Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-03-12

IlilS JHrtNtnn cOmHlOUWchNHS uh" "OS'
with deeper response in the bosoms oi
so-cnlled Christians generally, thnn that
other mandate Of him whom, they say, they
believe to have spoken "ns never man
spnkc." He said" Ye have heard thnt It
hath been snid, an eye for an eye, and a
tooth for n tooth but | say unto YOU, resist
not evil; but whoever shall smite thee on
thy right cheek, turn unto him the other
nlso." That was the general spirit of his
teachings; and that the principle he meant
his true followers should embody in all their
human relations. II was principle MS
stringently bindng-if binding nt all--on
states and nations as on individuals. Aud
yet we find most of the nations of our day,
who, it would seem, but " keep the Christian
promise TO the lip to break it to the heart"
founding their legislation, in reference to
the treatment Of criminals, upon statute
which is palpubly n; variance with the light
aud spirit of true Christian doctrine, aud
which must he MS pulpably at variance with
all correct conception of the attributes OF
our Heavenly Father. Moses is followed
as moral teacher, aud Jesus rejected ut
tcry
1t seems TO me very unwise to talk Of
evungeizing the Jews, when we ourselves
show n reckless disregard for the very evan
gelism we would promulgote among them.
Aud equally foolish is it to rail nganst Ju-
daism when we, in our nets and opinions
concerning the value Of human life and
lberiy-nre, so far forth at least, Jews our
selves. The law of human brotherhood
laid down in the teachings Of Christ, makes
il cardinal crime TO offend against the
weakest member Of the human family, and
hence is most unqualifedly opposed to
chauel slavery; nnd yet this Christian Re-
public holds millions of men und women in
the vilest bondage ever the sun has looked
ON, aud thinks itself sufficiently justified in
doing so, il it can find precedent in the
conduct of few ancient Isrneliish men,
whom it is pleased 10 style "he Pdiriarcls."
Thus on these two great points, of most vi
tai importance to humanity, namely, human
! life aud human liberty, we see that many
states and nations have practically rejected
the highest and clearest light, and taken the
dim taper of Jewish morality to guide
their feet Do you wonder that they should
have fallen into the guilt Of spilling mans
blood, and then sophislicating themselves
into the belief that such accursed acts are
jus:ifabe.
The advocates Of capital punishment de-
fend il, believe on Two grounds mainly
One of these is that it is necessary TO pre-
vent the murderer from repeating his crime
and the other is to awe community by the
hdeous example. II this be all The plea
that can be offered In its defence, then ]
believe less than ever in its righteousness or
utility. imprisonment will answer the for
mer end as effIciuully as changing by the
neck until life is extinct" As for the latter,
society has no right in my opinion, to de-
mand such sacrifice to secure its prospec-
tive protection. 1t has no right 10 put any
nun TO death, lest it hnply should take harm.
The weakest, guiltiest brother may not law
fully be killed to render my life more secure,
or sociely's life. Man is holy-under the
heavens there is no holier being; and wrong
against him is the only socrilege in the true
sense of the word. There is sanctiy in
the person of the greatest sinner which the
deepest moral degradation eau not entirely
sully-ihere is an inner shrine on whose
altnr the divine spark is never wholly ex,n-
gnished. Human life is holy, and no hand
but the Giyer's may touch it with moral
inpunity. Hence it is n grievous crime 10
take it away, rs they say, for examples sake
Ito save community. A low and selfish
expediency is the basis of this penal statute
the principle that selfpreservation is mans
and community's highest rule Of action.-
When Cainphas, in the Jewish council, sat
in Judgment upon the case of Jesus, he
acted OIL the same principle precisely it
is expedient for us that one man should die
for the people and that the whole nation per-
ish not" lie reasoned, If we let this man
thus alone "-tlInt is, il we suffer him to
offend against our laws with impunily-"all
men will believe on him, and the Romans
will come and tuke away our place and na-
lion." Therefore it is proper that he be
killed to save the nation. The reasoning at
the bottom of this law as regarding the pun
ishment Of capital offences, is not unlike
tha, employed by Caiaphas. 1t is such as
this" the offender has violated the law of
the land, and if we suffer him to 80 unpun-
ished, many similar crimes will be commit
ted"-a gratuitous assumption by the way
sand human life will finally be at the mercy
of mans desolating passions. Therefore
| WE ahnll hrnfnllv kill the nfiander md ainca