The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-01-15
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY.
JAS. R. MORRIS, PROPRIETOR.
wooDsFIELD, OHIO, JAN. IS, 1851.
For the Spirit of Democracy.
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

Mr.. EDIroR - Please publish the fol-
lowing communication. No apology will
be, offered for asking this favor, believing
that the subject discussed will be deemed
of sufficient importance to induce you to
give it place in your paper.
A debating club, in this place, has had
question under discussion, which has
excited more than an ordinary share Of
interest, to wit: "Should the law inflict.
ing capital punishment for murder, be
abolishedl"
Those in the negative of this question,
claim that God gave law, under the pa.
triarchal and Jewish dispensations, COM
manding that, "Whoso sheddeth mans
blood, by man shall his blood be shed,"
therefore all christendom are under moral
obligation 10 enforce this law; and that it
is as perpetual in its obligation as the law
which was inscribed by the finger Of the
Almighty, on the tables of stone, amid
the thunders of Sinai.
The affirmative, on the other hand,
maintain, that this law is Of no binding
force, whatever, upon US now; and that it
was merely civil regulation in its day,
and ceased 20 exist with the Jewish gov
ernment; and that the infiction Of capital
punishment is wicked usurpation OF
power. against all law, human and divine;
and therefore should at once be aban-
doned. si
The object Of civil law should be, to
secure life, property, and the pursuit Of
happiness; or in other words, to secure to
each citizen the enjoyment Of the proceeds
Of his own labor, give personal protection,
and the reformation Of criminals. That
the infiction Of penalties, necessary to
secure these ends, is proper and right,
is admitted. That the murderer should
be confined within the walls Of peniten-
tiary for life, and that locks, bolts, bars
and chains, increased to any number. and
in size and strength to any extent, neces.
sary to prevent his escape, is also admit
ted. A criminal thus confined would be
dead and buried to the world-his life in
the hands Of his Creator, to whom its dis
posal belongs. The peace and safety OF
society is hereby secured-the object OF
the law fulflled--to the criminal space
given to reform, and to study the mysteri-
Gus truths of time, and to prepare torfe-
ceive the happiness OF eternity. This is
the extent of human power, rightfuly to
punish criminals o.s.
In our government, all legislative power
emanates from the people. Legislative
bodies, then, can only righ:fully exercise
such powers as are delegated to them.
Man holds but possessory right to his
life--and that too, but for certain specified
purposes, and not such a right as to ena-
Bile him to transfer it TO another. Man
cannot take his own life, or authorize an
other to do it for him, without committing
crime. 1t is the prerogative of God to
take it. Life and all the energies Of mans
soul, belong to God the Creator-they
were purchased with a price" This,
then, being, true, Legislative bodies are LEFT
without power to enact law to take life,
Of to inhict capital punishment--having
no mo- power delegated to them by the people
for this purpose. More than this; any
thing which is in itself wrong, cannot be,
bylegislative enactment, made right. In
other words, if il is wrong to murder, it
cannot be made right by sanctity Of law,
orsby ''legalized hemp uI a5T
Genesis 10: 6: "Whoso sheddeth mans
blood, BY man shall his blood be shed:
for in the image Of God created he man."
Numbers 35: 16, 81: "lf he smite him
with an instrument Of iron, so that he die,
hetis o. murderer. the murderer shall sure.
ly bs put to death. Yesshall take no sat-
nisiactioonit nii ioit for the life Of a murderer, which
isgvilty, Of death; bpt he shall be surely
put toJdeaths" hese,lawsi are notgquoted
by the advocates of capital punishment
ibpsK5W thats those who lived in the days