By these, and some other facts, European civilisation has been latterly advancing in a daily accelerating ratio, and has already, to appearance, thrown back the state of civilisation of the eighteenth century, with all its luxurious refinements, to that of the primeval ages. The civilisation which has been thus attained by distinct advances during the last forty, or, more properly, the last twenty-five years, may be described as at present in a pausing or transitive state, in which, by the conflict of parties and opinions, it may be arrested for a length of time in any particular country, but cannot well be prevented from passing onwards in the aggregate to a higher condition. The concurring effects of a universal and friendly intercourse among nations, improved and extended means of education, missionary enterprise in planting Christianity in hitherto heathen regions, and the diffusion of the produce of the press, cannot but be beneficial to society, and must sooner or later carry civilisation to limits considerably beyond those which are now assigned to it. The history of this latter progress, which remains to be written, will form a deeply interesting chapter in the annals of human civilisation. {244} {245} On The Punishment Of Death. {246} {247} Contents. Preface, -- 249 Chapter I. -- Limits Of The Question,--255 Chapter II -- Physical Efficacy Of Capital Punishment,--258 Chapter III. -- Moral Efficacy Of Capital Punishment,--268 Chapter IV. -- The Same Subject Continued,--280 Chapter V. -- Double Character Of The Government,--285 Chapter VI. -- Justice,--291 Chapter VII. -- Necessity,--300 Chapter VIII. -- Means,--306 Chapter IX. -- Prosecution And Qualification Of Political Crimes,--308 Chapter X. -- The Privilege Of Mercy,--318 Chapter XI. -- Conclusion,--325 {248} {249} Preface. It may be asked, perhaps, what I hope from this work? I do not hope, I admit, that governments will be convinced of the inutility of capital punishment, still less that they will abandon its employment. Truth glides slowly into the mind of power, and even when it does fairly enter, it is not immediately acknowledged as master. The mind long refuses to believe, and even when forced to believe, it still refuses to obey. There is no occasion to tell why.