Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-03-19
For the Hd,ck- Eye.
Dialogue OH Capital Punishment

| FOR The ifdiE6- Eye.
Dialogue OH Capital Punishment
b. Neighhor A. have you seen the
proceedings OF the late Convention held
in Iowa City, n the subjec. of abolishing
capital punishment!
A. have.
B. Do they not strongly evidence the
progress Of light in our land and are they
no. delightfully."- indicative of the high NOR.
al destiny Of our beautiful Territory!
A. | think
b. Neighbor A. my heart exul,s-il
overHows with the "milk Of human kind.
ness" and The tender sympa,hies Of "be-
nevolence and philanthropy. "since read
those proceedings. | have often heard
you talk of MiIienial day that We, would
bless our earth, when all inquity should
be banishcd from il. II seems to me YOU
are right. and such day is at hand. The
feelings Of ''benevolence and philanthro-
py' that are at this time possessing the
hearts and actuatng the minds of men in
general; but especially Of those in high
places of influence and power. mos, assn
redly indicate the dawnins of bright and
blssful day.
A. All my friend. dark night it is
supposed, awaits our earth, before that
mllenial day shall arise upon Us; and the
proceedings you spesk of. with other
signs of the times, do not indicate the
dawning day, but are sadly ominous of
that approaching night.
b. You then must think that the ab-
oition of capital punishment is incon-
sisient with the spirit Of true beneyolence
and philanthropy!
| A. do assuredly. 1t is rebellion
agans, God, and being SOFT strikes at the
foundation of social order, and consequent
y of social happiness.
B. Therefore the law that takes away
the life of the ,oilJul murderer, does not
belong to a code "written in letters Of
blood, and is not a"ves,ige of barbarity.'
A. The man who affirms this. has no
Just sense of the enormity Of that crime
he would shield from the sword of justice.
He ISLANDERS the Most High, whose per
feet wisdom and benevolence cannot err
in the sanction he has annexed to hi. law;
and he is grossly wanting in reverence
for the great Law giver,by whom the law
of murder was first enacted and by whom
it has never been repealed.
b. That law belonged 10 the Jewish
polity, and with the national existence of
that people itbecame extinct. 1t is there
fore virtually repealed.
A. Far otherwise, sir. l, is part of
the moral ia,c, which is immutable. II
was originally inscribed upon the hear. Of
man at his creation. The guilty con-
science of Cain testified to the Law and
its sanction, when he expected and feared
that death to which he knew he had ex-
posed himself by killing his brother. 1t
was afterwards given to ALL MANKIND to
Gentle as we'll as Jew through Noah the
second progenitor Of the human race. A,
Sinai it was republlshed to the Jews; and
"whosoevet sheddsth mans blood,by mar
shall his blood be she'd" has ever been
the unrepealed sanction Of the law OF
3, murder since the time of Noah, and will
continue to be so, whichever there is 8
murderer to incur this penalty.
B. Has not this law however been
expunged from the NewTes,ament: if no
as .svestige of barbari,y," We, as "op
posed to its merciful ,eachings!"
A. Where do YOU find in the New
j. Testament, this expurgation!
B. In many places; bu. especially ii
the Sermon on the Mount.
A. The only portion Of that discourse
which relates to the question at issue, i.
the exposition Of the sixth command. ant
;. that exposition is unequivocally on thu
side Of capital punishment. Our blessed
Lord not only here recognises the law
forbidding murder, but its penalty also
"Ye have heard that is was said in elt
time. Thou shalt not kill, and whoeve
shall kill shall be in danger Of the judge
, ment. But | saw unto vou"-Whst
Though you do kill. ye shall not be il
danger Of the judgment which the Cour
is bound, and the law demands should b
pronounced upon you. have come Il
overthrow "that majesty, which. with it
iron sceptre rules the universe. There
fore no longer shall it be said as in oil
time: "Thon shalt surely pu. the murder
err to death" "Fear not this sentence
have come 10 destroy the law" Is thi
: the exposition Of the benevolent Jesus
Does he thus snnul the law! Verify no
but he establishes it. and goes on to sho,
$. lis breadth and spirituality. "Bu, sa
unto yen." &c.
B. Blu, still l think that such law
"opposed to the merciful teachings Of III
christian dispensalion. II is contrary +
the esprit and genius Of christianity.
: and is therefore of necessity abrogated.
A. suppose that wha! Won call tn
. esprit and genius Of christianity" "a
arise no higher than the spirit and geaiu
Vi of its founder.
B. And that was n,nired naercy an
iore-.he perfection Of that same spirit q
: benevolence and philanthropy which no,
agitates. and will vet ronsumna,e the at
). clifton of capital punishmenls.
II A. And is God indeed God all mel
cy! aye serpents. how can We eseap
the damnation Of hell"-'.he sen, fort
and destroyed those murderers"-''fa
the ,crath of God 10 revealed from hea,
+. en-, against all nngodiness and unrigh,
eousness Of men," 10 this the language q