Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-10-10

some individuals in check; and that ac-
cordIng to the Providence of God, man
must be the instrument to infict the pen
atty: but what kind of penalty, is not for
me to decide on this occasion, or in this ar
hcle. 81 If you would not have physic-
al force made use of in any case, what
will you do with your petition, asking the
legislature to prohibit the traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors as drink? You NAV rest
assured that law without a penalty, is
vtd, and Of none effect; or a penalty,
with q declaration accompanying It.
that no physical force will be used in in
fiicting the penalty, will be of no avail. I
would be glad to know, whether YOU
would moaO askthe legislature for such a
prohibition, or whether your views have
| become changed? l think you have
formerly believed and stated. that a class of
men existed in different communities who
could not be governed BY moral suasion-
VINO were nuisance to society and could
not be removed without the strong arm of
human law or Legislation. (6) 1T hat is the
case, shall! we all, who are DESTROYS of
promoting the cause of peace, sign the
Declaration, saying virtually to the rum
seller, "go on with your death. dealing
traffic until you become regenerated 2''-
Or shall we denounce all human govern
ments as wicked, and then turn round and
say. please, sirs, help us out of the pres
ent difficulty. and then we want no more
of you!" ~
Another thought suggested itselfto nv
mind, which is this:-Is it disobevino
the law of God, while we are so prone to
violate his laws, to associate ourselves to-
gether, agreeing TO be governed by such
laws as are necessary TO protect the weaS
against the Entertainments of the strono .
Or shall we proclaim upon the house.tops
TO The thief take our property, and we
will not resist, for we are aliens to all hu
man government ?" Shall we saw to the
llcentlous. "voIate the chastity Of our
daughters, for we will teach them 10 be
submissive ?-They will not oppose bv
physical force, and we have given up all
claim upon government for aid"
! Brother Murray: Can it be that penal
ties inflicted by man con be dispensed with,
until the character of men are more uni
versally conformed to the requirements of
the Gospel? ~
VIII ask you no more questions at this
time. My object in asking these was, to
be enlightened on the great subject under
consideration, that we may the sooner see
eye to eye-that you may inform me ofthe
steps necessary to be taken in order to
reach the summit of the elevation where
you say you now stand. And should T
ever De enabled to reach it, | feel sure that
should need constantly to ..loolx aloft''
to the only sure support. else l should
soon lose my hold, and return to the grow
cling things of earth.
Yours, in the cause Of peace,
J. HoLcoMB.
| 0. S. MURRAY.
Brandon. Oct. 4, 1888.
| (L) However many times my brother
may have read the Declaration, and with
however much care and sincere desire to
Understandable it is not to be questioned
that he has done precisely as he states he
has-still it is manifest that he entirely mis-
aPprehends the scope of a single phrase
and from this misapprehension of the senti-
ments of the Declaration, comes all his op-
prehension of Inconsistency. The phrase
is this: " in relation to" &c. NV brother
has, no doubt, identified the petitioning hele
contemplated, with the petitioning already
had on other subjects. These petitions.
many of them, have called for laws TO be
enacted, penalties annexed, and enforced if
need be by brute violence. But we can
petition !" IN relation to the subject of uni
Versal peace" without asking for any such
thing. For instance, the Legislature of
Vermont, at their last session, enacted that
those persons, not Quakers, conscientiously
scrupulous OF bearing arms, should be cx-
empt from such service, by paying a fine.
Now what remains due from the Legisla-
ture TO this class Of persons is, the relin-
qulshment of the fine and every other viola
ton OF their consciences. This can he
done without the use of any violence. In
deed, to do it, is only 10 cease from vio-
lence. Where then is the inconsistency Of
asking the Legislature to blot from their
code this illiberal and oppressive actin
other words, to cease their invasion of the
rights of conscience? know my roguish
brother, In one of his freakish moments. has
made all peiltiouing of the kind look, at the
hrst view, to be little ridiculous, by COM
pairing it to the praying Of saints to the dew
ii! suppose, after all, that if he had him
sell fallen into the power of the adversary.
and he could believe that the adversary had
heart TO hear PRAYER, he might pray for de-
i'Verance. Call it prayer, or petition, or re-