Hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1843-1845, 1844-02-01
For the Ka,ok- Eye.
c,;tal Punishment.

r.,rou-Understa ndlns tnat vi! ~
Mr Ic c,n;tal punishment in this Terrific
sbolsh caP hefore our Legislature. ! beg a
n is now your paper for the following
column ~ mon that subject. Shortness OF
,hough's . ,pur limits compel me 10 con
tine anu .,f 70 one part OF the argument.
fine MY. III, 20 your readers if this is not
Bat suO - settle the question forever.
srIe -. attention ofour law makers 10 the
.rfurnsTns'o Jaw Of God should control. and
]. IN - Imam legislation. On this point
ifscta ~ y. al agree: for the law OF an inf
Isuppose a Linn must be just law. The
piiely Just ;aSniiely pise and BENEVOLENT be
law Of an ' 10 The most erpedient for u.s.
ing, n'asI :. ,r,sdom must knoao what is best
Since sacl' % .uch bencrolence must select
ior u.s. , IN for u.s. And the two consider
What y ;, insticc and erpediency SHOULD be
~ ground of alllegsa,,G;m y. 81 coa
H. gov. % The murderer, the question is
in re'at'oIi = MS now turn to the Bible
settled. murderer, but his life was not
Cain wa THE same course was pursued by
taken Cor some seventeen centuries.
the Crea.IS' , n, result. The earth was so
Now na .:,. r;olenee. that the patience OF
ilisd WI VA endure j, no longer; and our
Geo wee excepting Noah's famiiy--werc buri-
r'e sns grave. During these centuries.
"a 10 ~. 90" If death wns not held over the muir
The iea' .s,a and we know the result. The
derer 81. n, was fairly tried. Tho murder.
sSpel''n no, Nh, TO death, and in consequence
e'Sa' 's;ons Of men ran 7siot in violence.
ins ga V' found it necessary to execute the
vi NV !, one cxtcrminating judgement.
'a, m;,s Noah, the second father Of our
we, ca established different order OF
faee, IN Genesis 9th 5, c, God said to
, I.as and surely your blood OF your lives
~. sJII I require, at the hand Of every bea st
WI WI ! ,eouire it, and at the hand Of man;
WI. Va hand Of every mans brother will!
"'a ~ Il Whose shcddeth mans blood
, :. m,n shall his blood be shed, for in the
,s.reot God made he man.
Two things demand our attention here;
e., the terms Of the enactment "Whoso
'hsSae,h mans blood"-no restriction as to
nv a, Mace. 1t could no more be con-
snsd to the Jews than to the inhabitants
New Holland, for neither were then in
S,;stcnce. And il the language means
snrtbng, it must mean to apply 10 all the
children Of Noah.
Second The reason given for this law
aFur in the image OF God made he man.
,h,, is, 10: one man, but the race. Now
,hisis owen az the reason for the enact
4. nens. This reason applies to Il II men, and
40 Of course must The law founded upon il
apply to all raen. Here then. VIC have the
riyen to Noah. Has it ever been ubro
rsicdl This is for its opponents to show
sOd show distinctly too. The proof Of il,
,hrcrsiion should be US clear and decisive
mihe proof Of it's enactment. And mark
Da the law can be repealed only By tn,
sae authority which first gave il. Has i,
sferbsen thus repealed 1t could not pas
,say with the Jewish national code, 70
he plain reason that it WAS no part Of stha
,adc. Was this law repealed by Jesu
Christ, who il is conceded ind power so t.
ls' find no evidence Of il, but muc!, t.
flo contrary.
Ia Mathew 5, II, Christ says: Think
10. that am come TO destroy the law oI
he PROPHETS; am not come TO destroy bu
,aiu,al." Blu, this is not enough, and ht
socs on in the neg, verse. "For verify sn Y
INTO you till leav ven and earth pass, one jot
OF one title shall il 10 wise pass from the
law till all be fulfilled" |; is not certaia
hat the dealt, Of the murderer was part
Of that law of which Christ here speaks
Does any one doubt il Does any ont
doubt that this punishment Of the murder
twas prominent. feature, and much IN
Saed upen IN that law II 50 il mus! bs
bag since he has read it. And vet Chris
AID no jot or title oil this law should In,
While earth and heaven remained. VIII
shai face then, can men tell us that tn
Srieur repealed this law? Why. lie stretch
dhunan language to its utmost, to assur,
sic did nos repeal It, that it nerer shout,
ktssaled. In the 2st and 22d verses o
Gs same chapter, Christ does speak Of til.
Murderer, but it was oily to define TIKI
w no:c strictly, ard 10 intimution i:
gwen d lesscning the severity Of the pun
nAnent. Now, we ask, II he had intended
@aie: the penalty OF the crime OF M urder,
sAyRit moi said 80 here 7 We pause for i
reply.
The 3sta verse OF this chapter is as fol-
ksg we have heard that it hath been
ad,an eye for an eye and tooth for u
,'a'h, :" ia the 39.h verse Christ says, "Bul
LAY rnto you, that ye resist not evil"
N0ssiil any man peril his reputation 70,
common sense. By maintaining after what
tafst had just said that here is repeal Of
We ia'' Of murder as giren to NeaA7 Or il
ayone is hardy enough to do it, will he
apect other men Of common sense to be-
as'e MN Again, interpreted in this way,
@s lext proves too much. For il 'resist
Ao' esh' means We shall not hang the
as'cerer, It must mean also, we shall no,
"T'sea him. for that is resisting eril
must Nus. not punish him at all, for all punish
n ..'.. meant to resist evil. Be consistent,
s,ra.ltmen, abolish all penalties, all laws,
,ywsinment; or cease to nlis-apply this
m .ss aln0'ed passages to the murderer, and
ca TOUT statutes conform TO the law oil
w' Whose shcddeth mans blood by
~sA mai his blood be she'd"