his own life, and said: lie
that toseth has life for my sake shall find it, 1t I
is not sentiment that makes good patriots or
good Christians, or chivalric and high-minded
men.
Ihe special preciOusness of human life is not |
taught, nay, it is most roughly and terribly un-
taught by nature, but in this letter cannot
unfold that view, for / want to answer speci-
nc argument upon the improperly of the death
penalty. 9 aH .hsfndg sli See st1s.4atl |
g The abrogation of the death penalty in Tns-
cany in fifty years SO far lessened the number
of crimes that the prisons became almost empty.
am not prepared with information to contra
dict this assertion. The citation is conveniently
remote. If the fact be as claimed, then shoula
say that an eject had been gratuitously assumed
to be cause. The midness of the Tuscan man
ners led to the abolition or the death penalty;
the same mildness of manners lessened the |
number of crimes. A highly refined people to
whom death by violence, the paraphernalia of |
public execution are repugnant, and who SO |
compel the abolition of the death penalty, from
the same Observation-Disclosures pervading socie- |
ty, abstain from crimes of violence, shudder at |
blood, and become unused to deadly weapons.
AT the same time the influence of abolishinp
the death penalty npon the small percentage of
persons capable of murder might be to take
away ene motive and SO increase the instances
of its occurrence. .a sIqhI .a 3iblta.
.i7 In England men were once hanged for stealing
the value OF a shilling 1t will hardly be claim
ed that stealing in England has grown rare be-
cause it is now punished by short imprison-
ment, but stealing has lessened because the ma
ton has grown in culture and civilization and |
the better sentiments of the people can now be
trusted without being reinforced by the sever
est punishment. af-t fA ...l -sI
Certainly, we should hesitate gravely before
concluding that the mere lessening of the Sc
verify of the punishment, tends of itself to less
en- the frequency of crimes. Our jurists and
legislatures are proceeding upon the very oppo-
site conclusion. When smuggling increases
tines and torfeitures are added. The temper
ance men have found that men will sell rum
though fined for each offence $780, It is not
proposed to lower the fine to $50, but to add
imprisonment. . sIl 5s4 yii5 .Hl... ... Ill, |
But not to go as far as Tuscany for illustra-
ton, suppose We stay at home and ask what
the effect OF the practical abolition of capital
punishment has been in Maine After the
separation. for thirty years, while there was
reasonable probability that every murderer
would be hung, murders were rare, occurring
over the whole State, only once OF twice in
period Of three years Il speak from no statis-
ticsl. The very day your article appeared
ihere We're four murder trials progressing in
our neighboring county of York, two murders
OF hendish and almost incredible atrocity had
JUST begun to be investigated in our neighbor-
ing county OF Androscoggin, and one fresh
to hand had occurred in our very streets. |
% So" 4.s4i-'' 'i'i j.. ''1''' 3'n5 ae k.
EXECUTIVE SEssIoE.--Among the nomina.
tions acted upon by the Senate on THURSDAY
were the following; er ..............'.,.' :
Diplomatic Corps-Joh Legs was confirm
ed as Minister to Liberia, and e. L. Plumb was
confirmed as Secretary of Legation to Mexico.
Edgar Cowan, Minister to Austria, and Hugh
Ewing, Minister to Hayti, were rejected