The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-04-05

! ing evening, at which snbs,itutes ior Ire
| opposition resolutions were carried by an
overwhelming majority, thus confirming
| the recommendation TO the City Council
to subscribe the amount mentioned, nndert
the beliefcf, future benefit there efrom ID
| the city Of Charleston.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT NO & I1.s ssss;
We promised in previous number to
consider the questGnsIs capital nu,t;sk q;
n1ert authorized by the ,rord or God and
now proceed to do SO. jSssys7's'
We need not stop to remark on the Inn
portance Of this enquiry. II is plain al the
outset, that, unless it can be saiisfdcaosilp
answered in the affirmative, we could have
no right to take away life in any scases Life
is the peculiar, the exclusive, giH Of Ged.
and, therefore, without positiyei direct per-
mission from him, we have no authority to
deprive amy of his creatures ofsit Our, an.
peal, then, must be made tothe scriptures.
which contain tie only revelation Of bis viii
! to mankind ~ Sst IS
BY reference to the sirM commandment.
we shall find. that killing is prohibited in ali
cases whatever. The prohibition lie unixer,
sal, and in the. most absolute terms: Hhose
shall not LII" is the language afs stha AL
| mighty BEsToWEK of iIie. Unless there
fore. he hes given permission, by exceptions
of his own making, we, cannot take away
| life in amy case, without incurring the guiit
! Of transgressing this coarnandnienf. The
question arises, then, ,chat eDcepionx b. This
id,o has God been Pleased % make I'm Other
words, in what specified cases sni6y j lie. be
lawfully taken aways We notice sthe fol-
lowing RI. Il 7 iss gss Z;
I. Animals may be deprived os Kfs ID f,ep, 10
cases. .sS' . ~
Q) When necessary for food Every
moving thing that liyetli shall be meat Sfor
you; even as the green herb have n friyen
you all things." Gen. 8: 8. In this passage
clear permission is given 70 kill SnimaA iar
food. e 81
(2) When dangerous TO human life. :.Anta
surely your blood of your lives will require:
at the hand of erery beast will / require il, ?
&c. o: g.. This is generally interpreted Of
the punishment which was to be inflicted up.
ON beast which had in any way killed q
man; and it is certain that law was after
wards ordained, requiring such beast to be
shedding. 'ls & r
These are the only cases in which we an,
warranted to take away the lives of animals.
OF course, then. we, are not permitted rs de-
stroy them for mere sport or pastIne. i;
2 Human life may also be taken away IN
certain cases. So sSs,2a
I) 1t may be lawfully done IN lf.defsnce,S
AIf a thief be found breaking up. and Fbe
smitten that he die, there shall no blood bes,
shed for him" Elk. %: 2. This Is obvious.
sly, case of selC-defence, and the killing n
such case is plainly warranted. And there
| is no reason why the warrant may not extend
to all cases, in which our own: or tho lYes OF
others, is wrongfnly assailed; and ss.where
there are no: perceptible means, beside fhia
evil" ~ 80, q
co The life of the ,oiB murderer nsav
be lawfully taken away. Ills Is q clear az.
ception to the precept, Hfkon shalt not kijl.,s
which the universal LGwGfvRR himself has
made. The original law, as given TO Noah.
is in these words:-"W Whoso siledaeth n,an,a
blood. by man shall his blood be she'd Cen.
The words Of the law contain not only .
permission as some suppose, 70 take away.
life as the proper punishment Of murder; but
direct positive requirement. To- do. so-.sictA
commands, that Il sAall be done. Bat dune
by whom! OF course oatg by The civil mag
istrate, "and by him, only VIXEN acting ac~
cortling to the decisions OF law. .,,3
Thus we see, I'm what cases life may Be
lawfully taken away; and that the scriptures
authorise and require the infliction by ma
civil arm, of capital punishment 81, thai man !
who xeliciously destroys the life Of His fel.
low. In our next, we will briefly notice
some objections to this doctrine. IS
Pine Lserel. 3i 5s j. ID.
THE PALMETTO RsGIsiFNT a n,,;vafaS