The Morning herald., 1877-06-16
CAtITAL PUNtSHMENT.


Thousands of people followed Georg'
w. Fletcher, the murderer, to the grave, il
Philadelphia, few days ago. Thete were
car. load Of the choicest flowers cast npor
his coffin, two claplains descanted upol
lie plenti,ude of his virtues; Of the full
ness of his change Of heart; spontane
Gus subscription, rla,es his widow abovs
want. What does all this mean? 1t j,
either religious, or moral gush; Or, it is :
protest against the barbari,y of the seal,
t Id. .... ... .....a t..
Sheriff Wright, upon the occasion Of The
execution Of Quisley, and Fletcher, was SC
overcome with disgust and terror, tina, he
had TO be led away to rally and restore
himself, after his horrid task of choking a
human being had been accomplished. Ii
the performance Of an official duty be SO
revolving, can the act done, be one which
ought to stand approved Of society? We
certainly think not Here we have on one
side, popular sentiment, giving an ovation
to cowardIy, sneakirg murderer, whose
whole life was war, against honor, NOR
ali,y and religion; one who crowned his
wickeduess by smiling his victim, while he
Impressed Judas like kiss upon his cheek.
l. was not the felony the people approved,
it cannot be, tha, Fletcher was thus hon.
ored for lis viIlainy-hence it must be in
tended as popular protest against capital
punishment, or it may be accounted for
on The very improbable theory of religious
gush
Ii has been remarked hy careful sta,i-
clans, that the abolition Of capital punish
msnt, for any offence, renders the certainty
Of conviction for the crime ten,fold greater,
and the sure following Of penal punish
ment, has more deterrent effect on the
criminally inclined, than the chance of
escape from capital punishment hence
the reduction of The volume of the crime,
by lessening the grade of punishment, aud
increasing the rspiui,y, and certainty of
conviction.
In recent case Of a capital felony, tried
in this country, exactly one>half of the iu-
rors called to the book, swore that ,hey
had conscientious scruples, which would
prevent them from finding a verdict, which
involved death to the prisoner-manv add.
ing, II is true. in case where no life was
taken" This unerringly points to the ad>
vance In public sentiment, 10 sha, we con.
ceive the high plane Of civll,2t ttion. which
will abolish the rope, or he axe as a
means OF punishment i,r crime. 1t is
worthy Of remark, lha! in proportion as a
people advance in civilization, and are
dominated by the benign ideas of the New
Testament, that the haugman's Office is
curailed, and the offences for which he is
needed are lessened. The old, stern No.
saic law OF an eye for an eve, etc, may
have been wise legislation fer semi-hsr.
barous tribe, wandering in the sandy places
Of Arabia, and Syria; people who were
cross between shepherds, and freebooters
bat it has no meaning now, nor can j;
be enforced, according 10 its tenor and .re
cep'. With strange IN consistency we have
abolished the lesser penalty, and retained
the bloodier.
Part of the Mosaic Jurisprudence which
we refer to, made adultery a capital Of
fence. When an adu.tress was broucht
before Christ, he refused 10 sanction the
barbarity of the code, and inferentia),v
taught that life could only be taken bv
hands Immaculate; bands no, 10 be found
among men.
. Our people will be compelled upon some
day, to meet and DISCUSS this question, and
were it not worth while to think, and read
about it. We may be counted as one who
will not hesitate to labor for the abolition
OF capital punishment.