National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-30
THE GALLows AS AN EDUCATOR.

To the Editor of THE REPUBLICAN.
The great ma jJfity o the people Of our country
will no doubt be greatly relieved when the Gui-
teau case shall have been finally disposed of. That
1t will be disI Of through the enforcement OF
brutal and barbarlc law isa foregone conclusion.
That reyusion of feeling will ut once seize the
public mind seems very clear, as the reaction has
already "set ill.," and the question will then he
Rsk ed, What good has been accomplished by the
putting to death Of this man Guitcau? Some will
maintain, however, that the hanging of this per-
son was necesS .ry as II solemn example to deter
others from The commission of similar onenses.
would remind the
ADVOCATES OF THE "sALUTARY- Ex AMPLE"
theory Of an historical fact which has q direct
bearing up N this very case. In 1865 number of
persons were convicted Of n conspiracy against
| high officials m our government, which con.
spir0cy resulted In the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln aud murderous assault upon Secretary
Seward, Four OF those conSpirators, Mrs Surrutt
among the number, were hanged within forty.
eight hours alter conviction. The hanging Of
| those persons did not restore Abraham Lincoln
TO life, TO his family, or the Nation. 1t did not
blot out the crime nor the remembrance of IL, but
only added anotner tragedy to that already COM
miIled in which one Of the victims Mrs. Surratt)
is now believed u have been entirely innocent
AS no possible wrong was .righted by the execu-
ton of those persons, they must have been
hanged for the purpose of preventing the assassi.
nation of fu'u;e Presidents. But as a deterrent
example 1t see MS to have been wholly lost upon
iuiteau, for with this solemn warning before him.
it did not prevent his taking the life of the late
AS PREVENTIVE OF CRIME
the galows has ever been marked aud conspicu-
GUS failure Instead oi being the fepresscr of evil
1t has ever been the great progenltOr Of crime
Capital punishments always did and ever will in.
crease those very crimes which such punishments
seek to reprcss. Pennsylyania hangs moro mur.
derers than any State Ia this Union, and, con-
sequence, has more murders. In 1876 that COM
mOnwenlth hanged eleven murderers in one day.
followed by ten murders the following week, a
greater number Of homicldes than had ever Oc-
Cui red In that State in single week since il had
an organization.
EVERY EXECUTION rs AN ASSAULT
upon public morals and private feeling, sowing
the seeds Of vengeance and cruelty which spring
tie gallows are unholy aud full Of wickedness
The TACT that the national government in common
executions is tact confession that such punish
| mcnts are deleerious to the morals OF society and
ought 70 be totally abolished The children Of
our land must not
be EDUCATED IN BLOOD.
They must not be taught that cruel and brutal
punlshments are proper remedies for wrongs com.
mitted. They must not be taught that what is n
crime IN the individual man is justice or right
when perpeIrated by the State. The State must
not teach men u kill. II must not go down TO the
level OF the murderer 10 strike back ut him. 1t
must not punish crime by initiating IT,. Its action
should nj all times be pure and elevated. Govern
| meut should deal with lis criminals, not as dog
| fights dog. but in an intelligent and enlightened
manner. Magnanimily is the child Of conscious
cowARDIcE AND BRUTALITY
| the offspring Of moral weakness. II the govern
meut Of the United States, representing titly mil
Ions Of people, protesting enlightenment and
| Christianity, with all the resources OF modern
civilization AT It's command, with Its jalls reiorna-
tories and prisons, cannot take care of one of its
criminals without putting him to death, the
sooner this government Is reconstructed aud fOun-
ded upon basis OF moral strength instead Of
cOwardly weakness the better, not only for our
| own, but for all succeeding generations, b.
| WAshINGtoN, ID. O., June 2si 1882