Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1846-03-07
rOr the Herald.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Ma. EDITOR with your permission l
wish to cay a few words, through your col.
umns. on subject in which the public inter-
est seems not to have been diminished by the
extent 10 which it has been heretofore discuss.
ed--the subject of Capital Punishment. I
have noticed recent movement upon this
subject 10 this Territory. and il 10 not improb.
able that the entire Abolition of Capital Pun
ishment will hereafter be warmly urged in our
Legislature. Itmay be found, upon reAec.
ton. that the opposition Of many to this form
of punishment 10 founded on erroneous views
of the origin and Office Of the civil power
l must be permitted, on this point, to speak 40
q Christian. On all subjects on which the
Word Of God speaks il 10 to the Christian sole
arbiter; and il the disciples Of Voltairs and
Paine have the right to carry TO the polls the
political principles which they derive from
those authors, surely have the right to carry
thither the political principles which derive
from the words Of Inspiration.
The greatest political question ever discuss.
cd 10, whether human government 10 the ser
want OF man or the servant Of God. Much
that is said At tho present day proceeds from
the supposition that il 10 the mere servant Of
man. Tho doctrine that it ''derivss all ito
just powers from the consent of the governed
10 carried 90 far 40 TO exclude all idea Of con.
sent on the part Of the Supreme Ruler. Now
on this point my political text book speaks
most decisivsly. The Civil Ruler "is the min.
lister Of God" And. may add, the doctrine
that civil government derives its authority
from the mere consent Of the governed, cannot
be carried out in practice. According 10 the
utmoss extent Of what 10 called Universal SUI.
frsgs 10 this country, probably not more than
one-sixth part Of the governed have any share
10 the government; and not man in the UNI.
on advocates the admission Of the rsmainder.
Bssidss, have never heard the question an
swered If man choose to Withhold his con.
sent from the social compact what 10 his rem
edy Tho truth 10. government derives all
ito authority from the Supreme Ruler, while,
at the same time, He has, by the NANTES. ar.
'angsmens Of His providence, clearly pointed
out who are the proper persons in ordinary
cases TO receive tho commission. There 10
just this amount Of truth in the old doctrine of
"Divinef bright" on the one hand, and that of
the "social compact" on the other. 1, is
Divine right, not Of the king, but of the PEG.
ple-a Divine right Of the adul. male citizens.
The authority of this class of persons over
the country is the same with that of . parent
over his family. You rob government Of the
chief part OF it's efficiency when you take a.
way from the minds of the people this idea of
the Divinity of its origin.
Il follows. in tho first place, tina. we have
a right to take life for life, in case tina, s as.
certained to be the proper penalty. 1t is said
that government, cannot derive the right 10 in.
fiict this penalty from the consent of the gov
erned, because no man has the righ, to take
his own life. admit it, and affirm further
that q man has no right to confine himself in
prison, and ,hus destroy his usefulness as a
member Of society; and therefore government.
can derive no power to govern from the mere
consent OF the governed. But il government
be clothed with commission from above, it
10 invested with full authority over tho lives
Of men within the prescribed limits Of tho ri.
vine will.
Is death, then, the proper penalty Of murder