Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-10-06
For the Burlington Free Press.
To His ExcELLEscv, CHARLES PAiSE, GovrRSoE
Of the State of Vermont

tH"t uit civilized ara saN"eei luNe So"-
sdered death as the only proper punishment for the
crime Of murder. The universally of this sentiment
% deeply grounded in the reason and conscienccs of
men, can be accounted for only by supposing, that
God has written it as law upon the hearts of men
or, that he has formally enacted and proclaimed 1t as
an unalterable statute, and that tradition has nrodu
eed it among all nations, that the sentiment that,
"he murderer ought TO die" has prevailed even
more extensively than the custom Of sacrifces.-
Whichever hypothesis we embrace, either of this law
being engraven upon the human conscience, or for
nally promulgated in the written code, brings
the same conclusion viz,-that the law is from God
--is an expression Of his mind and will, and must
stand until it is erased from the conscience and
nulled from the statute book by the authority
that enacted it,
The clear and strong conviction OF my own nind
10, that both the sipposions above made, are the
truth; that God has written the law. requiring the
murderer TO be put TO DEATH both upon the conscience
and in the statute books that it stands in both unre
psaled and unrepealable, and holds its place ct the
head OF the worlds criminal jurisprudence just as the
ten commandments hold their place at the head of
the science Of christian ethics. OF course, I am
equally persuaded that no human legislature has any
eontro! over this ordinance of God and tina, the
peal oft would be offensive to God and unsafe to the
community. I hold to the divine enactment, ard
maintain its authority as supreme above all earthly
legislation Some Of my reasons for this conviction
are the following.
J. The universally Of the sentiment that the
dersr ought to be put to death, such show that
this 10 law Of God graren upon the human con-
science. Long before it was given to Noah, we sec
it existing and operating on tho conscences of Cain
and his contemporaries. When he had committed
rAa CSD1oa VI. a. I.aS
bleed erieth unto me from the ground. A voice loud
and terrible up from the depths Of his own con-
science and told him that he ought to die. He felt
that every other conscience decided in the same man.
1sr for he said behold every one that fndeh me shall
clay me.-This language clearly implies that it was
il thsvew of the race, crime against law which for
feited his f Even after God, for wise rensons had
VENTED the penalty as the supreme law giver had
right to do, there forebodng in his SOUL that all
mankind would seek to kill him. To prevent this,
mark was put upon him, so tha, he might be known,
and . fold vengeance be inflicted on the man
who should disregard it.
Nor can there be doubt, that Lamech, when he
had committed murder. felt and reasoned in the same
way; and supposed himself to have received remis-
sion Of the well known penalty which conscience
tached to this crime, together with divine guarantee
Of his safety. This may be inferred from his Ian
Guage, W Ciin shall be arenged seren foid truth
Lameeh, serenity and seren fold" Thus this deep
horror ct the crime Of murder and this deep inwrouch,
conviction that the murderer ought to de- have been
developed wherever men have grown into communi
ties.
We have another evidence that the law cron., the
murderer is craven upon the conscience in the feel.
inss and conduct OF the bari arous pcone,"-who
showed SO much kindness to the apostle Paul. after
his shpwrec';. Though their impressions had been
much in Paul's favor, yet, when they saw the vcno.
nous "viper fasten on his hand" they said among
themselves, No doa5t this man is Murderer ,ehom
though he hath escaped the sea, rengeanc. sufereM
not 10 ipe. This is a striking case. This divine jus.
tics against the murderer, holds strong pla &c in The
convictions of the barbarous and the refined Ii has
Boon 90 in all time, among all people. The whole
creation seems to array ITSELF by the of
Col, against the murderer. 1.-THE elements scowl
ana darken upon nm. The air is with dreadful faces
'ar'nseu circumstances as II instinct with spirit
s"u ''e"sehce' commune against him' Hence The
maxim known IN all languages "MuRpER WILL OUT"
II can not be concealed. In tie language of Mr.
Webster, in the trial Of Knapp, 1.-THE whole creation
OF God has neither nook nor corner, where the guilty
can oestow such secret and say il is safe. The gul-
~ soul can not Keep its own secret Ii is false to it.
self; or rather, 1t feels an irresistible impulse of con.
science 10 be true to ITSELF II labors under its guilty
POSSESSION and knows not what TO do with it. The
human heart was not made for the residence Of such
an ihhao"ant. II hnds lsei preyed on by torment,
when II dares not acknowledge to God or man. A
'uiu'e Is deVourlhs H. ana II can ask no sympathy
or assstanbe either from heaven or earth. The SC.
eret winch the murderer possesses soon comes to pos
sess him. and like the evil spirits of which read
overcomes him and leads HIM whittier soever it will
ne feels 1t beating at his heart rising 10 his throat
ana demanding disclosure He thinks the whole
~ofld seesn IN his lace reads his eyes and almos'
us WORKINGS IN Ire very silence OF his thoughts
u must De confessed 1t will be confessed; there is
no refuge from conlss but suicide and suci lie is
confession Thus in respect 10 murder all men
agree.
1.-THE offence i. ron, !, smeis "a he.vo,
II hath the primal. eldest cnrse mon !, -
-,
we can not account Tor this strong and universal
vction tina, murder can not be concealed and ,b,,
murderer ought 10 die I'm, bv m, ,os;no ,h., Goa
eco ,ts '..,;.s, ~ p'S''- ''"' YOU mas
t.en '"s sG'i''hen' 'pon me henrts OF men as the