The Portland daily press., 1869-01-13
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Wednesday Morning, January l3, 1869.
Death Penalty.

sage. 1t seems TO me as asle and appropri-
ate, as it is, eloquent and argumentative-
The prominence he gives to the subject Of
capital punishment was due to the require
ment of some answer to the series censorious
criticism that he has received at your
hands on account Of q conscientious
official action, in which he has been fairly
aud, as believe, by decided preponderance
of the public opinion of the State. To all
this censnre much of which has been
mere raillery he gives a serious, comprehen-
sive and logical answer, whereuIon you find
bis style too argumentative and controver-
sial for distinguished professor of rhetoric.
You let him off, however, only on the con-
dition, that it is his last appearance, and that
he will gracefully make his salutation also
his official farewell. 1 sincerely hope you
have given his mere hint of such purpose
much too decisive meaning; or if not, that he
may be induced to forego any such purpose of
leave-taking For I do not believe the State
of Maine ever had a Governor, of whom its
citizens were more justly proud, or who
brought to that high office such solid and
brilliant elements of popular estimation. A
scholar, lured from his studies by patriotism
to fight in war for liberty and national integ-
rity, he possesses, besides the splendor of he
roism, the fascination of an eloqueLce, that
has made more memorable than coulda Trou-
badour's song the valor of the noble Maine
boys, living and dead, who on hundred bat
tie fields stood for the honor Of their State
and the cause of civilization. Upon no mere
hint will such man as this be allowed by the
people to withdraw from position he has
adorned by his talents hisfame and his good
service.
But my object is not to vindicate or defend
Gov. Chamberlain, but to say that in his con-
duct with regard to the murderer Harris, and
in his views of capital punishment, be is
nearer right, than those who have censured
him. The death penalty can be justified up
on the following grounds.
Society at large, like all minor constituent
bodies, has the right of summary expelling
from Itself those who by consummated
crime have shown that their continued pres
sence is dangerous.
As society is the normal and universal con-
dition of living man, no effeetual expulsion
from society can be achieved but in the TAX
ing of life.
Banishment Is not effectual because the re-
lations of mankind with each other are such
that man dangerous in one part of the
word is dangerous everywhere, nowhere less
so, than in the very community, where by his
crime he has given fair notice of his charac-
ter; and because it is immoral to thrust upon
another, and weaker part of society a crimi-
nal that endangers US.
Perpetual Imprisonment is not safe for So
ciety, because it makes the murderer its natu-
raj enemy, and suggests the temptation to
make his escape by another murder; and be-
cause the seme morbid sympathy that asks to
have wretch like Harris kept alive out of a
mere animal repugnance to the artificial, and
even to the natural modes of ending haman
life, begins in the most thoughtless way, aftel
its purpose is accomplished, to petition fol
his pardon.
Perpetual Imprisonment is the most IRA
tional economy. The twenty murderers
Maine cherishes in her State prison are the
most expensively kept twenty persons in the
State. All the science Of modern times is de-
voted 70 securing for them health, quiet sleep
good digestion, and longevity, so that theil
chance of living quiet lives into old age is
perhaps better than that OF twenty frst-class
farmers, or twenty skillful physicians, OF
twenty refined Christian mothers.
Are we proud of these twenty fellow citi-
zens, that we cherish them so carefully p
What have they done to entitle them to q
maintenance much better and far easier than
a majority of our people can earn by lifelong
toll? Let MS ask and learn. This one wa:
so utterly unfurnished with conscience
that on fearful night, and during storm
that would have awed the undeveloped sou
of dog, he went deliberately into house
where two aged women lay sleeping, anG
beat and mangled them with chairs and blunt
weapons, and when the light fell on the ghast-
ly and venerable forms, it brought the sug-
| gestion,, not of horror and remorse, but oil
unnatural lust. He diversified this compli
cation of fiendishness by the the solemn per
jury with which he accused an innocent mar
on his trial, or the frivolous perjury will
which he cleared an accomplice on his re
| cantation. This one stabbed husband il
his bed and rolled him lifeless to the floor, Il
| take his place by the side of his paramount
| This ingenious youth burned house ant
his mother and sisters In it, because b,
| thought thereby to come at a few dollars hi
believed to be hidden there. But let us q
no further. Who takes delight in such char
acters? To whom is it not an awful myster,
that such creatures should ever have lived
Who would not be relieved to learn that the,
were dead? For one, never hesitate to say
when l hear of the death of man believe
to be bad and mischievous, that am glad o
it. feel that the aggregate of human ma
ture has become better by just the cancella
ton Of these negative characters, that suc1 a
root OF evil has ceased to poison the air. .a
o So as to the Harrises and Knights, my feel
ing is that their existence is mistake, either
a mistake at the start, or mistake in the
the secondary influences that made them
what they are. These are mistakes TO be
corrected whenever a just opportunity occurs.
1t is hard to understand why children con-
genitaly feeble in health should be swept
awayi by wholesome epidemics, while chill.
dren, IN whose making up moral sense wa;
lett out, should grow to physical maturity, re-
produce their kind and prey upon society
While we only suspect and have not the ON.
niscience to knoU their quality, we are pow
less against them. Let the good and evi
grow together till the harvest, but when the
palpable evil deed reveals the character, then
deem it no injustice or irreverence to say
"We are not perfect men. You may be in Gods
sight no greater sinner than we, but we can
not safely tolerate among us creatures in the
form of men who have nothing but the fierct
instincts of wolfes. Your character is sucl
terrible satire upon humanity, that W,
hasten to rid ourselves of the implication o
being like you. We solemnly send you bacl
whence you came, as subject too tough fol
our discipline" IN ......... ...r-. ..
But the imprisonment is favorable to the
reformation OF the murderer. Yes, II il
were worth while. Why not develop this
weed into plant, or turn the subtle instinct
of this caterpillar into some useful silk
.o n c,.l ooas the hoe crack pOas the