Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-01-20
CAEIT4L PUNISHMENT.
To The Editor Of tie Journal.

Gods law says, "Thou shalt not Kill A Jury
man is selected to sit in judgment en- fellow
citizen charged with the crime Of murder The
| juryman knows if he and his associates find the
prisoner guilty, that he and they assist in tying
the knot in the rope that is 10 stiange the crimi-
nal to death, and that he in that case would be
guilty in fact of violating Gods command which
says "Thou shalt not kill" The juryman knows
that our laws cannot execute a man for murder
unless jury find him guilty Of the crime, hence
the juryman has the following query 10 his mind,
shall aid in killing this man by my vote in the
jury room ir accordance with the laws of man,
or shall obey the higher law OF God which saith
Thou shalt not kill 7" Conscience whispers obey
of a verdict of not guilty, by jurymen in cases
where it would seem that the testimony proved
positive guilt.
The foregoing consideration has often prompted
jury to bring in verdict OF not guilty. Amend
the law and change the penalty for murder to in
prisonment for life, and you will find the verdict
uniformly guilty, if the proof will justify such
verdict, and the plea of insanity will rarely be
heard in our courts thereafter.
AsPitaA HAS Dtcu tut tduse u MANY
shocking and Wholesale murder. BY the laws
Of the United States, piracy the high seas is "A
capital offence whether murder is committed or
not. The pirate says if am convicted of piracy,
it is death on the gallows, and the penalty is the
same and no worse if We murder the whole ships
crew. The dead tell tales, let US remove ali
peril by destroying all witnesses to our deeds OF
darkness; but if the penalty had twenty years i'm
prisonmcnt for piracy, and for murder imprison-
ment for life, thousands would have been spared
the awful doom awarded them by the pirates,
owing to the impcrfecti0n Of human laws. 1t il
true that our State Legislature can not change
this law, but they can set good example to the
United States by changing cur laws to implison-
ment for life As penalty for murder.
POLITICAL.
The Hartford Post, speaking Of the Faneui
Hall meeting, says: "Not word was said in the
resolutions and the speeches laid down in the pro-
gramme that could offend the White League, or
indicate that intelligent Boston knew or cared that
the ex-rebel party had seized the organization Of
the House in a violent and illegal manner
Senator Logan fired center shot into the Dem
ocratc ranks in his speech in the Senate when he
told them he had heard moie bitter dcnuncaton
Of General Sheridan for his efforts to centro the
tanditt in New Orleans from Democratic Sena-
tors, Representatives, and newspapers than he
heard against JEFF. Davis during the entire war
from the same parties.
The excitement in the South over the Louisi-
ana question and the sympathy extended 10 the
Southern bandt,i by their Northern defenders is
developing large amount Of sentiment that was
so popular in that locality just previous to the late
rebellion. The poets OF that sunny region are
now making ,hoii appearance with a revival CT
their old poetry The New Orleans Bulletin pub
fishes poem on The national flag in which the
writer says
Yes tear il down, and lay its f6ld-
For ever meath the sod,
Nor cur.e us more with mockcrics
And Tyrants rule aud rod.
"Iet this be DONE and we will rai,c
Our standard where it hung;
And notes of joy will rend the air
BY patriot VOICES sung"