Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-03-25

coolest moments and when free from all
passion, dries Amen. 1t does this prior to
the commission OF the crime, as surely as
under the excitement OF Indignation at an
actual mur der,
Sundry reflections on this subject passed
through our mind, lately, as we looked at
the cells in the Michigan State Prison built
for the solitary confinement of nnrderers.
They were small asa are al prison cells,
and had very high window, whose open
ing slanted upward, SO that patch of sky
could be discerned, but not an inch of
earth. Here, afer sentence, the murderer
was permanently immured, seeing only an
officer, shut in with his Own conscience,
and time passed in terrible menstony, till
the days of the week were forgotten, and
oftentimes the man became idiotic or in
sane. This was the tender and humane
substitute for hanging provided by senti>
mental reformers. OF late, however, op-
pertunity to work has been accorded this
class of criminals. We gazed into the
cells, heard the sad story of the experience
connected with them, and raised this que>
ry: Why did these would>be philanthro>
pists protest gainst capital punishment,
and substitute this solitary confinement
for life? and we sought thus for an an
swer: - -
Was it to diminish the agony of the
suffering criminal? They increased
it many fold. They gave years of
suffering in the place of a few moments
Was it to reform and save man for the
future use ofthe community, according to
the oft repeated saying, that the
worst use you can put man to is to hang
him?' But they sentenced him to solitary
confinement fer life, so that he could he
of no use TO any body, more than if he
were in his grave, while yet the public
had the labor and expense of supporting
and guarding him. On the supposition
that no regard was had TO future life.
but that the penalty related only to this
world. what practical gain did those re-
formers think to secure, by substituting
perpetual, solitary confinement, for death
upon the scaffold? They plainly wanted
something, while still inflicting a penalty
severe enough TO take the place of capital
punishment as deterring motive. What
did they gain?
But their penalty has been modified, II
will be said; these criminals are not now
kept in solitary confnement; they leave
their cells; they see the earth; they behold
the other prisoners; they work in the shop.
Yes; and thus tie penalty is correspond
ingly less influential to deter from the
crime. 1t offers neminally frem that oi
other criminals cnly in length of time
while really, in many cases, that difference
vanishes for what is there to choose be.
tween sentence for life or twenty years, il
the criminal be of middle age? And il
there not the abiding hope, in younger
| men, of pardon after ten or more years
shall have expired? (The average time liz
some Slater has been but six years. Thus
the earlier form of the substituted impriss
onment was but increased lcruelty and the
latter form is very insufficient penalty
This is on the supposition that only earth
ly relationships are had in view, in aff1x-
ing the penalty.
But who can affirm that these alone have
influence? Is there not an obvious bear,
ing in capital punishment upon another
llfeP Was it not originally based on thai
reference in both heather and sacred leg
islation? Does it not virtually say that 6
murderer, by taking another's life with al
that it involved, forfeits his own with al
that it involves, including probation with
all earthly enjoyment? that he must go be
fore the Divine Judge, and there csnfron
his victim? Such seems to have been tn.
implication. If so, we are net surprised
to find those professed religionists, ant
open anti>religionists who deny futur,
punishment, opposed 10 the execution o
murderers. Their theology, involving
law and penalty, naturally sways theil
ideas of civil Government. They rejec
penalties which In their very nature ar
final and cut off hope. They dislike cap
ital punishment because it furnishes too
close an analogy TO The threatened second
death of the divine government. :, Ortho
doxy;ean point to them as exemplars o
what may be expected hereafter. especial
ly if it can be proved that in the Bible Coz
has sanctioned the death penalty. Moreo
yer, how absurd, on the theory Of n,
future punishment, to send murdere
straight to heaven by ending his morta
career 1t is. saying with Ralph Wald
Emerson, that man though in brothels, @
in jails, or on gibbets, is on his way to a
that Is good and true That will not an
swer; the murderer must not get 10 beav
en- SO soon after his victim; he must be de
taincd in the hell OF this world, and mad
to suffer somewhat in a prison. We as
our readers to observe what class of mer
as regards their religious creed, or none
has been the most conspicuous in seekin
the abolition of the death penalty for mul
; der. There is food for thought in the fact
which little inquiry win elicit. Superb
cial thinkers deprsciate theology; but alon
sounds the depth of all subjects, and brin
nto unity all time and action. iso
| Sforming a BI1llner's Shop.
/. The Virginia City. Nevada Enterprise
: of February the 4th, sa5s:
"A couple of loose horses with harness
: on their backs, ran away on B. stree
' when one of thcra charged into the mill
nery store of Mrs. Hickman, the door o
] which happened to be open. The suddel