OMISSION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. 193 
promulgated, the punishment of death was an¬ 
nexed to the crime of murder, and rebellion or 
treason. But by the laws of Huahine and its 
dependency, capital punishment was not inflicted 
for any crime. In the first law, prohibiting murder 
and every species of infanticide, the penalty an¬ 
nexed to its commission, instead of being death, 
is banishment for life to Palmerston’s, or some 
other uninhabited island. This was in consequence 
of our particular recommendation. We were con¬ 
vinced, that if, under any circumstances, man is 
justified in the infliction of death, it is for murder 
alone; but an examination of those parts of the 
bible which are generally supposed to authorize 
this punishment, did not fix on us the impression 
that the Almighty had delegated to man the right 
of deliberately destroying a human being, even for 
this crime. 
In our views of those parts of the sacred writ¬ 
ings, we may perhaps have been mistaken; but 
in reference to the great principles on which public 
justice is administered, the plan recommended 
appeared in every respect preferable. Death is 
not inflicted, even on the murderer, from motives 
of retaliation or revenge; and if it be considered 
that his life is forfeited, and is taken to expiate 
his crime, the satisfaction which the injured party 
derives from such expiation must be of a very 
equivocal kind. At the same time, the very exe¬ 
cution of the sentence imparts to the executioner 
somewhat of the character of an avenger, or excites 
the apprehension that it is done under the influence 
of irritated and vindictive feelings. 
The great design of capital, and even other 
punishments, is the security of society, and the 
prevention of crime. The death of the criminal 
III. o 
