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

10. here is more OF the same leaning On
man and distressing God-more Of the
same running for fear of man, until you
dash against the Almighty. You talk of
the necessity Of physical penalties; and
take it for granted that to abjure them is to
invite havoc, and rapine, and violence in
every shape; just as though mans laws
and penalties were all powerful, and Gods
laws and penalties utterly powerless to re-
strain from sin-jus' as though rational,
immortal being, capable of understanding
his accountability to his Maker and final
Judge, could only be kept in awe by brute
force, and could not be affected by higher
and nobler motives, motives better adapted
TO his nature as an intellectual, spiritual,
[ immortal being. Allow me to illustrate.
Take the man who has propensity to steal.
Suppose him to have stolen five dollars.
What shall be the penalty? One says he
shall be whipped ten lashes. Another says
he shall be imprisoned twelve months.
ask whether there Is more power in such
penalties than in this: "neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.'' l frankly confess, for
one, that have more confidence in the lat
| ter than IN the former. / am about fully
convinced OF the inadequacy and unadapt-
edness OF physical penalties to work moral
reformation. | want rational being TO
show me the connection there is, or can be,
between the application of violence to the
body of man by his fellow man, his equal,
and the renovation of his heart Whip
him, imprison him-have you changed his
heart2 Kill him-have you saved his soul /?
1t is my solemn conviction, my sincere be-
lief, that if one half of the time and the IN
tellect which are employed in devsing and
infiicting physical penalties were turned to
preaching the gospel-holding up Gods
law and Its Notwithstanding men their
own nature, as elevated above the beasts
that perish, and their accountability as such
to God, infinitely more good would be done
and more evil prevented.
But lest should still be misunderstood
will return again for a moment to your
question, which takes it for granted that to
dispense with physical penalties is to invite
to the commission of the crimes which these
penalties are designed 10 deter from. l do
not grant, or allow, or believe, any such
thing; and expect TO be able to convince
you Of your error, in the space Of a very
short paragraph. In England, the penalty
for stealing is hanging. Now if your rea-
soning be correct, the Legislation in the u
nited States which dispenses with this pen
atty, and substitutes a comparatively trivial
one, does, just so far, invite to the crimes of
theft. But is it so ?-lf not, then your po-
sltion is without foundation. For if anu
part of given penalty, which is not of it.
self more than is necessary Tor entire re-
stralnt, may be taken off without inviting
crime, then every part may be removed
by the same rule. On the 9th er hand, if by
how much you lessen the penalty by SO
much you invite the commission of crime,
then the laws of this State and of the Unit
ed States, just as far as they have departed
| from the English standard, just so far they
have travelled in the trighttuL road into
which am now inviting you and all chris
tlans. Turn around then, little, for mo-
ment, my brother, and put part of your
questions to all supporters of liberal govern
ment. be consistent. Exhcrt them at
once to return to the standard from which
they have presumptuously departed, which
requires more indeed than an eye for an eye
and tooth for tooth.
Another idea here Who has not wit
messed the hardening, benumbng, brutifying
effects OF inhicting physical penaltes on "a
tlonal beings? thus fitting them for crime,
rather than restraining them from it. 1t is
not adapted to their nature. 1t is hardly
possible for it 10 elevate them. 1t is very
sure 10 degrade them. 1t tends to DESTROY
their confidence in themselves. 1t crushes |
the spirit. 1t bows down the head among
irrational animals, instead of lifting it IN
towards the society and elevation for which
it was made
Before leaving the subject, perhaps |
ought to say that my address is to christians.
| hold it to be the duty Of christians TO fol-
low the examples and obey the precepts of
Jesus Christ. If be asked what would
have wicked men do, ny answer is, would
have them all become Christians, and in
stantly cease from all violence and sin
But am asked what would have wicked
men do, as such. e. if they will sin, hoo
shall they sin, or in what way shall they
regulate their sinful affairs This is one