The Sun. — 1836-01-13 (London, England)

XVI., was supposed to speak only his honest and sincere opinion, when he declared -that he wished to see the punishment of death utterly abolished. It was even thought that a- retrospective glance of filial piety at a father's fate accompanied the utterance of the sentiment. If so, the feeling which inspired it has since died away, and the lesson is forgotten. But there was another motive for declaring then against the use of the guillotine. The fate of the Ministers of Charles X. was trembling in the balance. Louis Philippe wished to conciliate the great Powers by saving them from the punishment of treason. It was thought expedient to prepare the public mind for an act of clemency to those distinguished criminals, by deprecating even from the throne the employment of the guillotine as an instrument of justice, under all. circumstances. Lafayette and his friends no doubt acted with perfect sincerity in exclaiming against the punishment of death on account of its inefficacy in repressing crime, and also on account of the fallible judgment of human tribunals. On the question of the fate of the ex-Ministers we gave our assistance to the advocates of mercy in France. The result of all these exertions was that the lives of the guilty exMinisters were saved, and from that moment the Citizen-King's abhorrence of the guillotine as part of the machinery of justice became as pure a fiction as his gratitude to Lafayette, or his promises of " a Monarchy surrounded with public institutions." The Monarchy of " July," the Monarchy of " young France," is now surrounded with Fieschi laws--the best apology that has yet been made for the crimes of .. the Ministers of Charles X. Indeed the laws of the Doctrinaires ought to be more than an apology for the crimes of those .Ministers still immured in the Castle of Ham--they ought to constitute their complete justification. Tb-e Government that passed theFiesehl laws ought to have instantly opened their prison-doors—ought to have asked their pardon for the ignominious punishment so long inflicted upon them, unless they think that their clime was not in the attempt to subvert the liberties of France, but in failing to do that which the Doctrinaires have since accomplished. After the lives of the ex-Ministers were saved, the guillotine had rest in Paris for a considerable time. At length an attempt was made to revive its use, but popular demonstrations were made which caused the design to be abandoned. The same thing occurred with . the same success, if we recollect right, more than once. In the meantitne it was worked in the provinces ; but even the late successful attempt to re-establish it in the capital was carried into effect with great fear and caution ; so much so, that up to the morning of the execution the place where the machine of death was to be erected was kept a profound secret from all but a few persons, who were not suspected of being likely The military join in any plot to interrupt the spectacle. military preparations also showed the dread which the Government 'entertained of some formidable ebullition of public displeasure. The experiment having so far succeeded, the Ministerial Press blazons it abroad as a sort of triumph. Even among a people so fastidious in their theatrical taste that the dagger Of the buskinned murderer is struck behind the curtain, the circumstances of an execution are detailed with disgusting particularity. To spew how little effect such a spectacle is likely to have in the repression*of the crimes for which the two culprits suffered, we will quote the words of the Correspondent of a Morning Journal, who appears to have been an eye witness, and . who says, in speaking of the chief criminal, Lacenazre— " From the extreme coolness and self-possession with which he has conducted himself throughout his trial, upi s to' tx-tahmepvizeo n Nt se. illi? t ohfav?adenortohs,titeirsnitcolobues feared at 11:d at his . . . ence on that numerous class to which he formerly belonged, and that we may shortly hear of the commission of such crimes in this country as are not to be prevented by the • fear, or even the certainty, .of what is -vulgarly considero punishments. '' The law ii: the severest of all punish', France as well as this country discla:iens all pie-:isinnents by way of retaliation or yengea',3", 1-„Li declares that the punishment of death is , passage which we have quoted above .im for. revenge or expiation, but only for example. (The writer of the fears that the example afforded by the death of