i .
.—.,,~\ , ~_,..3~. _.2,._ .-a.- . .4 ..
i_.... _! ...._.... C
‘ 3301’. run rvonwltnzt e_A2n:T~r'xa. __
Ear ‘six or eight months past, I hai"‘e been for-
bibly struck with the alarming number of public
executions of criminals in various parts of the U-
nited States. The number-of murders is con-
stantly increasing, and»hevé’r,in t countrygwere
capital punishment_ so often inflicted as at the
- present day. Scarcc'“a newspaper meets our eye,
without two or three “ sho'cking»rnurders,” or an
execution of some wretched mortal, and most
commonly both ! \Vhat then is to be done ?--
Must the practice of depriving one fellow-being
"of.life, always he succeeded by the destruction of
another ? Can th_c_'t'_e not lie sdme method adopted
, byfgovetjnment, which shall lessen the vast num-
T ;ber of murders in our country, by cltanging the
mode of pu'nish'_m‘en't for the assassin ? Vt/ould n&
perpetual ‘confinement to; hard labour in some
state prison, where the criminal might be useful
to ni-.t::!c.i_n(l, be preferable to repaying death for
death, and, ffnayl not say) murder for murder?
Is it not irratiott'.'.'.‘ to imagine that man has a
right, ‘or can receive aiflgfllt from government to"
pct-form that to another u'ltiC.‘3;l1e has not a right
to do to h'it1iself‘? _ g
' ll:'lucl1' has been said and writtcnoft this sub-
ject, and it is not probable that I shall advance
many new ideas, though I would gladly reiterat: <
jsome a~lre_ady published. Ithink the subject a
/ serious one, and one that demands reflection from
,' all our citizens at thisawful crisis of our country.
I shall first a‘ttemp't to examine the riglzt which
3’ government’ claim to take the life of a fellow-be-
ing. I presume it will be granted by all, that
fgowcr does not ‘constitute right, in this case.-—
Neither can itbe contended upon any principle
of right, that one in any government can be born
withpeculiar o‘r exclusive privileges, which an-
other canirot possess. That onevpossesses an in-
licrent right to take or destroy the lives of oth-
crs, on any pretence whatever, when others have
not the right of_ taking, or destroying their own
lives. 7 If a man takes his own life, in any situa-
tion whatever, he is c'alled_a murderer,’ and noth-
ing can palliate his crime ; nothing can console
his friends, but an idea or belief that he was in-
sane, and therefore not a moral agent. But when
he takes the life of acriminal-, by order of gov-
ernment; we hear nothing of z'nsa>zz'/Ty or murzler
in the pf:‘t"pett'atot'l _
, Now all right or authority must be irzlzcrezzt or
e‘lcrim=d.. It has been said (and perhaps not im-
‘p'roperly,) “ all men are born free and equal.”-'
If this is granted, every inherent right or prerog-
ativewhich one individual possesses over anoth-
er, except by mutual consent, is necessarily ex-
cludcd_;' and it c‘ertainly must be granted, that in
a republican government, all men possess a right
'9 enjoy, and likewise to be protected in the en-
_ syment of their lives, liberty andproperty ; of
onscqucnce, government has no power but what
_,: derives from the people, even every branch of.
if ‘, whethe.r'executive, legislative, or j.udiciary,,of
nurse, none of these branches have any exclusive
vght but what is delegated to them by the people.
I would now ask, wliether the people have del-
gated to their rulers, the rightof destroying the
_ vcs of our fellow-beings, as a punishment for
times? lfso‘, I would further enquire, whether
any people do really possess such a right, in their
xdivitlual capacities 2" For it will be allowed on
all hands, that no man. can impart a right to an-
other, which he never had, or can have, in his
own possession.
