Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
806 COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
Blackftone *, as a pattern of legiflative clemency. Though the infliction of death for
offences, which ought not to be capital, is too frequent in many countries; yet Eliza-
beth’s modification of the criminal laws is perhaps no lefs exceptionable, in point of
policy and expedience, than illufive in regard to its fuppofed lenity.
For fhould we even erroneoufly imagine, with fome authors, that the edi& has been
literally obeyed, and that, during the {pace of forty years, not one criminal fuffered death
throughout the vaft empire of Ruffia; furely this lenity to the moft atrocious crimes
mult be confidered as extremely injurious to fociety. As a denunciation of death is,
to the generality of mankind, the moft formidable prevention of crimes, the removal
* Voltaire thus expreffes himfelf upon this edi&t. « ZL? Jmpératrice Elizabeth a achevé, par la clémence,
Pouvrage que fon pere commenga par les loix. Cette indulgence a été méme pouffée a un point, dont il ny a@ point
aexemple dans Vhifoire d’aucun peuple. Elle a promis, que pendant fon regne perfonne ne ferait puni de mort, &
a tenu fa promeffe. Elle eft la premiére fouveraine qui ait ainfi refpecté la vie des hommes. Les malfaiteurs ont
été condamnués aux mines aux travaux publics: leurs chatimiens font devenus utiles alétat; inftitution non
moins fage que humaine. Partout ailleurs on ne fait que tuer un criminel, avec appareil, fans avoir jamais
empéché les crimes. La terreur de la mort fait moins d’impreffion peut-étre fur des méchants pour la plii-
part fainéants, que la crainte d’un chatiment & d’un travail pénible qui renaiffent tous les jours.” Hift. de
Ruflie, p. 120.
Sir William Blackflone makes the following remark upon the fame prohibition.
© Was the vat territory of all the Ruffias worfe regulated under the late Emprefs Elizabeth, than under
her more fanguinary predeceffors? Is it now, under Catharine IT., lefs civilized, lefs focial, lefs fecure ?
And yet we are affured, that neither of thefe illuftrious Princeffes have, throughout their whole adminifiration, in-
fied the penalty of death; and the latter has, upon full perfuafion of its being ufclefs, nay, even perni-
cious, given orders for abolifhing it entirely throughout her extenfive dominions,” . Commentaries, vol. iv.
+ TO.
And lately L’Evefque, “* Les grands crimes ont commencé a devenir plus rares fous ce regne, ow perfonne
na été puni de mort.” Hitt. de Ruffie, tom. v. p. 92.
Voltaire affigns, as the grounds of his encomium on Elizabeth’s fuppreffion of capital punifhment, two
reafons: 1. The permanent chattifement which entails on the offender a long continuance of hardfhips and
mifery, hasa greater effeét on the multitude, than the {ummary pangs of death. 2. The prefervation of
malefactors is fubfervient to public emolument. 1. On the firft reafon I fhall briefly remark, that the horror
of diffolution has been repeatedly obferved in the generality of mankind to preponderate beyond any other
terrors; and if we could devife a punifhment more terrible than death, this new punifhment, in order to
work its effe€& upon vulgar minds, ought to be infliGted within the reach of vulgar obfervation, and not in
the remote region of Siberia. For can we fuppofe that the lower clafs of mankind, who are governed by
their fenfes, receive any {trong impreffion from the cafual report of fufferings endured at a great diftance ?
2. Voltaire’s fecond reafon for his applaufe of Elizabeth’s edi€t, namely, the profit which the community
derives from the labour of a malefa@tor whofe life is fpared, will hardly be allowed to hold good in regard
to murderers; for if capital punifhments be really the moft efficacious prevention of crimes, they will
neceflarily form a ftronger bulwark round the lives of orderly citizens than any other penalties. The le-
giflator, therefore, who fubverts this fecurity with a view to the emolument of the ftate, aGtually revives the
old barbarous cuftom of weighing the life of man in a fcale againft pecuniary advantage, with this material
difference, however, in favour of that barbarous cuftom, that the latter affigned the price of blood to the
relations of the perfon whofe blood had been fhed, and who had a more immediate claim, than the commu-
nity at large, on any compenfation made by the offender.
Judge Blackitone intimates his doubts concerning the fuperior efficacy of capital punifhments over other
penalties in the fhape of a query. Was the vait territory, &c. Bunt no reader can perhaps an{wer this
queftion in the negative; nor could the fagacious author himfelf anfwer it in the affirmative. For can it
be decifively determined, except by a collection and comparifon, during a long feries of years, of felonies
refpeCtively committed under the two different modes of jurifprudence? and judge Blackftone does not pre-
tend to have formed his theory on this ground. But after all, this reafoning fuppofes a fa& which in re-
ality does not exift, that no criminal has fuffered capitally fince the acceffion of Elizabeth ; the fallacy of
which affertion is, I flatter myfelf, abundantly proved in the text.
I entered Ruffia fully prejudiced in favour of the notion, that no perfons were eyer punifhed with death.’
I was firft undeceived by a foreign gentleman, to whom I addreffed the queition, Whether there were any
capital executions in Ruffia?. ‘* Malefactors, indeed,” he returned, ‘ are not beheaded or hanged; but
are not unfrequently knooted to death,” ue ts grt
9 of
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
