Crime And Its Penalties

The Ypsilanti Sentinel has a notice of the recent murder at Dexter, and attributes ït to the laxity in the administration of the law in former cases of homicide. - It refers to the condemnation of Chorr for a similar crime, last year, in this county. Sentence having been deferred in his case, to give time for some technical questions to be argued before the Supreme Court, Chorr escaped from jai), and has not since been taken. The argument of the Sentinel scems to be, that f Chorr had been hanged immediately Phelps would not have been murdered. it may well be doubled, however, whether, the executton of Chorr, even if witnessed by the person vvho shot Mr. Phelps, would have prevented the act. A careful analysis of the workingsof tlie mind must convince any reflecting individual, that the motives to the commission of crime vary exceedingly, and are often strangely compounded. There is reason tobelieve that individuáis frequently take the life of their fellows without thinking much, if at all, of the penalties of the law, whether they are weighty or trifling, whether the offenders will become certa;nly subject to thetn, or whether they can wholly escape. - The penalties of the law appeal chiefly to one principie of human action - Fear: and when Anger, Combatí veness and Revenge are raging in the mind, the admonitions of the law will scarcely be regarded. Besides, in the Southern States, where arms are conslantly carried, the most revolting homicides ure frequentlv perpetrated without dcliberation, in consequence of trifling qunrrcls, of a rHdmentary character. In Ihese cases, fhere are no previous intentions tocommit murder. The first thouglit of the angry individual is that he has arms: the second is, that he will use them: and a recollection of the penalties of the law comes afterward, and therefore, however great the penalties may be, or however rigorotisly they may be enforced, they have at the time, no injlücnce in prcvenling the crime, It will be observed that we nre nol here apologizing for crime, nor arguing against hanging. All we say is, that much mofe efficacy is usually attaehed to the infliction of Iegnl penalties as a preventalive of crimej than is warranted by facts. The Sentinel also tcCcrs to the indifierence of the citizens in reference to the re'apprehension of Chorr, as a stnte of Inind higlily culpable. Thatsuch anindiflerence is extensively prevalent we know from personal knowledge. There are reasons for it) however, as there are for all other facts. 1. A portion of the people ai'e opposed from principie tö hanging. Such Would not be very zealous in appreliending a man for the sake of hanging himi 2. Oihers who wish to see the penalties of the law executed, would have but little faith in their enforcement, as tt large portion of crimináis do escape justice thro' legal chicanery. 3. Others would not be zealous in his apprehension, because they say it would only make a great expense to the community without benefiuing any one. - VVhat is the use, say they, of payinga thousand dollars more toa set of lawyers to fight the case over again, when it is an even chance that the criminal will be set at liberty at last? From these motives tho indifference has arisen of which the Sentinel complains.Whcn the doctrines of Fourier were firsi bfoached in this country, ïlic plan of associolion was held out by many of its advocates ns= a poeitive remedy for habits of hzihCss and vice. On the new plan k was thought by some tliat Labor would be rcndered so attractive iliat individunlá, howcver indolent, woild rnther work than be idle; and the most shiftless mifiht bp taken into associntinns; as it was certain that they would labor enough to pay their own expenses. Out the expotience of severa! associations shows tho falsity oí these views; and those Phalanxes which are progressing are becoming more particular in reference to the admission of members. We notice that the Wisconsin Phalanx requires, ns prerequisite6 of admis6Íon, "good character, températe habitp, peaceaUle dieposition, good health, industrious habitp, and at least $100 for each mnnber of a family." A person possessed of these qualtfícations will be pretty sure to thrive out of an association. - But the associations are right in endeavoring to gel in at many such members as potsible. (L7 The Free Press says that the case of Mr. Barton, to which we have referred in another article, has been provided for by the assignees of the Bank of St. Clair.