If a man should be so infatuated as to believe
th-.1t__he had better terminate his own existence,(as
thousands have already done.) or should be guil-
ty of a crime, which, in his own judgment, he
might think deserved death as a punishment, or
should be guilty of a crime the basest, and even
the most capital that can be conceived 5 even in all
these instances‘, it will be granted that he has no
moral or political right to take his own life. And
if it should be admitted that a man has a right to
destroy his own life on any occasion, or in any
circumstances whatever, by so many it would
prove the destruction of the human species. From
il1e_above arguments, thereiore, we may as ration-
ally conclude, that man possesses no more right to
destroy another, than he has to destroy himself;
that he has“ no right to do that to another, which
he has not a right to do to hirnsclf; that gov-
érizmcn.’ can receive no such right from the peo-
ple, because the people have no such right to
give, either irzdividually or collectively, for it one
has not the right, ten have not, and if ten have not,
a mzllion or a ‘nation have not. Another argument
against cajzital fzzmzls/zmcnt is, that horror and
dread which ajudgc always feels in pronouncing
death upon a criminal, and the still greater bor-
ror, and even éorzsterrzatirln, that a sheriff always
manifests in his execution of the criminal. How
often they resort to the murderous or infamous
practice of employing some stout harted (lr:-9/zer-
ado, to perform that which makes humanity_shud-
der. But if this were really just, and vindlcated
by the laws of God as well as man, what occasion
for emotion? If this were well pleasing in the
sight of God, vindicated by reason, by conscience
and by scripture, I apprehend no cause for emo-
tion or perterbation. . It now remains, therefore,
to be proved, that this punishment is inconsistent
with divine Rcvclrzliou. —
VVc find in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans,
‘ Vettgeance belongcth unto God,’ ‘ vengeance is
«mine; I will repay it saith the Lord.’ From this
text, it is evidently the. prerogative of God to
give and to take away life. Again, ‘ I- kill and I
make alive.’ VVhat right then, can a frail human
being have to take away that which he cannot
give. As man cannot impart life to the silzallest
insect, surely he ought to tremble at the idea of
destroying that of an accountable being.
' The denunciation given to Noah, in Gen‘. ix.
6, may be an objection in many minds : ' VVhoso
shetldetlx man’s blood, by man also shall his blood
be shed." But it has been the decided opinion of
many literary, as well asfzious _mcn, that this was
‘ a /2rezlz‘czio7z‘rat/zcr (lion :2 law ;’ that the language
of it is simply this :—‘ such will be the depravity
and folly of man, that murder i-n every age shall‘
ly- refer to the Rev. ‘Writ. 'f'u'rhe1~’s Memoirs of
the Literaryuand Philosophibal Society of Man-
chester; and ‘the late Dr. R‘ush’s Literary and
Moral Essays; It was the opinion of the last
mentioned gentleman, ‘ that laws which inflicted
death for murder, were as unc/zristian as those
which justify revenge ,7‘ for the_ obligation of chris-
tianity upon individuals, to promote repentance,
to forgive injuries, and to discharge the duties of
universal benevolence, are equally binding upon
states.’ A A ~
Another text may be adduced as an objection,
which-may appear, perhaps, more decisive than
the former, which is found in Leviticus xxiv. 21,
‘ lie that killeth any man, shall surely be put to
death.’ But every ‘unprejutliced,mind, by exam-
ining the context, must be convinced that this
was among the old Levitical laws, which our Sa-
viour annulled in the New-Testament. It reads
thus—‘ Breach. for .breacb, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth, and he that caused a blen’iish in a man, so
shall it be done to him again ;’ then follows, ‘ he
that killeth a man shall surely be put to death.’
This is all connected in one sentence. Let us
now hear what Christ says on this -subject,- in-
Math. v. 38, ‘ Ye have heard that"it hath been
said by them ofold time, an eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth‘; but I say unto you that ye
‘resistnot evil: but whosoever shall smite you on
tiit one check, turn to him the other also.’
Many such laws as thése respecting murder,
were peculi.':.l'l_y qualified and atlitpted to the wick-
ed, ignorant gms incorrigible cli‘at'actet' of the.
Jews. This is evident from Ezekiel xx. 9-5-
‘ Wlterefore I gave then‘; statutes that were not
good, and judgments whereby they fsltoui-‘l not
live.’ Ifthe law respecting murder before m‘€p-
on government to perform, why is not ‘the law
respecting adultery, blas/zlzcmy, and ma‘, other
similar Levitical laws, equally binding op_"govern-
mcnt ? I think we may rationally cot1cl‘t‘;‘idc', from
the getieral import of scripture, that govTet'i1tnettt
is under as great an obligation to infiiét capital
punishment, for one of these specific crimes, as
another; to exact ‘an eye for an eye, tooth for
tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, as well as lift-
for life ;’ and ifonc ofthese is contrary to the pre-
cepts ofthe gospel, of course they all are.
