Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-24
Wha' say you, brethren? Speak out on
this subject; and let some plan be matured.
The next session Of the Convention is to
be held at Brandon.
For the Vermont Telegraph.
p E A C z

10 think you can furnish room for very
thorough discussion of the Peace question
in this paper, will be very brief. 1t appears
TO me that you did not fully and fairly
answer all the questions put to you on that
subject week before last. 1t would require
so much room to examine all your comments
or protested answers, that | will allude to
only one or two, and will do this, request |
ing those who read the said articles, to re- |
peruse them. l cannot see that you have in |
note I answered my questions at all. tlooks |
to NE something like his:-a friend asks
you to conduct him to Rutland-you start
with hlm--go directly to A. M. Sander
sons bear TO the left-wander awhile in
the swamp-get rather confused-at length
find the road, and travel on. You come
round by Capt. Child's--cross the creek
bridge, and at dusk reach this village. The
friend inquiries whether you have arrived at
Rutland-"O yes" you say, and put up for
the night. But when you get well regulat-
ed and have little more light, you see your
mistake. In this case, think you will soon
see your error.
In your 9Th comment or answer, you seem
TO think. that by placing any dependence on
human penalties, we dlstrust the Almighty.
do not so consider il. can see no more
reason for it, in this case, than in mans
sowing wheat, or planting corn, when our
Maker has told US we shall have seed time
and harvest. Another idea thrown out or ad-
Vanced is this we use man as an instru-
ment to inflct penalties for the purpose of
| reforming the criminal. This was not on
my mind when put the question. The OBJ
| ject was this to know whether communi-
ties had moral right to make laws, accom-
panied with penalties, to be enforced, if need
be, Tor the benefit Of the many. | do not
Think, that when a man is convicted of muir
der and is confnei it lessons the obligations
In the least Of christians to show him the
duty of repentance. At the close of your ar
tlcle, you request those who would reclaim
you, to bring along with them "Thus saith
the Lord" Now, sir, think such phrase,
or such language, cannot be found in the
| New Testament. And if bring one from
| the old, suppose you will reject it {: but
will quote one. Just turn to the 18th chap
ter of 1st Samuel, and you may find the fol-
lowing, I'd verse: "Thus saith the Lord of
hosts, remember that which Amalek did to
Israel, how he laid wait for him IN the way,
when he came up from Egypt" Sd verse
CHOW go and smite Amalek, and utterly de-
stroy all that they have, and spare them not
but Stay both man and woman, infant and
sucking, OK and sheep, camel and ass" You
can make such use Of this quotation as you
please. | could not understand why you
should require such authority unless you
concluded to make some use of the Old
Testament. This suppose, however, you
did not design doing. will just say, that |
cannot as yet, see that human governments
can be dispensed with until men become
more thoroughly regenerated. | believe
them to be in accordance with the will and
plan of the Almighty. l do not consider
this declaration as sanctioning all the laws
that have been enacted by man. | do not
believe we have any more right to denounce
all human governments as wrong, because
some legislatures have passed laws, unneces-
sarily cruel, than do that.,he Church of
Christ should be rejected because some of its
members walk disordery. As | cannot
have room to give my views in full, at pres
ent, without crowding out other matter,
probably Of more consequence than this. |
will close by saying, 1t is my sincere desire
that we may both soon see alike on this and
every other important suject.
Yours in the cause of peace,
J. HoLcoMB.
l perceive that my closing remark, under
note Z, served to hoodwink my brother
which l regret, Of course, especially as it
may have had the same effect on some 9TH
ers. lcannot believe, however, that all were
blinded by it. AS my brother has asked
readers In general to re-peruse-in which re-
quest | moss heartily join him will ask
him to re-peruse this 9TH note. When | said
al the close of that note, that some might
think | had wandered, did not thereby ac-
knowledge that had not, previously to anu
admitted wandering, "fully and fairly an
swered his question" Letme he,e rebearse
the substance of the question and the answer.
He asked whether we should revoke this
that, and the other human law, based ON vi
olence, and thus virtually incite and URGE
men on to crime. This question, as view
ed it, and yet view it, involves what is term
ed begging of the question:. e., an assum-