The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-07-25
Capital Punishment.

Capital Punishment.
Four Chinese coolies, who were tried on Maui
last month for murder committed under the most
aggrayating circumstances, will be hung at the
state prison in this city on the 9TH of August next,
should the pardoning power not intervene in their
behalf. The frequency with which murders have
of late years been perpetrated ON these islands
shows the necessity of this stern penalty of the
law. There are some who affect to have n horror
of capital punishment, who, had the ofiense been
committed against those of their own blood and
family, would doubtless deem the severity of the
law none too great.
In several European countries during the past
two or three years, unusually vigorous efforts
have been made, by well-meaning persons, to Sc
cure the abolition of capital punishment. Mon
ster petitions have been signed in France and
Italy, praying the Legislatures to seriously re-
solve to abolish - the barbarous practice of blood
she'd as 80 of no benefit. but rather demoralizing,
both in regard to criminals and the community
generally" 1t is not surprising that in this age
of feyerish activity and reform, this question should
enjoy the honor of being disputed, and acquiring
the dignity of being a bone OF contention between
the pros and cons.
In all the great centres of European ciyiliza-
ton, We see the same want of faith in established
order. In religion, we find Renan and Colenso,
one challenging the very authenticity OF the BIZ
BILE, and the opposite party claiming a divine YER
bal inspiration of the same. In literature, Car
Isle believes in Goethe and Richter, while the
purists detest his jargon of Rant and Spinosa.
So too, in law and government. the more ancient
the ordinance or institution, the more certain is
/. o - G-l 1000. x-ln roa1, ~ .Ia.la y. .t
ssuseless, barbarous, and unfit for our present
advanced civilization" An appeal to the expo
rience of past ages is booted down Us rank bigo-
try, and unlucky would be the public man who
should venture to stand alone without joining the
majority, or Mt least n strong minority, for in
that case he would not escape being pelted with
the foulest abuse, from both parties. Of course
the agitators of this reform, like all other agita-
tors, present their monster petitions to the
legal authorities in Europe, and thus hope to gain
the attention of the lawmakers.
With all due Difference to those who may think
otherwise, We do not think that the law proposes
to punish by death in any spirit of rerenge upon
the unhappy felon; and we are surprised that
they should maintain that the commission of
one murder cannot be recalled by another" No
government ever thought it did. As we take it,
the simple end of capital, and ali punishment, is
to produce reformation on the part of the Grim
iral, and, above all, to deter others from bccom-
ing criminals. These ends, say the opponents,
are not obtained by capital punishment. If they
are not, we can suggest no earthly remedy for
such cities as Paris, London and Turin; for GER
tainly perpetual Imprisonment is not so terrible a
barrier for the protection of the honest and law
abiding as an ignominious death.
Unfortunately in all large centres of trade,
there are not wanting u low rubble of cowardly
ruffians, nearly all their time half insane with
liquor, ever ready for, what they term, ga row.
or in fact any outrage upon society. They uni
versally carry arms concealed about the person,
and human lives arc thus often sacrificed through
the objectionable violence of these scoundrels.
On the other hand, human life is held 50 sacred
by all enlightened powers, that the sovereign, the
legislature, the tribunals and myrmidons of the
law, all put together, cannot take the life of the
most hardened criminal, possible to be conceived
of, unarares. No, enormous expense and pains
must be taken, and every privilege given to him
that he asks, before the criminal can be deprived
of life.
All this is as it should bottle court of justice
should be the sanctuary Of the innocent as well as
The terror Of The eri door. The insulted and vio-
lated law should eract terrible penalties for terrible
crimes.
There are minds so base, so lost to all other
considerations, that they can be reached alone but
by fear. And it is for them that these laws are
made and while the ferocious, brutal crime of
murder continues to be known, we hope the
:. barbarous /" institution of capital punishment
will take prompt and swift retribution upon the
perpetrators. UtOpias are nice things, no doubt,
for assassination is unknown in those unexcep-
tionable localities. But so long as there arc men
so depraved as wilfully to commit murder, So long
as there are cold-blooded assassinations in defiance
of law, so long should the scafiold still hold its
place, as the most efficient protector of the rights
of society against those who outlaw Themselves to
all public sympathy.