' That God did not always inflict the punish-
ment of murder by death, is evident fromthe in.-
stance of Cain; but he inflicted a punishment
which undoubtedly answered every purpose, that
might result for his good, and redound to God’s
glory. God not only did not deprive him of life,
but he set a mark upon him that no person might
kill him, and even said, ‘whosoever shall slay
Cain,vengeance shall be taken on him seven fold.’
It-jlos-es might be mentioned as another instance}
of a criminal not punished by death, even under;
the Lc-uz'tz‘cal law. He slew the Egyptian previ-.‘
ously to the great and peculiar priviliges and bles-
sings, he received from God. Another instance .9
may be adduced which occurred long after the‘;
Levitical law above mentioned, wasiin force, viz.)
David :-‘-I-Ie imbrued his hands in innocent blood ;’l
but t'he’Lord inflicted no punishment upon him,;
that we learn, but the horrors of a guilty coli-
science. No.doubt God in his mercy emancipa-
ted him from this guilt, for we find ‘ he .W8§, 3
man after God’s own heart.’ I would, however,
by no means insinuate, that murder can fzossibly
be justtf/Sable, or that God ever looks upon it but
with the utmost ablzorrcnce .’ But my object has
been an attempt to prove, that the punishmentol
murder, or any other crime. by death, is irration-
al, contrary to the dictates of cotzscicrtce, and un-
scrifztztral.
\Vhat an irreparable loss the world would have
sustained, had the Lord said respecting Moses
and David, bring those murderers hither, and
slay them before me. If this were contrary to
his will then, why not now i ‘ Shall mortal man‘
be more just than Gotl ?’ Our Saviour says, ‘ I
came not to destroy mcn’s lives, but to save them.’-
At IICUS.
—-—¢:0—:::-0:¢I---—-
_ BOSTON July 25.
The U. S. frigate Gu__erriere, Com. Macdo-
nough, got under weigh this morning» fol‘ BUS‘
sia, having on board the Hon. Mr. Campbell,
minister to St. Pctersburg.
Mr. Burrows, (son of the Hon. Enoch B. of
Connccticut,) also went out in the Guerriere, as
special Messenger to Mr. Russell, our Minister
in Sweden. The despatches, of which he is the
bearer, probably relate to the treaty pending be-
tween the two nations.
The Guerriere takes to sea some cables made.
of the patent rope, manufactured by Messrs. I.
P.-' Davis and Winslow Lewis Sc Co. they are
the first which have been made in this country-_.
and we are happy to hear the advantages attend-
ing them are so great, that thefullest testimony
in ‘this respect has been given‘ by Captains Hull,
and i\/Iacdonough——and tl1e,,Cornmissioners of the
Navy, have ordered the ships now fitting out here.
to be supplied with patent ropes and cables.
The patent ‘rope exceeds the common kind in’
strength, about one third part in small cordage,
and about one half in large c’abl'es—-arising from,
the method of manufacturing it. The yarns
composing the strands of the new rope, are of
different lengths, according as they may happen
to be placed upon’ the outer or inner part of the
-strand; so that all the yarns will hear an equal
strain at the same time. —
In the common cordagc, all the yarns in the_
strand are of the same length,and when twisted
the inside yarns shrinks up, while those on the
outside having a large circleto make, must bear,
the whole weight until they are broken or’ strain-
ed—every seaman knows’, that on opening of the .
rope or cables, the inside yarns are found quite
sound and perfect, and not exhibiting the least ap-
pearance of having sustained a weight. . The so‘-
periority of patent Cordage is not merely in
strength ; for it enables the owner to reduce the
weight both in cables and on the mast.
In cables the lessening of weight is of much
importance, as the size is so greatly reduced--
that it requires much fewer men‘ to handle them
beget murder.’ For the truth of this, Ineed on‘-
tioned, be not abrogated, but remain .istill\bindin'g—..
