The Penn's Grove record., 1882-01-28
Reflections of Master Minds.

History does not warrant the con-
clusion that a great increase of crime
would follow the abolition Of the death
penalty.
Belgium, Holland, switzerland and
Italy have managed to get along very
well without capital punishment. For
two centuries and a half Rome did not
pronounce the death sentence against
a criminal. and these were her best
years. After the revival Of severe
penalties the Empire fell. Norway,
Bombay and Tuscany abolished CAPT
tal punishment without any evil con
sequence, so far as can be learned.
Coming nearer home, Maine, Rhode
Island, Michigan, Wisconsin and
Iowa have conelusively demonstrated
that the death penalty is not a neces-
sity of good government.
1t was claimed that hanging is g
proper example to set before the wick
ed. Rev. Mr. Roberts, Of Bristol,
found that out of 167 condemned muir
derers. 1874 had Witnessed executions.
DIR. Washington said in Parliament;
every execution brings an addi-
tional candidate to the hangman,"
said Justice Blackstone, speaking OF
severe penalties ''They increase the
number of Offences And in the
words of Bentham, IF the legislator
be DESTROYS of improving humanity
among the citizens, let him set the
example"
Do we wish to recall the spirit of the
time of Henry Will, when there
were nc less then two thousand g
tons yearly? What was the result?
Human life had no value placed upon
it. The individual felt that he could
follow the example of the Court.
Hearts grew colder, dee0s more hate
full, and society worse Rev. s. a,
Gagdner's sermon, New York, Dec. %.
The jackdaw, in Fsop's fable, who
adorned himself with peacock's
feathers, and sought to pass himself
off as n of those birds, is commonly
considered only in the light of a warn
ing against struggling to force ones
self into a sphere above ones own.
BY many generations has that jack
daw been pointed at with the finger of
scorn, and innumerable people, both
young End old, have not hesitated to
pronounce him merely an irredeem-
able. vain and ridiculous bird, and
nothing more.
Though quite aware how presump-
tuous it is to venture to take exception
to the unanimous and sweeping con-
domination of ages, we are yet daring
enough TO assert, that full justice has
yet been melted out to that un
lucky bird, and that there is a merito-
rious side to his character, which has
been inyariable overlooked.
We do not attempt to deny that he
was a humbug, or that he was fool
enough to put himself in that most
miserable situation, a false position
or that he was SO dull as to confuse
semblance with reality, and to imag-
inc that pretending to be a peacock,
and actually being one, were identical.
But what we maintain, IS in his
favor, is that, in spite of all this, he
had yet the capacity for discerning,
admiring and longing after, a merit
which he knew perfectly well he did
not himself possess. 1t is a capacity
which is not at all a commonplace
one.-London Spectator.
There are no longer believing multi
tudes there are individuals who be-
iieve. Whether it be a cause of regret
or rejoicing, the people Of the great
cities no longer go to church, or to the
temples: neither can they be again
led thither. The secondary cities ard
the country obey the same tendency.
1 believe in the separation of Church
and State.
The State cempreherds individuals
belonging TO different forms of wor-
ship-Catholics, Protestants, Israel
ties. And it cemprehends, besides, a
class of persons which, for my part I
think the most interesting, and which
Sainte Beuve ''cslled the great do
cese.o mean those who, respecting
truth, do aot mean to enclose it in a
determined form, and are content to
do good modestly without daring to
think that they alone possess the
truth.
In so much variation, the State can
have one rule only, abstentation, and
declare itself incompetent to occupy
itself any more with the religious
opinions of its components than it
does with their opinions in art or lit
erature, and, above all, to grant no
privilege to any.--M. Ernest Renoa's
letter to the Lega della Den,ocraza.
No action is possible, unless prompt
ed by some form of self interest
indeed, self-interest is but another
name for motive. Now il will be
found that there are three classes of
action which are of good to the world
at large, and which are Apparent ex-
ceptions to the doctrine of selfinterest.
1 refer to artistic production, to the
search for knowledge, and to the in
culcation of religious or moral good
ness.
No one will for a moment deny,
that there is q delight TO the artist in
the very fact of production and that
there is a delight to the mar of science
in the very fact of discovery. But let
another artist claim the picture, let
another astronomer claim TIE discov-
cry of the planet, and the indignation
Of the injured parties will afford "a sin
ular revelation to US.
The artist feels not only that a great
picture is being nainfed haIt ne feaJ..