Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-05-26
For the Reporter.
Examination Of the Bible Argument
for Capital Punishment.
BY REV. J. c. PATTEE.

"And surely your blood Of your lives
will | require: at the hand of every beast
will Ireqlire it, and at the hand of man;
at the hand of every mans brother will
| require the life ofman. Whose she'd
deth mans blood, by man shall his
blood be shed: for in the image ofGod
made he man" Cen. tx. So. Read
Gen. tx. III.
Upon this passage, more than any
other, the advocates of ''Capital Pun
ishment'' or murder for the murderer,
build what is called their ssBibIe Ar
gument' in defence of, in justification
of, and for the continuance of that long
standing and solemnly awful require
ment of our Statutes. Their position
is Gf do not mistake it, and | think |
do not) that the passage is command
made by God to Noah, and, through
him, to the world, not to suffer a mur-
derer to live, but to make his death the
penalty of having killed another. This
position | am disposed to controvcrt
somewhat in few remarks and consid-
slderatlons upon the passage; for it
seems to me that the argument is built
upon an entire misapprehension of the
language OF the text, and that ifit was
not, it would be wholly without force
in justification or defence of the pun
ishment of death, as it is inflicted among
us,
1. If it be divine command, or, in
other words, a Law of God, demand
ing the punishment of death to be in
tlicted upon the murderer, which Law
has never been superseded or abroga-
ted, 1t clearly defines how it shall be
executed, which is in manner very
unlike to that practiced in this land of
gallows and hangmen. The Law of
our statutes requires formal complaint,
a legal tribunal to convict, and a gal
lows to string up the culprit on; this is
our way ofproceeding in capital crimes.
But this Law Of God Gf Law it be) re-
quires none Of these; but, without for
NAL complaint, legal process, or judicial
conviction, orders the aveneer of blood
who is the nearest of kin to the slain
person, to go forth, single handed and
alone, after the murderer, to slav him
wherever he may find him, as
soon as he has opportunity, with the
most convenient weapon. 1t gives nc
authority to any other person, or to the
government, to take the life ofthe mur.
derer; but only, to the brother-or. at
the greatest possible stretch of signifi
cation which the language will bear
nearkinsman of the murdered man:
Sat the hand of every mans 6rothe,
will | require the life of man. If
therefore, the text be Lasc of God
unrepealed OF not superseded bv anoth
er law, and binding in all its original
force upon US, requiring the execution
of the murderer, it requires it in yer,
different manner from what it is done
among us: and whatever force an ar
gument, built upon it, may have in IA
vor Of Capital Punishment. the same
argument will have equal force aeainst
the mode of eliminating and executing
the sentence as at present practiced
among US.
But, if it be Law requiring, whel
rightly understood, life for life in an,
case, an attempt to carry it out accord
ing to its letter, would, at every sucl
attempt, RESULT in indiscriminate slauch
tier. For, mark the language of th'