§.C?'FLOlllDA.——The National intelligenter
comes out with the following important exposi-
tion of thenieasures of our government,’ relative
to_ the receltt, proceedings at Pensacola.
article may be considered as oflicial; I
;From the ilViztt'omil Intclligcrzcer, July 27;.
. The President of the U. States, has, we unde,-.
stand, decided that Pensacola; and the other Span-
ish posts, \vhich have-been taken by Gen; Jackson,
In th_eFloridas,shall be restored tot he Spanish an.
thor1ty,but with arequisition,that the kingof Spain
shall hereafter keep such a force in those Colo-
nies as shall enable him to execute with fidelity,
the 5th _arti<'ilé of the treaty between the U. States
and Spain. That article, so far as it ’efl'c¢;;s this
subject, is in the following words : , ,
“ 7723 two high contracting /zarttrs shall, by all
many among the several Indian nations ‘ZU/10 in/zal2z'ti
the country adjacent to tlze lines and rivers-, qv/tic/t,
by the /trecedzhg articles, form the boundaries of
the two Floridas ,- and, the better to obtain this ef-
fect, bot/1 {zarties oblige t/zcmselvcs, cxjtrcssly, to
rcstrairz-.5y force, all /zostility on Me fzart of the
Indian nations living wit/tin their lmumlary; so
mat Sjzain will not sufibr lzcr Iwzclians to attack the
citizens qf the United States, nor!/zc Irzdiarzs in.
/zal2z'tz'7zg their territory ; nor will the United States
/zermit tlzcse last mentioned Inrlzans to ccmme7'2ce_
hostilities against the subjects of Ilia Ca!/tolic Ma.
jcsty, or his Indians, in any manner -wlmtevcr.”
On the strict execution of this article, on the
part of Spain, it is understood the President rig-
orously insists ; and that it wasthe failure to ful-
fil it, which produced the necessity of crossing
the Spanish boundary, during the pre'sent war
with the Seminole Indians.
These tribes occupy the lands on each side of
the line between the U. States and Florida; much
thetgreater part of them living within the limits
of tlisrking of Spain. They are neither citizens
ofthe U, States, nor subjects of the king ofSpain.
They owegno allegiance to the laws of either na-
tion. The’y.__cannot, therefore, be tried for trea-
son on account of their levying war against ei-
ther nation, within whose limits they dwell.—-
They are the owners of the soil which they oc-
cupy ; hold at least a qualified sovereignty over
it, and exercise, on all occasions, the right of ma-
king war and peace. To this purpose they are
sovereign within the country which they possess ;
to this purpose the country is their country ; and
that country may and must, of necessity, become
the legitimate seat of war, if the war cannot be
otherwise terminated. '
.This consideration becomes the stronger, when
it is remembered, that it was owing to the ac-
n
l the Indians beyond the limits of the 3}. States,
I attack them.
' of the other facts is confidently expected.
" difficult to admit the belief that acts, so totally
knowledged inconipetency of'S_pain to fulfil the
stipulation of her treaty with us, -by restraining
the hostilities of the Seminoles, by force, that
the U. States were compelled to take up arms
in their own defence. Yet such was the delicacy
of our government towards Spain, that thefirst
order issued _ to the general commanding in that
quarter, expressly forbade him to cross the Span-
ish line. This inhibition was repeated by a sec-
ond order. But, as it was apparent, that driving
was doing nothing effectual to extinguish the
war, since in falling back within the limits _,of
rl’lorida they were still at home, with all the means
of incursion and annoyance which they possess-
ed at the commencement of hostilities, a third
order was issued, wlticlrauthorised the Ameri-
can general, if the Indians should present them-
selves in body, beyond the line, to cross it, and
Shortly after issuing this order,
a massacre was committed by the Indians, which
demonstrated that no alternatives were left for
the U. States, but to leave our frontier exposed
to the mercy of the savages, or to carry the war
into Florida, and thus to do, for Spain, what she
confessed herself unable to do for herself, by ter-
minating by force the hostilities of these savages.
