New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-10-09

to be, as Byron said, a purple land, where law
protects not life" An honorable Deputy is now
awaiting Trial for the subornation OF assassins 10
commit q murder in the streets of Palermo! Inc
attempt failed from n circumstance. when Only
tends TO complete the picture Of thc general iiis'
curity. The persons who were 10 be numbered
though simply engaged IN passing from one part Oh
the city TO another through a frcquented portion Of
the City OF Palermo in broad daylight, were aiIh'a
to the teeth! A day OF TWO ago we had the record
of a similar 90 But the general features OF alI
these constantly recurring crimes are too similar
10 give any interest to the details OF most OF them
The truth is that death Is the only menace which
the dull and stupid imagination of the great majority
of those who commit these crimes Is able 70 realize
and TO dread. They would dread Jogging. And Il
capital punishment is to be abolished that would
be the most efficient substitute. But tho hunaHl-
tartan theories of those who feel so much more
tendeTly for the assassin than Tor ns ylctlm are
eouaUv opposcd 10 that Perpetual imprisonment
tcrors for Che men who DO these dccds. Even
IF they believed in the niictin Of 1t. which they
are abmdautly justified in not believing, il would
exercise no lettering influence. Their minds are
absolutely incapable of conceiying the nature of H.
How imperfectly does the most lively imagination
and most cultured intelligence conceive it,
But the real truth is that the uudeuiably very
punishment has proceeded from the almost universal
feeling Of hostility to law as such, which centuries
of bad government have made almost instructive
i'm italian minds The abolition Of capital punish
meut dimiushcs the power of the law. The pun
isbment of logging would be objected TO on very
much the same grounds, because the inlilcuon OF II
forms an absolute tqt Cccompf, and cannot be nm
done again. You condemn man to Imprisonment
for lifc-nothng irrevocable has been accomplished.
He can bc-generaly is-lct ont again. The other
pnnishmcnts in question are felt to make the Ia"
too strong.
All tins. however, is an evil which time viii
mend. The very fact of the portentious progress
which Italy has accomplished in the last ten years
is apt TO make forGetful OF the extreme shot"eSN
Of the time that has as vet been allowed her for
wipiug ont the effects of three centuries OF the
worst description of dcspotisn. As " Rome was not
built in day. so neither can its social ediire be re-
buls in day OF in decade of years. But the pros
uect on the whole is decidedly cheering. Thanks &"
Mnchetti, italian fnance-that great difficulty OF
the last ten ycars-s inning more healthy aspect
from dav 10 day. In such matters the hlst steps oi
IMPROVEMENT are notorioUsly tie most dItl.ut.
They have been made, and well made. I;aiy Is on
the point of making both ends meet She wound
have more than done so already If Mlngbcils plans
led not been Inverted by tie factions opposition ~
e.. f..rl fII 4. I
the Leit'. Snd u his Cu'F - -'',.-,''' '''
been temporarily suspense" Ivy ''i9 '",u. ~
stances VINO" 'ia''ou "" ''-''..''''' I-l f,i
whose view. and wishes as regards the hoie HELD
of politics are wide the poles aSuuder 70 GUST mm
IRON lo"'.' Hc VIII '' ,..,i
are. non O. lhe H-'''''' anu VIII '''' ''
work. ,,,: -.
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and Royal>ts "l me lae'l ana me L'''i''
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Fublieaus nave 10 power ITO I'"l A'l' W '"' cue
al IS. 81.
the party attached to the CmTcl au' To- i'l' N"'Ir
Aud tniS warfare which PSI tu the knife Us ln 30
rasract trtr.itorv And the uOUpr aad strength of