Indiana State sentinel., 1846-09-03
Capital Punishment.
$ Of fhe State Seniinel :

and valuable paper, as promised in that commnnica-
tion, proceed to the discussion cf the subject
] consider 1t one of vast Importance TO the well
being of our happy community and that much for
veal or woe depends the proper decision of it.
would that aber hand than | would undertake the
task It's great Importance and the present state of
the public mind the subject, together with the
Of many leading and influential public jour
na require that the ablest nteects should be called
into the field.
/ | argue the question before profeSsed christian
community. shall therefore not stop to prove that
the Author of the universe has right TO govern it
and that the Creator of the human has right to
govern it, and TO prescribe laws for its government
shall assume these propositions TO be true. ] shall
also assume true that Gol has right TO govern
man that he does and will exercise that right that
he has prescribed laws for his governments and that
he will enforce them too. For, though he may let
dividuals nations for a tme run 0fter their ow
wayward usts and dispositions, apparently without
any control from him yet IN has own due tlme when
the individual nation shall have ''illed up the
measure of their iniquty" he invariably brings them
TO fearful retribution. He is the Lord, the King,
the Supreme Ruler of the Universe; and we
state and nation, must conform ourselves to his divine
and supreme laws, he will hold US accountable and
in due time vindcate his supremacy l shall further
take as admitted that Gods will concerning man,
and his moral government in this world, is found in
the Bible; and therefore that the Billie is of para
mount authority. These are not unreasonable pOSta
tata TO ask of community professedly christina one
that believes III God and in the Bible a divine
veatlon from him. He who disputes the authority Of
God to prescribe laws for the government OF man,
and that the Bible contains that prescription argues
Infdelity. My present object is not TO combat inf
deity, and therefore | shall not debate with him.
Let us look into the divine record, and see what the
scriptures teach on the subject of Capital Punishment.
The first murder that occurred in the human family
was committed by the second man that ever existed
on the third and they were brothers. This was the
murder of bel by Cain. After the fact occurred the
Lord enquired of Cain concerning the affair. The
narrative runs thus
"And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy
brother! And he said, | know not Am l my bro
theirs keeper And he said, What hast thou done
the voice of thy brothers blood crirh unto from
the ground. And now art thou cursed from the
earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy
brothers. blood from thy hand. When thou test the
ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her
strength fugitive and vagabonj shalt thou be in
the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, my punish
ment is greater than can BEAR Behold thou hast
driven out this day from the face of the earth;
and from thy face shall be hid and shall be flu
gitive and vagabond In the earth and it shall
to pass, that every one that indeth shall say
And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever
saye Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven
fold. And the Lord set mark Cain, lest any
! finding him should kill him.
| The principal items to be noticed in this case are
| l. That The blood of murder cries to God.
2 That the murderer was driven out of the pale OF
society," and declared be out of the protection of
heaven and earth.
g. That this ouawry authorized erery one that
should find him, TO Stay him. 1t understood
by Cain then and the rules of oulawfy the same
to this day. Every one who finds an outlaw may
slay him.
A. This suggestion arises in the mind of Cain, but
not because it directly said to him 1t
corolary of his Nature, Gains conscience, and the
Lords words, caused Cain instinctIvely TO excaim,
'eyery one that fndeth me shall say me-" This FIX
ed law of murder yet exists. Every murderer insnc
lively fears slayer in every one he meets
5. But at that particular tme and for that
are not given, and which finite integencies such
we are whose field Of observation is limited to one
small planet, which makes but very Insignificant
portion of the universe cannot perhaps correctly guess
at the Lord saw fit TO countermand the natural law
He set mark on Cain, lest any finding bIm should
kill him. He first tried what you and those who stand
on your side of the question: wanting to get back
to now he prohibited capital punishment, and de-
clared that seven-fod vengeance should be taken on
him who took vengeance Cain or, in other words
avenged the blood of Abel.
We find no other of murder particularly re-
corded until after the flood During this period of
some 1000 years, am willing 10 admit that your
system prevailed, and that prohibited from
infcting capital punishment on the murderer Your
system was the first under which man was tried
Yours is the first in his history. Shall go back to
ii again! To enable us that inquiry wise
", let us examine and see how the system worked
Those who now advocate the abolition of pital pun
ishment talk loudly of the philanthropy of their sys
tenn, and of the misanthropy OF the opposite. Their
system was tried some 1000 years, which was peri
cd sufficiently long in all conscience to make IFS PHI
Ianhropy visible, if it were really philanhropic
What beneficial effects resulted from it The record
says that at the end of that period the earth lcds
filed ,cih riolence The cutting of Threats and the
beating out of brains universally prevailed very
planthropic system truly, which led to such results
Shall we go back TO it
We will now see how this first chapter in the his
tory of man ended. 'The earth also corrupt be-
fore God and the earth filed with violence. And
God looked upon the elrth and behold ii was CORRUPT
Violence and blood had gangrencd the earth and made
it morally great putrid running sore. God bad
prohibited man from inficng capital punishment on
the murderer and avenging the blood of the murder
ed, say, if you please for the reformation of the
derers, and to make an exhibition of the bengnity of
his government and of his forbearance and lOngsuf
fering. Experience, however, had now clearly prov
ed that that the system, instead of reforming, had
made the whole race murdercrs. He had now ind-
Gated his forbearance and suffering, and proven
that he was slow to wrath it now became necessary
for him to vndicate some other of hrs attributes and
to do himself what he had prohibited man from doing
He gave the race fair trial. and they came out un
iversally guilty with the exception of eight souls !;
therefore it repented him 'sthat he had made
the earth, and it grieved him at his heart" So he
pronounced this judgment of death against them 81
will destroy man whom have created from the face
of the earth" The execution Of this sentence though,
was delayed one hundred and twenty years after IT
was pronounced At the end of that period the 0ood
comn and .salI flesh died and euerg man -
Noah only remained, and they that were with HIM IN
tho Ark--in all pi0ht souls.