A fourth order was therefore issued, to this effect,
to the American general ; but by the same order
he ' was expressly commanded, if the Indians
should take refuge under a Spanislv fort, not to
attack them in that situation, but to report the
case to the Department of \fVar. Such has been
the delicacy observed by the U. States towards
Spain ; and no subsequent order, it is understood,
has been issued, to enlarge the authority of the
American general.
In attacking the posts of St. Marks and Pensa-
cola, with the fort of Barancas, General Jackson,
_it is understood, acted on facts, which were, for-
’ the first time, brought to his knowledge on the
immediate theatre of war; facts, which, in his
estimation, implicated the Spanish authorities in
that quarter, as the instigators and auxiliaries of‘
the war ; and he took these measures on his own‘
responsibility, merely. That his operations pro-
ceeded from motives of the purest patriotism,
and from his conviction, that, in seizing and hold-
ing those posts, he was justified by the necessity
of the case, and was advancing the best interests
of his country, the character of Gen. Jackson
forbids a doubt. Of the important facts alleged
by him, satisfactory proof, it is understood, has
been already furnished to the President, and plroof
t ls
regardless of the amicable relationsbetween Spain
and the U. States, so directly repugnant to the
stipulation of the treaty above quoted, and: in
themselves so hostile and even cruel, will be a-
vowed and adopted by the king of Spain. \Ve
trust that they were the mere unauthorised acts
of his agents. But should’ they, contrary to all
rational expectation, be so avowed and adopted by
that sovereign, there can be little doubt that the
means of annoying us from that quarter will ere
long be taken from him by the decision of the
competent authority, to be restored no more.
.In the mean time, as Congress, only, have the
power, "under our constitution, of declaring war,
and had made no such declaration against Spam,
it is t'1‘nder'sto'dd that the President does not con-
ceive himself authorised to retain the Spanish
posts, inasmuch as such retention would be an
act of war. It is on this ground, we understand,
that the resolution has been taken to restore the
and to stow them away between decks.
The .
the means in their /tower, rnaintairz /zeacc and bar.
posts, and to demand from the king of
conduct led to their seizure.
_ The President, no doubt, sees, in common Willi
lus countrymen, the great advantages which thjgg
U States would derive from the entire possessionl
of the Floritlas ; but confessedly great as these
advantages would be, he is not willing to gaini
“fem: but by the sanction of an Act of Congress.’
'1 0 have retained these posts, under present cir-‘,
cumstances, would certainly have had the eclat of.
being a. strong measure ; but ‘we hope never to‘
55° 3 1’1‘€S|.dent of the U. States disposed to be’
stronger than the Constitution of his .countrv ;“
for that is the Palladium of interests far more sa-
cred, and of infinitely higher import, to the gen.‘
eral cause of human liberty, than any adquisjtiog,’
of territory, however vast or ad'.‘antageous.'
Notwithstanding this unexpected collision int is‘
F loridas, we trust that the relations" of amity." ‘e-'5
atween the.two nations will be preserved ;- mgr calf
we abandon the hope, that their differences ‘may:
yet be settled, on fair and honorable Vconditionst’
W'e may even indulge the hope, that the incidents’
which have grown out of the Seminole war, how-‘
to be, may contribute essentially to. produce that .
happy result.-—.Spai.n must see, and has?practi'cal-‘
ly- confessed, her incompetency to maintain her’
authority in the Floridas, against the Seminoles
and foreign adventurers: and \vel1ope4she«wi.l-P
see that it will be muclt wiser for‘ber'-to". cede
them on.th_c impossible condition of fulfilling-her‘
treat)’ Wlth "5 ; oxzconthe condition now brought
home to her, by experience, of subjecting her-
self to perpetual collisions, and eventual losses,‘
which she may now avoid with ease and honor-’
to herself, _. . - ' . .
--<t--:::--r>-—-
CHARLESTON, July 25.
VERY IMPORTANT NEVVS.
v By the arrival yesterday of the schr. Eudora,
Capt. I-lugh Vincent, in six days from Havana, "
we ‘are put 1n possession of very interesting in-«-
telltgence, that the FLORIDAS have been ceded-A
by the Spanish Government to the United States}
This pleasing and highly important information
was communicated to Capt. Vincent, the evening
before he sailed, by .Capt. Bonnell, of the schr.-
Mary-Anna of this port, who had just arrived at .
