Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

The shocking increase of the most flagitious crimes, in the state of Pennsylvania, within the last twelve months, is exceeded only by the abundance of those of lesser degree. The restoration of a penal code to this unfortunate commonwealth, can alone save society from degenerating to a state little preferable to that of wolves and bears. That dreary humanity which delights in warding punishment off the heads of the worst wretches in society-and proceeds no farther, is fast retiring before the slow but solemn force of experience.

In four words of a beautiful Poet,
"Pæna metusque aberant,"
we have a strong, though accidental elucidation of the consequence that follows the non-existence of proper sanctions to the laws. The Poet is describing his Golden Age, when punishment and fear, and a thousand other ills were put away; the justice of the connection, in which he introduces his pæna metusque, must forever be realized, until that visionary era of his imagination be brought to pass: But the present is an Age of Brass.