Suicide (n.) is impelled by cowardice and should be a crime. If it be no crime, both prudence and courage should engage us to rid ourselves at once of existence when it becomes a burden.
Suicide (n.) is refused by moderns who would rather row in the galleys, beg, or be tortured — receiving from enemies the death they would not give themselves.
Suicide (n.) is no more a crime than diverting the Nile or Danube from its course would be — where then is the crime of turning a few ounces of blood from their natural channels?
Suicide (n.) is death from the deity's hands as surely as death from a lion, a precipice or a fever, if men's actions are God's operations.
Suicide (n.) does no harm to society: the man who retires from life only ceases to do good — which, if it be an injury, is of the lowest kind.
Suicide (n.) is never thrown at a life worth keeping: our horror of death is such that small motives never reconcile us to it.
Suicide (n.) can only be driven by cowardice if it is a crime; if no crime, prudence and courage both urge it once existence becomes a burden.
Suicide (n.) is a power man has even above God, who cannot kill himself if he would — the supreme boon given to man among the penalties of life.