Havana, in 44- days passage from Cadiz-. This
news Capt. B. requested Capt. V. to report on his
arrival in Charleston. It was also stated, that our
Minister was on the eve of sailing, when the ces-
sion took place. VVe have not, as yet, been put,
in possession of the facts and circumstances rela-
ting to this very important measure; but from a
personal acquaintance for several years, with both
the above named gentlemen. and from a» convic-
tion of their intelligence and veracity, we are in-'
clined to place the greatest confidence in the re-'
port. v
* , New YORK, July 31. _,
570m 35- DQ771I'fIg0.--Capt.-Robinson, 17 days
from Aux Cayes, states, that S or 4--clays befoitve;-5:_;.“
heisailetl, an order -arrived. fx'arn' 'Bo;?§,_au 1>,-‘3,,,‘~f:»_',.;--
for all the troops to repair to that capital to assist-'
in its defence against Christophe, who, it was
533(1) W85 aPP1‘oaching it with all his force. The
militia were doing garrison duty at Aux Cayes. 1
In addition to the above, we learn by a passen- -
get‘ in the VVilliam and Mary, that Christophe
had been encannped several weeks at St. Marks,’
about2O leagues from Port au Prince, with a view-
of ascertaining the feelings of the people, expec-
ting, it was supposed, a strong diversion in-lti;~s
favor since the death of Petion.
Aug. l.—ln addition to what we stated yester-
day, Capt. Ingall informs, that when he sailed,-
l3th ult. Christophe had reached within I5 miles
of Port au Prince, with a force of 15,000 men.
He had sent several agents into the town, claim-
ing its submission, and oflcring to the subordin-
ate, officers, on condition of their joining his stan-
dard, to retain them in their present places. The
agents, however, had been driven out of the place
with great indignation. It was expected the
place would soon be besieged.
Sjzanis/1 Sguzzdron.-—\-Vs learn from Capt. Mix, ,
in 42 days from Tenerifl'e, that a Spanish squad-
ron of two frigatcs, a sloop of war, and twelve
tranports, with about 3000 troops on board, had ’
touched at Santa Cruz, and sailed from thence on.
~the 2d of June, destined it was said for Chili.
R2’:/mzond, July 24-.
‘ The officers of the Congress report, that the
cavalry at Buenos Ayres is excellent—that the
horses are uncommonly fine,‘and the troopers
took very great pains to improve themselves-—='
Cattle and horses are incredibly abundant and
cheap——10_O uncommonly fine i‘lC::~l(l of black cat'- -
tle were selected for _ the Congress, at S5 pet"
head. The finest horses may be obtained for I’
from 15 to 20 dollars. ' ‘hc country, which is
waving and open, abounds with cattle. One farm
is said to have on it 70 odd tliouaattd. Wood is
very scarce.
E.z‘t7'act of a letter (lalctl “ GIBRALTAR, ‘June 3.
“ I have no news to send you by this opportu-
nity, save only that the poor Dons are so harras-
sed_by the “ vile rebels,” the privateers, that e-
ven the little coasting trade between this and Ca-
diz, only 60 miles in extent is cut up. All trade
of value between these two potts is carried on ei-
ther under the American or English flag. Four ‘
privateers have ’_?'rterally blockade-d the port of
Cadiz for some time past, making captures in
sight of the walls I and the Russian fleet in
port 2 I
-—K——
The general govc:-n me-1‘-t has sent to the Indian
Agent, (Gov. Mitchell) $to,oo0, which sum he
is to apply, as for as Dct:("-S':ll‘y, to rernuneratc
for the destruction of the Chehaw village.
A ship has arrived at Nantucket from Con-
ception bay, with 2200 barrelsgsperrnaceti oil ;
and another from the Brazil Banks, with l6V,_0-3
Lharrels whale oil.,
punishment of those officers, whose improper ,
ever adverse their tendency may have appeared‘: .
those provinces at once, than to attempt to'h‘ol(l‘ '
.1.
o",
\
1.
-J
4
\
Norwalk Chronicler