The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-12

PORTLAND.
Friday Morning, February l2, 1855.
Suicide and Oapi.aI p..,..-

/
81 Suicide and Capital Pani.hme.,-
MR.. EDIToR,-When wrote nv prev;o,,s
article, did not know that T. to whose az,
Gle referred was one of the most distinpuisb-
ed members of the legal profession, sustain
ing such relation to the National Judiciary
as to incline him naturally to look with both
eyes on the government side in all criminal
cases and of course did not anticipate the
summoning of the ancient Hebrews, Egyp-
tians, Greeks and Romans, to decide whether
people have right to commit suicide. Ac.
cording to their ethical notions, suicide was
in some cases not only excusable Lbut honor
able. These are his witnesses, and of course
have the right to cross question them on
their ethics, which he regards as mainly
sound. Yes, they claimed the right not only
to kill themselves and murderers and witches
but prisoners of war as well, men. women and
'ni,uren' OF 10 hold them as slaves. True, the
soldiers were sometimes allowed, nay requir
ed to spare all the virgins captured in war
ior tnelr own use. And human sacrifices
| were deemed acceptable offerings to some of
1neir gods. Halcyon days those, when the
ministers OF justice III were not troubled
| Win constitutions, or radical questions about
abstract principles and the rights of the peo-
pie, or morbid sympathy for criminals. But
ever SINCE the greatest and best teacher of the
race IN utter disregard of the ethics and laws
| OF the ancients, spared convicted criminal.
bidding her go in peace, instead of delivering
her to the constituted authorities to be stoned
to death; and dared to impart friendly in
struction instead of condemnation to another
woman who he knew was living in open yio-
iatlon OF the laws Of wedlock; all christendom
mas been slightly tinctured, at different pc
rods, with "a sckly sentimentalism," 10
winch the Governor finds it necessary to adj
minister sharp rebuke, according to Your CO.
temporary, the Advocate of Zion, which
seems also to be fighting it out on that line.
believe, with T., that the harsh Judgment
OF the suicide, which prevailed in the middle
ages, has given place to considerate pity and |
regret. And has not the murderer some
claim for considerate pity? Not on account
OF the severity of the law, merely, that is
comparatively small matter But that, .by |
bis own fatal choice, or that of others. he |
has been brought into condition to commit |
murder. For consider that he inflicts a far |
deeper injury upon himself than he can upon
his victim. This affects the body and is tran
sient, that pierces the immortal soul and is
enduring. There is court of justice in per-
petual session in the inner temple Of his soul
as in all others where every act, and word.
and thought are registered and their under
lying motives weighed with precision uu. |
known in human jurisprudence and its decis-
ions are final. y w
But L. says 'if 1t lsuicide1 is prohibited by |
any other law THAN instinct it is a law
which has no sanction, and from the nature |
OF the case has no punishment" Is there
not law with suitable sanction that saws
Thou shalt do no murder?" Is not suicide
murder as much as fratricidep But .it has
no punishment" Does the suicides con-
science die with the body9 Does that high
est OF all courts lose jurisdiction at the death
OF the body ?aE a8 zcl1A srss y, asrq7zq
Could We so tar peer through the grosser
external senses as to gain some foregIeams |
OF the record of that court, think we |
should oftener hear still, small voice issu-
ing therefrom, "Let him that is without sin. |
of omission or commission, cast the first
stones" and that portion of the righteous
indignation SO freely dispensed to Others |
would be reserved for home consumption.
and the world would be the better for it.
A word more in regard to my admission
which L. says surrendered the whole arpu- |
ment. Not intending to touch the question |
of non-resistance which is no part of the
subject under consideration, my former
article read thus: 81 know lit is claimedl
| that the right to life, inherent in the
individual implies the right 10 defend that
life, even by striking down the assassin, &c.
But IN copying it for the Press, accident
ally omitted the words above in brackets. /
regret the omission; but reading it either
way 1t seems to me that his assertion that II
surrrenders the whole argument. is tanta.
mount to an admission that there is in his
Judgment no difference in principle between
preventing a murder by striking down the
assassin in the act, and killing him after he
Is efectually secured. But he asks, aHow Sc
cured 7" Do not murderers sometimes kill
their keepers?" Yes, and so do other pris-
oners, and why not hang them all? Could
man imprisoned for murder have any strong
er inducenent to kill his keeper, than he
would if imprisoned for assault with intent
4 to kill, having failed to complete his murder
GUS design? if
4 The truth is all this talk about the necessi-
ty of hanging actual murderers only, on the
plea that they cannot be so secured as to pre-
vent their hunting somebody, to borrow a
homely phrase, is all bosh. That plea was
born in one of the lower rooms of the brain
and its proper name is retaliation. It was
begotten of that spirit, SO largely in the as
cendant during the infancy and childhood of
the race, that clamored for blood, demanding
an eye for an eye and tooth, and worship
ing gods of vengeance, not knowing and not
able to appreciate or conceive Of any other.
And think it becomes us OF the 10th CEN
tury to be cautious about accepting the ethics
OF such an age, as authority, in settling ques-
tions of vast importance, sound though they
doubtless were on many subjects. Eff.
| PORTLAND. seo0r 40 7.
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