Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-02-02
cAp17AL PUNISHMENT

cAp17AL PUNkSHKEET.
To the Editor ofMe Journal
l see that the Legislature requested the Cover
nor to stay the execution Of Wagner till the last
of March. They did right, and as they are on the
right track, l wish TO adj my mite to keep them
there. Capital punishment Is agitating the pub
lie mind as it truly ought, for it is relic of bar
barity, and should never have been adopted by
any Christian nation. 1t is contrary to every
practice, principle and precept of the Lord Jesus
Christ Therefore all good men should unite to
bring public sentiment up the standard Of Him,
who, when smitten. smote not again, but gave his
back 10 the tormenters, and who, when writing in
the bitter agonies of DEATH brcathed this most fer
vent PRAYER TO his Father for his murderers,
Father forgive them for they know not what
they do The true object Of puni shment IS to
make the punished better. Why does the teacher
punish his pups To reform inm. make him pet
ter, not to Kill him. But should that teacher con-
tinue to punish till life ceased how long should he
occupy the school room? Man does not possess
power to restore life, therefore he should not par
ticpate in taking it away. Should one OF your
neirhbors be brought into your Office dead, you
could not bring him to life, neither could all the
eminent men of the Legislature nor all the physi-
clans in Christendom. God alone can give me-
and let Him alone take it away. This considera-
ton alone is sufficient TO cause every renecnng
mind to pause, consider, tremble before giving ms
consent to such barbarity. The bare possibility Of
the nerson being innocent of the crime for which
we. won and II the State is now about to murder
for it is no less murder in US than it was in him
is enough to make ak ols Us ,d;1,n pause 1ohe Me
Elliot of Knox in a fit of intoxicston plunged the
fatal dagger into the throat of his son. Awful
crime that made a wide breach, a cruel one In
that lovely family 1t almost broke the heart of
thar lovely mother But did it heal it to take her
husband and drag him to Castne and there muir.
der him on the scaffold. Did that satisfy the
mother or make her happy! No, far from it; nor
did she desert him. but followed him to Castine,
was At his side during the trial. saw the jury retire.
saw them return and heard them pronounce the
awful word-"Guilty
Did that faithful wife forsake her husband then !:
No, She, with her little son of nine years, in
midwnter went about all over the State with a
petition to the Governor of Massachusetts, and OBJ
tanned 3O00 names OF good cltlzens OF the Ds'flc,
of Maine. She and her son went to Boston, ana
with her own hand presented her prayer ana 5ne
did the Governor look upon the petition with IA
vor NO, nor did the tears the slghs or the gloans
Ia,rt % '~' The nst;t;oner asked rnmmu,ston Of SEN
tence to imprisonment for life. She and her little
son went home, pensive, solitary, and heart brok-
Gu, anu 1ue In ~ 81. nrdara sahn .h
er cries the stickler for the gallows. view this
barbarous custom of legally numbering our brother
men on the scanoi the greatest SIN tnat tels oSae
~ iii is asI What shall VS. do Win the mnrderer,
Confine him in prison, where he cannot commit
any more CRIME, and put him to work and let him
h ott ~ so,u;na ns sh So oI
violated and for which he had forfeited his liberty
Oh. why will Christian men consent to participate
IN numbering their brother manf Did my strength
of lungs bear any proportion TO the depth Of my
sincerity, conviction and zeal, would raise my
voice TIL 1t should be heard on every hill, TILL the
sound hiled every valley, and was echoed from
every palace, house and cottage IN Christendom
would say to the people everywhere awake from
son stain from the skirts OF your garments, and
show yourselves to the world what you profess to
be-a Christian people. CYRUS COOK.
blanchard, Jan. 70, 1879.
NOTE. The above is from an aged man-as he
informs US. and as his manuscript ipdicates-who
desires to express his sentiments in favor of the
abolition of the gallows.-IEditor
49,
SHERIDAN 4 CONVICTED LIAR.
To the Editor ofthe Esaae5ec Journal.
:, 80.
l" 'ne ias' ISSUE VI tnc o'anuaio - al ar''cic
headed SHERIDAN Convicted Liar. Phil Sheri-
dan the true man. the defender of his country
H. ,ho.. ,rho val. .,1 ,nh,;., ,h;. oh.,...
>,
were screening treason, convicted Liar
Who believes this Any man who has spark of
gratitude or who lives tru,b, No, None bpt
s.t. -, -,
an migrate, hatef o. lhe heroes OF Inc war 1or the
integrity of the Union, would thus libel one of the
truest patriots of the AGE. "sheridan Convicted
I;a.ni wv. 80. Pr. -,
A'"i ""o ih"Aes 'niS onaise ePon "nat
proof' by whom conyieteds By those who
were ever true to the Union No, By the
White Leagues Of Louisiana. By the mob; and
their friends. that murdered Twtchell and his com
rades. and oyerthrew the State Government in
New Orleans on the fourth of September, By the
assassins that made the streets of New Orlcan.
rpn with blood on that same dav Nv the moh
said that ii would not have been safe for any man
to have EXPRESSED himself in favor of the State