Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-06-02

ah unenforced. But one is just as au-
thoritative as the other, and neither has
any more to do with our time than a
communication that may have been made
to the antediluvians.
Personally, | prefer, if could have
everything as | would wish it, imprison-
ment for life to the death penalty. But,
if man condemned for murder is to be
pardoned and set at liberty in the CON-
munity again, whatever may be my per-
sonal preference. am obliged to place
myself on the side of those who defend
capital punishment. The dignity and
majesty of the law must be maintained
That is a fundamental proposition. No
matter what may like or dislike, the
law must be upheld, for we are all of us
dependent upon the enforcement of law,
and nothing is reliable unless the crimi-
nal classes are made to understand that
the law means what it says, and must
be respected. The penalties Of law
should not, therefore, be set aside to
please an individual, for the welfare of
millions should never. be jeopardized to
crafty few. |, ard the persons of
my household, and the members of my
church, may wish to save some one from
the gallows, but shall / and they be
gratifed to the detriment of the whole
community?
The exercise of tie pardoning power
in some cases seems necessary; but, af-
ter the courts have pronounced against
criminal the penalty of death, it ought
not to be competent for the Governor to
set aside the verdict. unless facts which
are developed subsequent to the trial
justify it The criminal, as criminal.
deserves no sympathy; pity, but not
sympathy. The wrong doer has claim
upon our humanity. but not the wrong
doing And am satisfied that some
times sympathy is exercised in this con-
nection so Unfortunately that it really
aids and abets crime.
But this leads me to the next topic
the injudicious application of religion to
the criminal. 1t is not for me, Chris
tian friends, to limit the divine mercy.
That forgiveness in any way lessons or
removes the punishment, do not stand
here to say; but it is clear that, in the
providence of God, forgiveness is mainly
applied to the sin rather than to the
punishment, and that Christ did not
come into this world so much to take
away punishment due to mankind for
) their sins as he did to take away the
sinfulness of man. And it is also clear
that the only. effect Of such gallows
spectacles as we have had of late in this
city and in other cities, is to lessen the
enormity of sinfulness and to take away
something of the sanctity of religion
/ The more | think about these things the
| more they distress me,-the more | an
] satisfied tiat, as the case now stands
the criminal classes are not affected ia
: vorably by these hanging spectacles.
, l want first of all, now to call you
attention briefly, and yet with due re
0 spect t. those from whom | differ thee
' logically. to the theological errors in al
this. About every man who has beer
: hung within my remembrance, has been
r subsequent to the commission of the
0 crime, and ordinarily a day or two day
q before. made ready for the eternal world
and the announcement has been givel
through the press, and frequently by tn
criminal himself when he stands upol
L the very verge of eternity-''I hav
s made my peace with God; am on tn
: Lords side; am going straig t
+ Heaven" l do not say these. men ar
/ not sincere. but [ say, when clergy
% man takes hold of case of that kind h
IS has case to make out and when
o man is taken hold of, it seems to be fo
e his interest to yield to the appeal. Tha
n there is any deception practised in tn
L. case, of course say nothing about, on
e way or the other but it looks so muc
u like a business transaction that, if al
2 piled to anything but religion, | shout
call it SHAM To me it is psych,
y logically impossible for a man who h;
sc been sinful. corrupt, wicked all his lif
er an hour, or two hours, or day. or tv
lie days before he dies, to be made ready
~ enter the eternal world and to rise I
Oh into grandeur and perfectness of sain
Sc ly man. concede that the a0orst Grin
u inal may repent, and be sincere in h
OF repentance consider that the last M
" ment before he goes out Of the world, /
ne may calculate those sentences which
= is pleasant for us to hear; but to carr
3 the idea to the community that a ma
De by anything done for him, or by him,
ne that short time, takes rank with the a.
as gels in glory, is to use not only absur
Is but to my mind, is making little lie
IN than mockery of religion. Let me r
~ late to you brief incident. A broth
'e who has been at my house during Il
IS past week, told me of the following CT
Is cumstancc that came within his own pc
On sonal observation. In the city where