The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-06-01

AT a meeting recently held in the city Of
New York. on the subject Of sbrogalng The
law authorizing capital punishment, DIR. e.
Ter, Of Peansy lvania, made speech Of con
siderable length, an extract from which is Civ.
en- in the Courier s. Enquirer Of thai city. as
follows
"Ths Bible under Moses was the law for barba-
| rians. and was not fiji for US now. We have been
changed. and q new law is necessary for us who
| have new morals. The New Testamant was in "a.
vor Of the death penalty, but should he take the
opinion Of set of fi.hermen this point, and not
,egard his own private opinion They differed
upon other subjects, and at Jerusalam, upon Ques-
ton Of change in the ritual Of the church, fought
ike abolitionists, and did we believe the sacred wr
ings, even Paul and Peter had rough and tumble.
| He had no confidence in such people they were
towards, for Peter, who was eager to cut off mig
gers ear in the garden of Gethsemsne was coward
when servant maid iwiited him of being follower
| Of the Saviour. Times have changed, and it now
'eiongs TO US to repeal those laws proper for
Moses time, hut all unfit for this age Of progress"
We have some recoections VI large oc
| tavo volume, covered with green baize, and
bearing on its imprint an intimaion that il was
printed at the University Press, in Cambridge,
England. That book contained notice Of
Moses, Of some fishermen, of Peter and of
Paul, with whose biographies we were wont
to make ourseli exceedingly intimate, follow
ing Moses. as we recollect, from the buIrushes
to Pisgah, emitting always the catalogue Of
mems names and tribes, and we, owing I'M
doubleday TO our childish years, imbibed an
idea that the law which he gave was for civil
lied life, 10 love God, TO love our neighbor, 10
honor father and mother, to be honest, chaste.
true, neither envious nor covetous and about
those fishermen" we remember a deep in.
terest which we felt in them, partly, we be-
lieve, because we were brought up within
smell Of I" fish fakes" and we doubt whether
any thing can smell much g louder" or much
further.
| Then the discussions Of Peter and Paul, we
never thought could have amounted to any
thing like rough and tumble They were
"l9vely and pleasant in their lives, and in their
death were not divided
As to the courage Of Peter in the garden,
he showed a willingness 10 defend his Master
in peril. just such a willingness as men Of this
day exhibit. He drew his sword, which he
had been told to purchase, but not told 10 use.
The spirit OF man came upon him, and he was
fierce and valiant. The rebuke was not from
man, and it should not be from man. The
Master did rebuke him 6y words; he did mol
condemn him, for he had advised the purchase
of the sword, and he healed the wound which
the use Of the sword had caused and Peter
learned that there was another courage-the
noble, all-conquering. courage of forbearance
under aggravated provocalion, and with The
ready means of chastisement.
In the palace, Dangerous place for virtues
Of any kindly Peters courage was tried again,
iried more severely. He had been willing 10
hight. and to die fighting for the master, but he
had no, learned the beautiful lesson Of standing
unartned and unresisting before heavy charge.
de heard the imputation upon him, and using
yet the carnal weapon, the only one he could
use, he sought to defend himself by denial.
He had exhibited the worlds courage in the
garden Of Ge,hsemane; he was showing the
worlds attachment in the palace Of the Cover
nor. The master did not rebuke by words, be-
cause the injury was not to third person.
The look sent home the terrible rebuke, ,ha,
was barbed with the sense of grief, as well as
Of offence. Never again did that fisherman
offend; never again did he strike with the
sword, never deny with his tongue. Yet the
solemn silence that was part Of the agonies Of
Gelhsemane, and the shame Of Pilates palace,
are made the theme Of sneering illustrations
To- point moral or adorn himsy speech.
We may be fastidious, but time deepens, OF
perhaps, clears out the impressions made in
infancy; and we feel hurt. not at the frequent
even rather familiar, use Of the language Of
that old green covered book We feel hur,
when its solemn, its tremendous details, are
placed fippantly before crowd to excite q
laugh. Let all its language, all its narrative
all its mysteries, be made of common thoush,
and frequent inquiry but let no familiarity
lessen respect, and no frequency diminish the
awe with which the sacred oracles are ar
proached.-U. s. Gazette.