Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-10-20
To His Erceilency, Charles Paine, Governor of
The State o Vermont.
No. V.
CAPITAL PUNlSNMENT-TllE LAW OF
GOD UNREPEALED,

GOD UNKEPEALED.
DEAR SIR; In my last letter, it was shown
that the university of the sentiment, that the
murderer ought TO be puLio DEATH has been such in
all time and among all nations, that it must be re-.
garded as a law OF God, craven upon the human
conscience. Having disposed OF this part OF the
subject:
propose to examine in this number the Law
OF COP IN HIS WORD, aud The circumstances at
tending IFS promulgatIun
In the commencement of the human race, the
experiment was made of suppressng murder by
moral considerations, and las is commonly sup
posed) without resorting to capital punshment;
the insufiicienCy OF this plan was SOON evinced to
the race. We have accounts Of ut least TWO muir.
ders, that Of Abel by Cain and that of young
man by Lamech II is II fair inference from the
sacred record that murder was a common event
in the antedlluvian world. tor we read that The
earth Ors filled toith violence language clearly in
tiInatlng that men were constantly engaged in
broils with each other In the brevity OF the re-
cord, other murdcfers are not distinctly mention.
ed. But from the known principle that the wick.
ed wax worse and worse the longer they live in
wckehness ii is easy to see that the spirit Of Cain.
l. c. human depravity, must have acquired terrific
power IN the course OF II long lite OF 500 or 900
years, aud that frequent murder must have been
the result.
The mllder course mad been taken in vain az
least, it served only this important purpose, of
demonstrating to mankind their exceeding sinful
ness, aud the necessity OF higher sanctions. I'm
der the nder course, violence filed the earlh
and men became so wicked, that he who made
them could uo have mercy upon them. There.
fore, with flood he swept to destruction the en-
IRE race, saving The single family of Noah.
Alter the flood, tho earth came forth aireeh,
ceansed from the blood of frequent MURDERS
With Noah, as the head and progentor of u new
race, God entered into II covenant, as he did with
dam onIu "a .t,n t,rtI
lie commands him to increase and multiply and
replenlsh the earth assures him that the earth
shall no more lie cursed for mans sake that
while the earth continues seed time and harvest,
summer aud winter, cold and heal, day and night
shall not cease and lest every gathering storm
sweeping across the horizon, should awaken in
him the fear of another deluge, he assures him
That the earth shall no more be drowned with
food, as perpetual memorial and pledge of this
promise, he paints tho rainbow upon The clouds
with divine pencil. He enlarges TO Noah the
means Of subsistence, 10y grant Of animal food
but restricts him with respect TO the blood which
SAID God, is the life of the flesh. lie then added
the great law for The protection of human life,
whose sHEDDETH MANS BLOOD, BY MAN SHALL
HIS BLOOD BE SHED. This is the law of Lie. In
II God declares his own estimate Of hfe, and has
assumed his supreme authority over il, forbidding
man to touch ii except by warrant from him.
Thus the circumstances connected with the
giving of this law, invest with great importance
and aid us in It's right Interpretation. The re.
menbrance Of former violence and OF the wrath
of God upon it, was fresh in the minds of the pro-
gentors OF the new race and would give meaning
and sanction to the law.
|. The meaning of This lao, is that which sug.
gess itself at once TO every mind Whether we
weigh the words of the statute, or examine the
scope and bearing of the context, no ingenuity of
criticism con invest the passage with any other