The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-05

THE CASH or Joseph Brown, executed
q few days since for the murder Of his
child, at Canaan, New York, rensws,
for the ihouaandth time, Che inquiry
whether many persons whose lives ne
aiken away BY tho law are mot Tie yic.
Tins Of legalmurdef. Btowndeciatfd
his innocence on the scafold, and in a
written statement which be made be
says.-
IN regard 10 this crime, / am not
guilty / know nothing Of Its commits
sion, believe the death OF the child
was purely accidental; am not guilty
OF the cfime OF murder, neither nm 4
guilty Of settling IRE 10 the building.
This statement is true, and make IL
with consciousness that / am soon To
answer Ut the bar on my Maker for Mi
the deeds done In this life. This state.
ment 10 the only one that have made
as my dying declaration.
II Is not easy TO believe tina. human
being would be willing to face the real.
tiles Of death with falsehood on his
lips. We cannot conceive a motive
that would be strong enough TO sustain
such deception in that dreadful hour,
when life, with oil It's objects, its loves
and hates, Is about fading from the
sight, and the whole soul must
be absorbed with thoughts Of the here.
after so near at hand. Yet cases like
this are constantly occurring, where
mems liyps are taken away because
under the forms OF y human and falll.
BILE law they have been pronounced
guilty ofmurder, and they die protest.
Ing their innocence with their latest
breath. It was but a few weeks ago
that a man was executed under these
circumstances at York, Pennsylvania.
whatare we 10 believe In such cases
There have been hundreds OF well NJ. .
thenticated cases where the Innocence
OF persons executed has afterwards
been established. How many limo.
cent persons are executed where the
truth never comes out, and after their
death never camp A murder under any
circumstances is a terrible thing. Bot
is IL any less dreadful when deliberate
~ done in cool blood by the officer Of n
cruel and undiscrlmlnating laws
Arguments In favor OF the abolIsii..
ment OF capital punlshment, are not
lacking among wise and humane men.
The brutallxlng effect of executions on
the public mind cannot be doubted;
and this is one Of the strongest Of prac-
teal arguments on the subject. There
are others that belong more appropri-
ately to the realm OF moral philosophy.
us whether one murder by I'm indi-
vidual jusliRes a retaliatory murder
by the law, or whether there is any
more moral right in community than
there Is in nny member OF II, to take
away life which only the Creator can
give. But with those who accept the
Mosaic law, the strongest reason
against the inhiction OF capital punish
ment must be that It leaves room for
dreadful mistakes by which innocent
persons are murdered by the State.
These are mistakes that never can be
rectlded; and any law under which
they are possible is defective. Leaving
out OF view the moral question whether
society has right 10 do more than
protect itself, is 1t not better TO imprls.
on men charged With murder than 10
hang them? A wise man said "lhe
worst use you can put man 10 is to
hang him." Imprisonment for life pro-
tects society sgalnst real murderer
as efIectually as his death. 1t leaves
the question Of his guilt or innocence
open, SO that If bis Innocence can ever
be established, he has the benefit OF 1t;
which he cannot have If he has been
hanged. 1t allows him lifetime for
repentencei and under a Judlclous sys.
ten his labor might be made TO 20 a
good ways towards repairing the In
jury done by him to the friends of his
victim and 10 society.
We refer to this subject because we
think 1t one that ought to be dis.
cussed by the press and by our leg.
lslators. Its question that presses
itself more and more every year on
public attention. 1t Is one that must
continue to demand more attention as
the public mind becomes more enlight-
ened and humane. Sooner or later the
practice of executing criminals must
cease, and we believe the sooner the
better. Our legislators have assembled
here to enact into permanent shape
our statutes on this and all other sub.
iects. We suggest whether our State
Is not sufficiently advanced on the
plane Of humanity 10 devise a better
use for criminals than siransling tn EN-.
--SsS--
Is RlTcHIE COUNTY thu rebel Democ.
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